Broken Base: A light case in this over the film using the score "Scene D'Amour" from Vertigo. Actress Kim Novak didn't take it well at all, comparing it to a rape. Fans are less extreme, arguing over whether the song was a well-placed tribute or distracted from the film too much. In addition, the director got the rights to use it, and that piece has been endlessly used for decades. In addition, the director took many works as inspiration for the film.
Ensemble Dark Horse: Jack, George's dog, has gotten a lot of love, and is remembered most fondly, with his actor Uggie winning the Palm Dog Award at Cannes. In fact, there was actually a campaign started by fans called "Consider Uggie", pushing the dog to get an Oscar nomination.
He Really Can Act: Jean Dujardin was a long-established comedic actor in France, but this first major dramatic role was his international breakthrough and made him the first Frenchman to receive the Oscar for Best Actor.
Jerkass Woobie: As much as George suffers, he brings a lot of it on himself; he's arrogant, vain, and inexplicably cold to his wife.
In his defense, his wife isn't that loving either and probably fits this trope a bit. She's not pleasant, but she's quite miserable. Considering how famous George was in his heyday, she may very well have just married him for the money and prestige.
Plus, as far as we can tell he never even tries to get into the talkie business no matter how clear it becomes that silents are dead. His apparently considering death preferable to doing a talkie until his girlfriend talks him into it can come off as pretty Wangsty.
Oscar Bait: Incarnate. A black and white silent picture, extolling the greatness of Old Hollywood. Very little surprise was felt when the Academy practically tossed best picture to them.
Out of the Ghetto: It won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year, despite being a comedy first and foremost.
Let's just put it this way, this film is notorious for making the audience sniffle like crazy once it gets to the scene where George almost shoots himself as well as when Peppy catches him in the act.
The one film canister that George clung onto after being saved from the fire.
Especially when Peppy finds out exactly which film it contains.
The nearly empty theater for Tears of Love, coupled with the Lonely Piano Piece and the heartbroken reactions of George and Peppy.
