Jacques Tati

davek said:

I watched Tati's Jour de Fete last night - the restored colour version.
It is a truly wonderful film - and what's more, it is about cycling!
(well, more or less)

More colour than just the tricolor flag?
All the best
Dan Gregory

Dan Gregory said:

davek said:

I watched Tati's Jour de Fete last night - the restored colour version.
It is a truly wonderful film - and what's more, it is about cycling!
(well, more or less)

More colour than just the tricolor flag?

Yes - he shot it using an experimental colour process as well as in
black and white using two sets of cameras.

A couple of years back the BFI (I think) put the colour version
together properly. Not actually seen it though.

I love his signalling. Makes me laugh every time.

Quoted message said:

Yes - he shot it using an experimental colour process as well as in
black and white using two sets of cameras.

Yup, that's the one - though the b&w was really a back-up in case the
experimental colour didn't work, which it didn't, so the b&w version
was the one that was released and the only one available for public
consumption until...

Quoted message said:

A couple of years back the BFI (I think) put the colour version
together properly. Not actually seen it though.

It's a completely different film to the b&w version. Different camera
angles, obviously, but also edited very differently.

Quoted message said:

I love his signalling. Makes me laugh every time.

It's amazing how he can make riding a bicycle look so clumsy yet
extraordinarily graceful at the same time.

d.

On 27 Jul 2005 08:25:32 -0700, "davek" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yes - he shot it using an experimental colour process as well as in
black and white using two sets of cameras.

Yup, that's the one - though the b&w was really a back-up in case the
experimental colour didn't work, which it didn't, so the b&w version
was the one that was released and the only one available for public
consumption until...

Quoted message said:

A couple of years back the BFI (I think) put the colour version
together properly. Not actually seen it though.

It's a completely different film to the b&w version. Different camera
angles, obviously, but also edited very differently.

Quoted message said:

I love his signalling. Makes me laugh every time.

It's amazing how he can make riding a bicycle look so clumsy yet
extraordinarily graceful at the same time.

Is that the one where he's a postman or something?

Garry

garryb59 said:

Is that the one where he's a postman or something?

That's the one. It's a critique of the modern obsession with speed and
efficiency, which Tati's character Francois believes is epitomised by
the American postmen, so he tries to emulate them - with comic results.
Very funny.

It was Tati's first feature film and the cycling scenes are largely
based on an earlier short he made called, I think, L'Ecole des
Facteurs. Unfortunately, I've not seen that - I believe it is quite
hard to come by - but I have heard it is very good.

d.

I've seen it b&w where colour keeps appearing just a bit - flags on the
roundabout and the famous backlight on the bike. Is this the one
referred to or is there another all colour version?
One of my favourite films.

cheers

Jacob

On 27 Jul 2005 11:32:16 -0700, "davek" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

garryb59 said:

Is that the one where he's a postman or something?

That's the one. It's a critique of the modern obsession with speed and
efficiency, which Tati's character Francois believes is epitomised by
the American postmen, so he tries to emulate them - with comic results.
Very funny.

Yes, indeed. I first saw that years ago, quite by chance by sitting
listlessly in front of the tv surfing over channels [all 4 of 'em] and
came across this little gem and absolutely loved it, but I never knew
what on earth it was, nor could I ever find out. Then many years
later, I saw Mr Houlot's Holiday, and things eventually fell into
place.

Have to keep a look out for it again.

Thanks for the memory!
Garry

Quoted message said:

It was Tati's first feature film and the cycling scenes are largely
based on an earlier short he made called, I think, L'Ecole des
Facteurs. Unfortunately, I've not seen that - I believe it is quite
hard to come by - but I have heard it is very good.

d.

davek said:

garryb59 said:

Is that the one where he's a postman or something?

That's the one. It's a critique of the modern obsession with speed and
efficiency, which Tati's character Francois believes is epitomised by
the American postmen, so he tries to emulate them - with comic results.
Very funny.

BTW, have you seen A Very Long Engagement? There's a cycling postman in
that who must be based on Jacques Tati.

--
Andrew

Following on from davek's message. . .

Quoted message said:

It's amazing how he can make riding a bicycle look so clumsy yet
extraordinarily graceful at the same time.

There is also somewhere a film bit where he demonstrates how to ride a
bicycle as a masterclass in mime. A genius.

--
PETER FOX Not the same since the deckchair business folded
[email hidden]
www.eminent.demon.co.uk - Lots for cyclists

Curse you - I can't get Jour de Fete on DVD over here in Region 1. But
I suppose I should also thank you, because you prompted me to go and
look, and I found that I can at last get Region 1 DVDs of M. Hulot's
Holiday and Mon Oncle from Amazon, so there's some hope (JdF is my
favourite).

--
Peter Headland

davek said:

It was Tati's first feature film and the cycling scenes are largely
based on an earlier short he made called, I think, L'Ecole des
Facteurs. Unfortunately, I've not seen that - I believe it is quite
hard to come by - but I have heard it is very good.

There's a "Tati Shorts" compilation that has Ecole des Facteurs on it
http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/films/7678

It's very similar to what ended up in Jour De Fete, if a litle
longer. Three postmen on static bikes going through their paces
in order to become as efficient as the American Postal Service.