Which film is the only silent film to win Best Picture in the sound era?

The Artist is the only mostly silent film to win Best Picture during the sound era.

Michel Hazanavicius’s 2011 French film deliberately imitates silent-era cinema: it is presented largely in black and white, uses intertitles, and relies on expressive acting and an orchestral score instead of ordinary spoken dialogue. It follows silent-film star George Valentin, played by Jean Dujardin, as synchronized sound transforms Hollywood.

The film won Best Picture at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012, along with four other Oscars, including Best Director and Best Actor. Its victory made it the first mainly silent film to win the award since Wings, which won at the inaugural Oscars in 1929.

A common mix-up is calling The Artist completely silent. It contains brief synchronized sound and spoken dialogue near the end, so Wings remains the only fully silent Best Picture winner. The wording “in the sound era” distinguishes The Artist from that earlier silent-era triumph.