Kim Novak says The Artist “raped my career”

Kim Novak, the 73-year-old star of Hitchcock's classic 'Vertigo', has fired an amazing broadside at Oscar favourite 'The Artist'.

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Novak feels that use of love theme tune from 'Vertigo' in 'The Artist' is “cheating”, and has said so in uncompromising fashion in a full-page advert in a recent issue of Variety.

The ad began: “I WANT TO REPORT A RAPE. I FEEL AS IF MY BODY—OR, AT LEAST MY BODY OF WORK—HAS BEEN VIOLATED BY THE MOVIE, “THE ARTIST.”

Note the use of CAPS. She's clearly ANNOYED!

Novak goes on to say that the small credit given to original composer Bernard Herrmann is not enough.

She ends by saying: “IT IS ESSENTIAL TO SAFEGUARD OUR SPECIAL BODIES OF WORK FOR POSTERITY, WITH THEIR ORIGINAL AND INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES INTACT AND PROTECTED.”

Michel Hazanavicius, director of 'The Artist', has responded in more measured terms.

“'The Artist' was made as a love letter to cinema, and grew out of my (and all of my cast and crew’s) admiration and respect for movies throughout history.”

He concluded: “I love Bernard Hermann and his music has been used in many different films and I’m very pleased to have it in mine. I respect Kim Novak greatly and I’m sorry to hear she disagrees.”

The real question now is if this will affect the Oscar race in any way. The Academy usually opts for the safest option when dishing out awards, and this is the first black mark against 'The Artist'.

Watch the trailer for 'The Artist' below.