An excerpt from Jacques Tati’s Playtime which features an audiovisual gag involving the sound window cleaner’s rag makes in relation to the reflection visibile in the window pane.
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excellent
It is not really a comedy. Don’t expect humour as you know it. The film is poetic. It bridges the gap between the everyday and the scripted. It requires that you slow down and become attentive. Watch everything. The “humour” can be anywhere. In a sound. A visual gag. Something barely seen in the background. This is Tatis genius. His earler films are more obviously humorous. He took time to develop his art. Playtime is his masterpiece.
SECOND PART:
Now I understand, after reading some reviews, why I didn’t find it a good film after seeing it. That’s because the world Tati is showing is the world I live in now. It was almost a realistic portrait of mankind today. We live in an overcrowded world wherein every individual works to satisfy his desires. The brilliance of this movie is revealing itself slowly.
FIRST PART:
I saw the film last night for the very first time. Seeing that it was released in 1967 I can imagine why Tati is called a brilliant filmmaker. The visual effects must have been new for that age. But at the same time I had the feeling that the movie was missing something essential. It’s not terribly funny and you get the message after 5 minutes of watching it (man in modern world,machines,etc).
Maybe because it is not obvious like most comedy these days. It is quiet, gentle and needs you to pay attention to what is happening. It is a very different way of viewing film – it is poetry. Just slow right down and pay attention and you may get it. Tati was a genius. Truly.
Nothing, absolutely nothing is funny about it! Maybe that´s what´s supposed to be funny
Someone should upload the whole restaurant part
Money matters when you have a big budget. There are a lot of people making films with small budgets and putting them directly on youtube. So idealism can succeed. Vincent would have made paintings with or without Theo. It was in his blood.
Money DOES matter. Not to care is irresponsible and someone will ALWAYS foot the bill. Idealism is a nice hobby, and as long as the idealists pay for it themselves, who cares. It was OK for VanGogh just to paint his days and booze and f*** his nights away, but he was only able to do so because of his good ole’ brother Theo who kept his fancies going. That’s the problem with idealists: they always come sponging off the down-to-earth guys who produce the cash. Never idealize & fritter away OPM.
Directors like Michael Bay worry about how much money his film is going to make. Tati was a poet and an artist who was handed a movie camera. Financial success was not as important as his world view and he got my attention the first time I watched it. It’s ok if you have a different feeling about it.
Amazing, still, it broke Tati’s financial back trying to educate people and spoonfeeding them his worldviews and expecting them to pay admission for it at that. Tough. Honestly, the ones who would have deserved the spanking were the bankers who financed Tativille in the first place. Just my opinion.
On the surface, the humor is visual – sight gags involving humans or other objects. This film is about the absurdity of humans trying to live like robots in a straight world. It is not merely a comedy. It is a film you must see over and over again to catch everything. I’m telling you, yes, it is merely my opinion, but having seen 5,000 movies or so, I still say this is one of my favorites of all time. There is simply no other film like it.
PLEASE do help me, nice window slapstick, but WHAT is supposed to be funny about this movie?
Playtime is one of my favorite films of all time.
One of the greatest,,up there with all the UK and US comedy legends,,,
Reeves and Mortimor did a great take on him in there tv series.
it is sad that you have taken a perfectly enjoyable clip and found-somehow- a way to make it a silly nationalistic debate. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
One look at your profile indicates to me that you might have a chip on your shoulder.
Just because you might be associated with the military (or just take a keen interest in it)
you automatically think I’m “Anti-American”
I love old Jerry Lewis and Deano movies,im just saying that i think American humor has lost its way in the last decade.
And just to knock the chip of your shoulder,I think America is doing a fantastic job in Iraq and Afghanastan.Our troops are there as well you know!
Thanks for supporting me.
Not exactly sure which country he thinks i’m
living in!
Exactly!
You have to watch his films several times and you will always pick up something new thats funny.He was so subtle, which is true humor.
that was a stupid comment….
“live in a society where you aren’t allowed to choose an opinion.”
It’s not because he’s American (or German), a lot of American’s (me for one) love Jacques Tati. Remember we had Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and Jerry Lewis. The person you are referring to is merely an idiot just like yourself. The reason why you feel anti-American is because you don’t know any better and live in a society where you aren’t allowed to choose an opinion.
HOPFENSPERGER,
I’m not suprised that you dont get it.
Ur American.( or German )
American humour is so in your face!
So obvious for the 75% of your country that is so thick!
Improve your brain- try watching EUR or GB com!
tati’s works are ‘charming’ ie they are intensely, and i dont use this word lightly EVER, magical…its ineffible , fellow zanies…
I admit I didn’t “get” a lot of Tati’s humour until I read his biography, and of course not all of it is funny to everyone – some of it is very, very clever. Either that or I’m very, very stupid
I am very fond of all his films!
why soooo long vid?
i love tati