I discovered Jacques Tati in college in the early 80s. I was early to a midnight keg party on campus and decided to kill time by sitting in the science lab auditorium, where some foreign film festival was going on. In that vast basement auditorium, there must have been less than 10 people, but when I sat down I was transfixed by the weirdness on screen. It was the middle part of Mon Oncle. After that they played Playtime, and I was hooked. The next day I went straight to the campus film library to track down every Tati film they had. Fan for life.
@slimman774 ай бұрын
I’m French and every time I see A Jacques Tati movie, it makes me dream about old times. Being part of the newer generation, I think it is very important to reapprove this type of cinema
@drimmies6358 Жыл бұрын
Jacques Tati has been one of my most favourite director actors since I first saw Traffic in the 70’s. He was a genius and still makes me laugh every time I see his films, which is more than can be said of current rubbish. Thank you for putting this together and praising his talent. 👏
@davidhalperin9773 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your selection of Tati clips and your commentary. Tati is the only man I never met, but I deeply love. Because of his films I see "Tati" moments in my daily wanderings. Thank you Jacques Tati for enriching my lived experience.
@BerlietGBC3 жыл бұрын
You nailed it, my dad introduced me to his work when I was young, his observational comedy of real life is something that’s still with me as a people watcher
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! As someone who observes and analyzes way more than I should, I can relate haha.
@BerlietGBC3 жыл бұрын
@@ElijahCinema For many years i was a bus driving instructor in London 90% of that is observation you never stop looking and noticing all kinds of small funny things as drive about
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Ah haha. Any good stories to tell? I visited London last year and loved it!
@BerlietGBC3 жыл бұрын
@@ElijahCinema Its not the place it was we moved out to leafy Surrey 9 years ago a bit more country but still plenty of people watching, there is so much humour in the world if like Jacque you watch the world around you
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
I definitely agree. Humans and people in general are hilariously weird, observing life through the lens Tati did really brings out the joy in almost every situation. It was nice talking and connecting with you! One of the many reasons I enjoy making videos and sharing them with others. :)
@mariag46962 жыл бұрын
This is lovely. I just discovered him a couple of months ago on the Criterion channel and am obsessed! What a genius in so many ways. I am listening to a Tati film playlist as the background to much of life, and it makes me so happy. It's tragic what happened to his finances and house after Playland. Didn't he get some royalties once someone bought his collection? (I can't imagine he actually died bitter. Did he really?)
@ElijahCinema2 жыл бұрын
I'm not too sure. I can only imagine a big amount of that bitterness steamed from the inability to make the films he wanted for the last two decades of his life. While his last two films are good, they're nowhere near the level of complexity and scale as his earlier work. It is quite tragic and sad.
@mariag46962 жыл бұрын
@@ElijahCinema Yes that makes sense. It makes me a little sad that he lost his house and finances bc of the costs of Playtime. I hope he can somehow see how beloved his work is, and how many people are viewing it after he has gone to the big Playtime in the sky. (Oops I said Playland in my original comment bc I live hear what used to be Playland in San Francisco! )
@ElijahCinema2 жыл бұрын
@@mariag4696 agreed. His films are beyond lovely and a pleasure to watch. And it's all good haha. I knew what you meant.
@JaredGriffiths20002 жыл бұрын
I'm a massive fan of his films. My favourite of his films would probably have to be Playtime but M. Hulot's Holiday is the only one of his I saw as a child, his other films I saw when I was older so I do have a very strong soft spot for M. Hulot's Holiday.
@markbeauchamp15923 жыл бұрын
An excellent homage - thank you for putting this together; it is much appreciated x
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I greatly appreciate that! Hopefully I can get the ball rolling and start releasing more videos like it soon.
@christiandubois15784 ай бұрын
Jacques Tati was more famous abroad. In France we say "No one is a prophet in his country". His cinema remains visual and therefore universal.
@antoinepetrov2 жыл бұрын
This was such a great and professionally constructed video essay. You must get more recognition!
@dominichemphill4 жыл бұрын
loved this!! Tati is my favourite director ever, and you nailed it! Automatic like!!
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
Yeah I adore him too haha. Glad you enjoyed it! Should start working on more directors sooner than later!
@malachismith6444 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for this. I got the Criterion set and started watching them, and while I thought they were alright I didn’t really get the hype. This totally changed how I’m going to view his films. Thank you !
@harperhellems36482 жыл бұрын
Seeing this excellent overview makes me think of one especially exceptional contemporary director: Wes Anderson.
@skopox3 ай бұрын
A few years ago, in summer, I made a pilgrimage of three weeks on the filming locations of the movies of Tati (Sainte Sévère sur Indre, Saint Marc sur Mer,...etc...) I live in France. He was a genius like Chaplin or Keaton.
@andrewtomlinson182 жыл бұрын
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…….absolute genius.
@matthewstokes16082 жыл бұрын
A beautiful soul. He made these amusing long-shot commentaries - in love with human beings - individuals - and the panoply of human characteristics on display in every crowd… - and what he left us were 5 movies of a stylized, lyrical near-perfection. He lamented the need for constant change - ‘progress’ (but for what end?) - in the modern world - like so many others - but was rueful, satirical and melancholic rather than cynical, bitter and vengeful. He was interested in the small detail and the painterly quirk rather than the obvious belly-laugh… He was an artist who seemed to love people and life. His films will never die. I like them all… But ‘mon oncle’ - wow… those street dogs of every physical description - and then that rich little sausage dog in the tartan coat that joins them!… Man, that was sweetness.
@marette28459 ай бұрын
Fun fact : the house of Prof Plutonium in Cartoon Network's Powerpuff girls (the original one) is the modern house from Mon oncle.
@sebastiancifuentes37534 жыл бұрын
Damn, never expected to see this... Good video as always :)
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!
@msg34154 жыл бұрын
Beautiful Film essay Elijah!
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@nikshmenga Жыл бұрын
2;38 husbands off to work -''Don't Worry Darling'''
@RSEFX3 жыл бұрын
And, seems likely, a big influence on people like Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards (PINK PANTHER films!).
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Oh definitely without a doubt. I'm not too well versed with both, although I love Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, from what I do know I completely agree with your assertion.
@jimmyj19692 жыл бұрын
And, above all, "The Party", a real hommage to Tati!
@RSEFX2 жыл бұрын
@@jimmyj1969 Absolutely!
@martinchujfi49144 жыл бұрын
fantastic video, thank you :)
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
No thank you for watching it! It means so much to me :)
@robertogonzalezsierra2192 ай бұрын
I agreed with all of you. Tati was a master of Cinema. Due to his personality making films you can know if this or that movie is from him such as Hitchcock, Dreyer and a few more. I think Tati is the best and avant-garde comedian of the sound cinema Era like Chaplin and Keaton in Silent Era. He is one of the best directors of all time and my favourite along Hitchcock and Dreyer conforming a triad of Masters of the Cinema.
@robertogonzalezsierra2192 ай бұрын
I forgot add that directors like Frank Tashlin, Blake Edwards , Wes Anderson, among others, have inherited a strong influence from Tati.
@Mario-tx4ll4 жыл бұрын
Does anyone know what the beautiful piano music is called that starts at 3:08?
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
Give me 10 minutes and I'll letcha know!
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
Take My Hand by Dave Stein. It's played in Tati's film Playtime. You can find it on Sonorama!, a compilation of songs played within Tati's films. The compilation released back in 2009. Hope that helped!
@Mario-tx4ll4 жыл бұрын
@@ElijahCinema I can not begin to explain how much I appreciate it, i've been searching for the song like crazy without any luck for a long time. Thanks!
@ElijahCinema4 жыл бұрын
@@Mario-tx4ll No problem. Glad I could help you out!
@amaliaf.90723 жыл бұрын
I LOVE this 🥺
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
The video? Or Jacques Tati? Haha.
@amaliaf.90723 жыл бұрын
@@ElijahCinema Definitely both! Glad I found this video :)
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! Comments like these always makes the work that went into the video worth it! I definitely plan on creating more again soon! Always nice to talk to someone who adores the same films I do!
@jimmyj19692 жыл бұрын
Tati created whole worlds in every single one of his film - and we, the viewers, were invited to inmerse into them for a few hours! Oh, yes, fine comedy was taking place in those films - but it was always somewhere around there, in some corner of this world - not under the spotlight, like "look-look, here's a comic stuff, isn't it funny? Go on, laugh!". There are almost no comedians ever since who do NOT own a lot to him - from Blake Edwards in "the Party" (and, to a lesser extend, all of his comedies) to Rowan Atkinson.
@MejiaComedy10 ай бұрын
Epic man
@karmenska3 жыл бұрын
A real filmmaker
@kuukeli4 ай бұрын
Tati
@garethbeare8741 Жыл бұрын
Encyclopedia Brittanica many years ago when it was still paper gave Tati's birth year as 1908. Later Internet sources give 1907. No idea which is correct. Tati was either 74 or 75 when he died in Paris 4 November 1982.
@robertogonzalezsierra2192 ай бұрын
Hello. T'he correct year of his birth was October 1907.
@TheTristanmarcus Жыл бұрын
C'est vrai ❤
@richardmullins18832 жыл бұрын
I'm not a fan of Mr Bean so I'm not sure if I'll like Monsoir Tati's films. I do like Chaplin though, so maybe? Thanks for the insight into Tati's filmmaking mind. Now I will have some grasp of the man when I check his movies out. He has peaked my interest so I'm going to watch a full film of his. Any suggestions?
@ElijahCinema2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, well all of his films are avaliable on the criterion channel or accessible through the criterion boxset. He only has seven feature length ones overall. I'd recommend either starting with Mr. Hulot's Holiday. It's easily his most accessible and relatable film. His other must see work following that would be Mon Oncle and Playtime. Of course, if you are more familiar and interested in arthouse cinema, Playtime is the perfect start. It's much more thematic and conceptual in nature, really pushing the mold of structure and pacing as a whole, but still keeping it true to Tati's personalized voice and comedy. It is, however, his longest film and his least conventional. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts after delving into his work. If you don't forget, swing back around and leave your thoughts! It's always a pleasure to hear!
@nealc.69276 ай бұрын
Don't like Jour de Fete, though I've tried it several times. It misses me completely, even though it pretty much sets the Tati Genre. I'm also fairly Meh! regarding Parade. It's clever in its own way but, welll, I'd prefer one of his other films . . .
@Grabboo3 жыл бұрын
Un ktu jom prek syriganes🥱
@sotony74835 ай бұрын
If you look on the internet you can find out how to pronounce simple French words like 'jour' and 'monsieur' correctly.
@bogunnarakesson44165 ай бұрын
För mycket prat och för litet original Tati ljud!
@notroll12793 жыл бұрын
Good synthesis... but your French pronounciation needs work 😕
@ElijahCinema3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I really tried my best with the pronunciation, but I barely know any French. Glad you still enjoyed it! :)