Evolution of Film Language

Towards the beginning of the article, I kept thinking of the 2011 film The Artist, and how the main character was a silent film star, concerned about the future of film and the upcoming "talkies". This was one of the earliest transitions in the film world, and because of it, one of the first transitions in general film language. It is also interesting to think that originally, film was more similar to seeing a play, but as it became more of a niche in the art world, there seem to be more closeups, montages, and other elements that are unique to film. If directors and cinematographers use long takes and depth of field, something that you don't necessarily need film for, it is simply a "part of their style", a choice that makes film the more interesting. As more time passes, the article illustrates, more genres come about, like the classic "American comedy", "American musical" and "American gangster film". I wonder what the author would have thought of today's film world, since the article is from the 1950s. Has there been further film language that has evolved in recent history? What would Bazin think of the "American blockbuster" or the "romantic comedy"? It's interesting how these formulas evolve, and it will be interesting to see how they continue to evolve in the future, which is why The Artist still feels like something we can relate to.