 | Comic genius Jacques Tati’s wonderful character and alter ego Monsieur Hulot first seen here in ‘Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot’ has deservedly became one of the finest comic creations of all time. |
Comic genius Jacques Tati’s wonderful character and alter ego Monsieur Hulot first seen here in ‘Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot’ has deservedly became one of the finest comic creations of all time. Tati reinvented the visual comedy of the silent era in a style not dissimilar to that of Keaton, Chaplin or Linder across several films. Not completely silent cinema yet there is hardly any dialogue, except for background chatter – natural and human noises being enhanced whenever required for the desired comic effect.
The film, nominated for a best screenwriting Academy Award in 1956, is set non a beach holiday and made Tati an international star with his innovative stylistic armature of gags in long shot, sharply delineated sound design, and sidewalk-café observational pacing. Our story begins as various visitors arrive at a beachside hotel in France where they all long for some rest and relaxation. Then Monsieur Hulot arrives! Hulot is the epitome of a gentleman, polite and considerate, perhaps to a fault. However, he is often ill-equipped to take on the unforseen circumstances that fall his way. He’s genuinely likable, but also almost childishly buffoonish and often oblivious to his environment.
Tati has an affectionate eye for the Hotel dwellers and beachgoers of the beachside resort with visual puns aplenty encourage the viewer to play along. It’s certainly one of those films that evokes such a warm, vibrant mood that there’s something intangibly magical imbued into it – a film about a holiday that shares the relaxed, idyllic pace with the audience without ever feeling droll or over stimulating. It has an ability to evoke a feeling of relaxation and ease while also building comedy out of certain tensions elegantly balances humour and ease. The character and the resulting film come across as old-fashioned, even for its time, and intentionally so.
Tati essentially made only one kind of film; physical comedy with the action, frenzied but tightly choreographed, invariably set to a breezy musical score. He created specific sounds for each object in his movies, and he would repeat each sound over and over again as a way of giving personality to that object or to the place where it is found.
Tati’s best-loved and most known film is always worth another look as this is the filmmaker at his warmest and funniest, when all he wanted to do was make people laugh at the absurdity of life. A gentle comedy with loads of sight gags and perfect comic timing…
The film, nominated for a best screenwriting Academy Award in 1956, is set non a beach holiday and made Tati an international star with his innovative stylistic armature of gags in long shot, sharply delineated sound design, and sidewalk-café observational pacing. Our story begins as various visitors arrive at a beachside hotel in France where they all long for some rest and relaxation. Then Monsieur Hulot arrives! Hulot is the epitome of a gentleman, polite and considerate, perhaps to a fault. However, he is often ill-equipped to take on the unforseen circumstances that fall his way. He’s genuinely likable, but also almost childishly buffoonish and often oblivious to his environment.
Tati has an affectionate eye for the Hotel dwellers and beachgoers of the beachside resort with visual puns aplenty encourage the viewer to play along. It’s certainly one of those films that evokes such a warm, vibrant mood that there’s something intangibly magical imbued into it – a film about a holiday that shares the relaxed, idyllic pace with the audience without ever feeling droll or over stimulating. It has an ability to evoke a feeling of relaxation and ease while also building comedy out of certain tensions elegantly balances humour and ease. The character and the resulting film come across as old-fashioned, even for its time, and intentionally so.
Tati essentially made only one kind of film; physical comedy with the action, frenzied but tightly choreographed, invariably set to a breezy musical score. He created specific sounds for each object in his movies, and he would repeat each sound over and over again as a way of giving personality to that object or to the place where it is found.
Tati’s best-loved and most known film is always worth another look as this is the filmmaker at his warmest and funniest, when all he wanted to do was make people laugh at the absurdity of life. A gentle comedy with loads of sight gags and perfect comic timing…
