should i see some other jacques tati films before watching playtime?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

ok so having neglected film for ages i went on a criteron dvd buying spree recently and got loads of classic films i never got around to seeing,one of which was playtime by tati
however on the back it suggests that there were other films with the same main character in it preceding this one,so my question is should i find these first or is this a good one to start with?

― robin (robin), Thursday, 12 October 2006 00:31 (twelve years ago) link

It doesn't really matter too much.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 12 October 2006 16:54 (twelve years ago) link

I would say ideally, yes -- principally becuz M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle will look puny after Playtime; yr less apt to be disappointed.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 13 October 2006 12:24 (twelve years ago) link

both of the above are right, though the charms of hulot are to some extent in its mildness. they're not sequels or anything, but to best appreciate, i would see them in order.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 13 October 2006 19:37 (twelve years ago) link

three months pass...

I can think of maybe 5 movies for which i'd say: wait until you can see it projected on the big screen, because it's such a radically different experience. this makes that top 5

― davelus (davelus), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 03:34 (twelve years ago) link

and since you asked:
Lawrence of Arabia
Dr Zhivago
Playtime
Gone With the Wind (because everything in the film is color-coordinated to play off of Vivien Leigh's brilliant green eyes, but the otherwise-good DVD transfer turns her eyes blue).
Days of Heaven (sadly, the only Malick movie I've seen)

― davelus (davelus), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 04:24 (twelve years ago) link

oh and Dog Star Man but that sorta goes without saying, I'd think.

― davelus (davelus), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 04:25 (twelve years ago) link

one year passes...

Trafic Criterion on Tuesday.

― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 10 July 2008 13:25 (eleven years ago) link

M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle will look puny after Playtime

So true, though I did like Parade, which seemed in an entirely 'nother universe.

― Eric H., Thursday, 10 July 2008 13:53 (eleven years ago) link

playtime has always kinda bored me...guess I need to give it another shot.

― ryan, Thursday, 10 July 2008 17:17 (eleven years ago) link

Try to see it projected.

I'm not sure why M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle would look puny. They're different enough that scale really shouldn't be an issue.

― C0L1N B..., Thursday, 10 July 2008 21:50 (eleven years ago) link

Don't get me wrong, they're super. I'm just saying if people see Playtime first, they have to realize it was a different animal from everything before.

Trafic is very much a companion piece stylewise to Playtime, despite being "smaller" in most ways. It's less ha-ha funny but part of the same vision.

― Dr Morbius, Friday, 11 July 2008 14:29 (eleven years ago) link

I've seen M.Hulot's Holiday and some of his short films. I've tried twice to watch Playtime and I couldn't do it. I found it so dull, and I like slow-paced films. There was too much of him running around lost for me to handle.

― sandwiches, Saturday, 12 July 2008 18:34 (eleven years ago) link

o_O

― Dr Morbius, Monday, 14 July 2008 13:17 (eleven years ago) link

I cannot believe CC didn't pull every string available in order to make Playtime one of their launch blu-ray titles

― jamescobo, Monday, 14 July 2008 16:39 (eleven years ago) link

one month passes...

I love M.Hulot's Holiday!

― baaderonixx, Thursday, 14 August 2008 10:07 (ten years ago) link

I just rewatched it and like, but find it just a tad long.

― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 14 August 2008 13:38 (ten years ago) link

I really enjoyed Trafic.

― C. Grisso/McCain, Thursday, 14 August 2008 16:48 (ten years ago) link

so this is why nobody posts here

― Edward III, Thursday, 14 August 2008 18:17 (ten years ago) link

A (Francophile) friend found the first 2 Hulot films too "winsome"!

― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 19:15 (ten years ago) link

no!!!!!!!!!

― max, Tuesday, 26 August 2008 19:16 (ten years ago) link

ten years pass...

about Tati, who’s films I’ve only recently started to watch:

It was a delightful revelation that Mr. Bean was a reimagining of Hulot

I now sort of understand the assertion that the Hulot character might have been an influence on Lynch for his creation of Dougie Jones in TP:TR

I liked Mon Oncle much more than Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday

haven’t seen Playtime or Trafic yet, those are next

― Dan S, Friday, 14 September 2018 23:50 (ten months ago) link

I'm seeing a 70mm copy of Playtime two weeks from now.

― oder doch?, Saturday, 15 September 2018 00:42 (ten months ago) link

two months pass...

The bit in Trafic with the "dog" under the tire got me good

― flappy bird, Sunday, 2 December 2018 05:43 (seven months ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.