Silence is golden for French film, while Meryl Streep wins best actress and John Hurt honoured for oustanding contribution
There were no spoken words, vibrant colours, impressive special effects, sophisticated plotlines or indeed anything at all that audiences expect in a modern film, and that was all very much in its favour as The Artist emerged triumphant at the 2012 Baftas.
The French silent film had been the bookies' favourite to sweep all before it and it did not disappoint, winning seven awards including best film, best director, best original screenplay, original music, best costume design, best cinematography.
The Artist's tally of Baftas equalled the number given to The King's Speech last year and Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid still holds the record with nine, followed by The Killing Fields with eight.
Picking up the screenplay award, The Artist's director, Michel Hazanavicius, said: "I'm very surprised, because so many people thought there was no script because there was no dialogue. So English people are very clever. Congratulations to you."
The film also won the best actor prize for Jean Dujardin – although Gary Oldman as George Smiley had been widely tipped.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy instead won best British film and best adapted screenplay. Writer Peter Straughan joked: "I would like to thank The Artist for not being adapted from a book." He said the award was for his late wife and co-adapter, Bridget O'Connor, who died before the film was completed – "she wrote all the good bits, I made the coffee."
There was no surprise whatsoever in the best actress category. Meryl Streep had been a banker to win for her scarily good portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady and she did win – only her second lead actress Bafta win after The French Lieutenant's Woman more than 30 years ago.
Streep said she was very proud of the film and thanked the producers for "asking and expecting so much of me."
Christopher Plummer, now 82, won best supporting actor – his first Bafta – for his moving portrayal of a late developing gay man in Beginners. Kenneth Branagh, Jim Broadbent, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman lost out.
Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress award for her role as the hard-nosed, badly abused maid Minny in The Help, the film's only award of the night after five nominations.
Hugo, Martin Scorsese's loving celebration of cinema, won best production design and sound.
In the British debut category, actor-turned director Paddy Considine and producer Diarmid Scrimshaw won for the gruellingly brilliant Tyrannosaur, made for just £750,000.
The well-liked Formula One film Senna won the award for best documentary and best editing. The producer, Eric Fellner, said: "This film was made by all of us with love and all we have got back from it is love."
In other categories, Rango won best animated film and Pedro Almodóvar won the best film not in the English language category for his macabre thriller The Skin I live In.
Harry Potter was nominated in four craft categories and won one – finally winning best special visual effects award with the final instalment of the franchise.
The evening however belonged to a charming silent film with a cute dog and simple plot, made 85 years after The Jazz Singer heralded the arrival of talkies.
The film debuted to terrific reviews at Cannes last May and the momentum has just continued and continued, winning three Golden Globes and is also now nominated for 10 Oscars.
Having said that, The Artist was not to all tastes. The Odeon in Liverpool confirmed it gave refunds to some cinemagoers annoyed to find the film was silent. Kim Novak complained they used music from Vertigo, although taking out a full page advert in Variety and accusing the film of "rape" was over the top by any standards.
Most of the thank you speeches at the Royal Opera House were mercifully short. Frenchman Ludovic Bource, winning the best original music award for The Artist, concluded his with: "I love Britain. God save the Queen."
The only award voted for by the public was the rising star award sponsored by Orange. It went to Hackney rapper Adam Deacon who wrote, directed and starred in the film Anuvahood.
John Hurt was given a special outstanding contribution to British cinema award, following in footsteps that include Derek Jarman, Mike Leigh and Kenneth Branagh, and last year the Harry Potter series of films.
His career has included memorable performances as Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, John Merrick in The Elephant Man and Kane, the chest-bursting executive officer in Alien. Last year he was Control in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Accepting the award from Billy Bob Thornton, Hurt said he had written a speech but his wife told him not to give it, that he should simply say "thank you" – which he did, albeit slightly more effusively than she'd advised.
Bafta's highest accolade, a fellowship, went to Martin Scorsese who had been nominated for two films last year: his nostalgic family drama Hugo and his documentary on George Harrison, Living in a Material World.The award was given for a lifetime of films that have included Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Departed. Tim Corrie, the chairman of Bafta, said: Martin Scorcese is a legend in his lifetime; a true inspiration to all young directors the world over. We are delighted to honour his contribution to film history."