Playtime

Playtime

     

Playtime is a very odd and unique film. Anyone can watch it, but only few may understand and appreciate it. It has a unusual mode of plotline that makes it different from other movies. It is like a silent comedy with but with the benefit of sound. It is also special to some film buffs because it represents both the triumph and tragic failure of a beloved comedian.

For people who are not aware Jacques Tati films, the first thing you would notice is that there is no specific plot. There is little dialogue that points out a specific story, and the cinematography rarely closes up on whatever adds to the plot. This can be frustrating to some viewers, because they might not be aware that Tati does not focus on specific plots. Instead, he widens the frame to include the activities of average people that we do not always see in real life. To watch this film is to look around the scene for special moments that can appear out of nowhere. It is similar to a "Where's Waldo" or an "I Spy" kids book where many visual jokes can be seen if one looks hard enough. In a way, this film is set to the hard level of film viewing. What a newcomer to Tati's films may also notice is the lack dialogue but the clever use of sound.

In "Playtime" dialogue is reduced and scrambled. One could barely hear what people are really saying, and only once in a while will hear something important. This does not mean the screenwriter was procrastinating in his job, in fact, he was actually adhering to a special mode of dialogue that aims for social realism. In real life, the things we here in public are not crystal clear and pronounced by a Shakespearian. One will most likely hear scrambled unorganized babble, and only hear short audible phrases. This film aims for a realistic scene of normal people talking in a public setting. Even with the audacity to make such a radical motion picture, and with critical acclaim to his name, "Playtime" had a tragic story behind it.

Jacques Tati was a talented actor and comedian. One can see similarities between him , Charlie Chaplin and Bustor Keaton, and had 'Playtime" been a financial success, he could have been as internationally famous as them. What makes this movie a secret tragedy is that Tati had gambled nearly all of his money on the production. Aside from shooting the film in 70mm, (unusually high quality for a comedy of that time) , the film was the most expensive one ever made in France. After the film was released, it scored with the critics, but failed at the box office. This may have been due to poor marketing and Tati's refusal to show the film in theaters that could not shoot in 70 mm. Even when it was released in america, it was not enough to pay off Tati's massive debts, which haunted him for some time.

Despite its tragic story, "Playtime" is a wonderful film in its own way. It has unknown numbers of visual gags, glamourous sets and scenes, subtle references to over modernization, and the appearance of Mr. Hulot (in more than one form). It is one of those movies you could watch over and over again, and could make an excellent buy on iTunes, or a fantastic visit to a Movie Theater showing foreign classics.