tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post7144788417198509513..comments2023-04-03T05:11:10.672-07:00Comments on THE MOVIE PROJECTOR: Jacques Tati: The Master of French Film Comedy, Part 2R. D. Finchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post-61534692090490071852009-05-24T23:07:05.130-07:002009-05-24T23:07:05.130-07:00Tom, thanks for your kind comments. You're absolut...Tom, thanks for your kind comments. You're absolutely right about that captivating jazz score. It sets a mellow mood and is used for continuity as the film moves from episode to episode. Is that a vibraphone that is used so prominently to get that mellow sound? According to IMDb, the music is by Alain Romans, who also wrote the score for Tati's "Mon Oncle." Wikipedia has a very brief entry on him. I certainly agree that Tati uses his locations so vividly that after watching the movie, you do feel like you've been there yourself.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post-16458662274056395742009-05-24T15:33:26.541-07:002009-05-24T15:33:26.541-07:00Great piece! Really captures the elements that ma...Great piece! Really captures the elements that make this film great!<br /><br />For me, Hulot's Holiday is like nostalgia brought to life. Not that I ever experienced a summer beach vacation on the coast of France...but the film makes me feel like I have.<br /><br />And what a lovely gentle time it captures. <br /><br />I think your article overlooks only one significant contributing factor to the success of Hulot's Holiday: the music. <br /><br />I find the music simple and hypnotic -- and perfect. The musical theme helps set the mood, and the repetition of the piece(s) of music helps keep us in the mood. <br /><br />BTW, who wrote the music?<br /><br />thanks!<br /><br />Tom RueggerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post-53030469637185770422009-05-20T22:47:23.415-07:002009-05-20T22:47:23.415-07:00Allan and Sam, thanks so much for your comments. I...Allan and Sam, thanks so much for your comments. I originally thought I would cover "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Mon Oncle" in the same post. But as soon as I started I realized that "Holiday" needed a whole post to itself. I hope to have the next installment on Tati ready within the next few weeks. Comedy is so rewarding to watch and so difficult to write about!R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post-58721014563104625192009-05-19T13:57:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:57:00.000-07:00Well R.D., he worked at a snail's pace for certain...Well R.D., he worked at a snail's pace for certain. But we have seen the same with Bresson, Kubrick and even with Chaplin in the feature film years. And Bresson lived to be 99! Most recently, we have Malick, who squandered 20 years at one point. But we can safely say that in each case here (including Tati's) we are dealing with a supreme perfectionist who is prone to endless re-shoots and tireless preparation. (the latter point acknowledged by you in the first paragraph)<br /><br /> I know you value MONSIEUR HULOT'S HOLIDAY above all other Tati films, and it is the trendsetter here for sure, and the one that has the most emotional resonance, even if PLAYTIME is probably his most brilliant film on balance. HOLIDAY is a series of set pieces, but Tati imbued the proceedings with such a sense of humanity that the finished product is dear to so many film goer's hearts.<br /> I agree that timing (execution) is flawless and the central character are the key ingrediants to success here.<br /><br /> The beautifully descriptive writing here that informs the beginning of the film is stellar, and the comparison with the gibberish heard at the beginning of CITY LIGHTS is dead-on.<br /><br /> Two most interesting subsequent points: Tati is tall and gangly as opposed to the three great silent comedians, all of whom are short, and with Tati (as opposed to The Little Tramp who "makes things happen") thinks happen to him.<br /><br /> All of those priceless moments you describe, like the shark scare (borrowed from the Keaton), the funeral wreath/tire spare segment and the "peeking" section are all vintage Tati, and I agree that the major improvement of this film over JOUR DE FETE is the economy of deliniating minor characters and the use of sound, especially for the non-spoken sections.<br /><br /> And yes, that final set piece culminating here:<br /><br /> "The shed happens to be packed with fireworks, and as the various fireworks explode in the otherwise soundless night, they fizz, crackle, boom, whiz, and squeal. They shoot into the air, burst in spectacular patterns, cascade through the night sky, whirl in circles, and bombard the hotel, wakening the entire hotel and throwing it into a panic".....<br /><br />is most unforgettable.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795601141833900338.post-89843486168059628082009-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:00The one word that could certainly apply to Tati is...The one word that could certainly apply to Tati is meticulous, and your piece is suitably meticulous in turn.Allan Fishnoreply@blogger.com