Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Great Scenes # 27: Play Time (1967)



Directed by Jacques Tati

This is a long one. So long it's divided into three parts. This is the climactic scene in writer-director Jacques Tati's epic comedy masterpiece Play Time. Its threadbare plot involves the bumbling Monsieur Hulot and an American tourist exploring a stark, lifeless, technologically obsessed and ultra-modern version of Paris. It is filled with hilarious sight gags and pointed commentary on the dangers of losing one's humanity in the midst of concrete and steel in the name of "progress". This climactic scene where a restaurant that's really not quite ready decides to open for the night is real tour de force. I've seen this film around 5 times and each time I see something new, particularly in this scene where all proper pretenses are dropped and everyone just has a good time. I marvel at how masterfully this scene was shot, directed and edited.

5 comments:

Outcast said...

Awesome scene man. I've never seen this before but this is pretty amazing.

Mark said...

I don't think I've seen this movie but it does sound pretty cool.

Pat Hatt said...

Never seen the movie, but looks great.

G said...

I'm off to find this movie and rent it....

Thomas Duder, Author of the Things said...

Noice! Fairly obvious, probably, but it puts me in mind of "The Party,' which was pretty much a movie about one long-assed party...

Dig this movie though~! DIG it!