#Mr Hulot's Holiday

[jasonsutekh]

Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday) (1953)

A man goes on holiday to a hotel by the beach but can’t help causing trouble for the other guests.

This movie doesn’t focus on sending a particular message. Many of the scenes appear simply to create a serene quality as we watch the holiday guests try to enjoy themselves. In this way it is almost avant garde as it elevates the mundane trivialities of life away from home into a spectacle, with a few gags thrown in to break up the tedium.

It’s really a very early and far less successful incarnation of Mr. Bean; even some of the jokes may have been adapted by the later show from this film. The comedy doesn’t work so well since even in the scenes where the gags come faster, the pace still drags and the jokes aren’t especially clever.

Rather than having planned sketches where the humour develops or in which it leads the story somewhere, it’s closer to a string fo minor inconveniences that show where the entertainment should be, with one actual source of amusement involving fireworks so that it actually builds up to something. The most entertaining aspect is that it’s an homage to silent comedy stars.

The biggest weakness is that it’s terribly slow. Even if 20 minutes of it were a pre-movie sketch to fill in the time before a real picture, it’d still drag and be confusing as to why the audience would wish to see long periods of nothing in particular occurring. It might have made a more enjoyable experience as a purely historical documentary.

2/10 -It’s not THE worst, that’s something else. But…-

-The film Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007) is heavily influenced by this film and is also set in France.

-A statue of Hulot is now on the promenade where the film was shot.

-The director made revisions and re-edits to the film up to as late as 1978.

[fleetwood-rendezvous]

Alain Romans -

Alain Romans -

The song is Quel Temps Fait-Il à Paris? (theme from Mr. Hulot's Holiday)

[sillysymbol]

mr hulot gap moe

[filmbook21]

[visualpoett]

[fleetwood-rendezvous]

Images aprx. 1953

Filmmaker Jacques Tati (October 9, 1907 – November 4, 1982)

[ozimagines]

Oz Characters as Movies…

Beecher: Before Sunrise (1995)

Keller: Sanctuary (2023)

O’Reily: Scarface (1983)

Cyril: Scarface (1932)

Chico: Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Murphy: The Day of the Owl (1968)

Miguel: Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1922)

McManus: Metropolis (1927)

Said: He Even Has Your Eyes (2016)

Stanislavsky: One, Two, Three! (1961)

Burr: Blackboard Jungle (1955)

Chucky: Goodfellas (1990)

Agustus: Carmen Jones (1954)

Busmalis: Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)

Rebadow: Stalag 17 (1953)

Carlos: The Platform (2019)

Carlo: Pasqualino and the Seven Beauties (1975)

Suzanne: Song at Midnight (1937)

Arif: Imitation of Life (1934)

Dr. Nathan: Level 16 (2018)

Robson: The Golem (1920)

Schillinger: Olympia Part One: Festival of Nations (1938)

Fiona: Kiss Me Kosher (2020)

Idzik: The Vigil (2019)

Jia: Street Angel (1937)

Morales: Casino (1995)

Omar: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967)

Peter: Life is Beautiful (1999)

[jours-feries]

'Les Vacances de M. Hulot' (1953) Jacques Tati

#jacques tati #mr hulot #movie #cinema #saint marc sur mer #hotel de la plage #saint nazaire #loire atlantique #ocean #beach #vacances #summer holidays #days offf #jours-feries

[gregbigoni]

Closer look at the Movie Madness mural (Foreign section)

Movies depicted include Fitzcarraldo, City of God, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Third Man, 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, The Seven Samurai, Hausu, Alice, Pather Panchali, Mr. Hulot's Holiday, The Seventh Seal, Breathless, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, Daisies, and many more!

24x36 vinyl prints of the entire mural available-- please direct interest & inquiries to gregbigoniart@gmail.com

[inapat17]

Traditions in transition: cinematic perspectives on the modernization of post-war societies (3/4)

The following article is the third in a four-part series looking at how cinema depicts post-war societies’ transformations, and more precisely the transition from a traditional society to a modern one. You can read each article separately, so there’s no need to worry if you haven’t read the previous one yet. Just know that if you are eager for more, you can find it HERE. 

In order to examine our topic from all angles, every article of this series will be dedicated to a separate movie, each originating from a different country. Since context is essential to better understand what lies beneath images, and thus propose an in-depth analysis, I will always start by introducing the director and the significant historical events surrounding the films’ releases. 

Part 3. My Uncle (Mon oncle, Jacques Tati, 1958)

Today, I deal with Jacques Tati’s comedy My Uncle (Mon oncle, 1958), which offers a satirical critique of the late 1950s societal transformations in France. A time marked by rapid modernization and economic growth, commonly referred to as the Trente Glorieuses (The Glorious Thirty). This period spanned from the aftermath of the Second World War to the 1973 oil crisis, and saw France transitioning from a war-torn country to one embracing new technologies and suburbanization. 

My Uncle's Trailer

Jacques Tati, born Jacques Tatischeff in 1907, is a brilliant filmmaker, known for encapsulating in his work these mid-20th century profound changes and turning them into comical situations. By the time My Uncle was released, Tati had already made a significant mark with his previous films, particularly with his alter ego character Mr. Hulot. 

After his first appearance in Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, 1953), Tati’s alter ego makes a major comeback in My Uncle. The film follows the adventures of the charming but bumbling Mr. Hulot, as he struggles to adapt to the modern and mechanized postwar world. My Uncle’s narrative unfolds through a series of sketches that juxtapose Hulot’s chaotic existence in his quirky neighborhood, and his visits to his sister Mrs. Arpel. The latter resides with her husband and her son in a sleek, ultra-modern house filled with ridiculous gadgets. His young nephew, Gérard, finds solace in Hulot’s eccentric company. In this way, Tati portrays Hulot as a relic of a disappearing world, endearing with his mannerisms that contrast sharply with Gérard’s parents' boring, sterile and unoriginal lifestyle. 

My Uncle, Jacques Tati, 1958

Tati’s genius lies in his ability to convey complex themes, through audio and visual elements rather than dialogue. One example of this is the exaggerated noises of Arpel family’s modern appliances contrasting with the natural sounds of Hulot’s neighborhood. The use of sound is not only for comic effects, it helps underscore the dissonance between the two worlds. Also, the Arpel family’s villa is a character in its own right and serves as a humorous critique of modern pretensions. Its stark, geometric architecture and automated gadgets symbolize the Glorious Thirty’s obsession with progress and efficiency. 

Mr. Hulot's neighborhood

The villa offers a wide range of comical possibilities. Scenes such as Hulot’s encounters with modern and automatic furniture are meticulously choreographed. Everyday actions are turned into derision, revealing the absurdity of excessive modernization. 

My uncle was widely acclaimed, earning Tati the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1959, thus solidifying his place in cinematic history. His next film, Playtime, explores further the absurdities of modern urban life, through the misadventures of Mr. Hulot in a hyper-organized, almost futuristic Paris. 

Once again, thank you for your support. See you in June, for the last article of this series. 

Ruth Sarfati

[ryuryuryuyurboat]

hi ryuu ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎ 1 + 11 + 46 for the ask game !

hii jade ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ thank you for asking !

1: who are your comfort characters? hmm ok i will say genshin characters: xiao, yunjin, fischl and freminet :D i was soooo tempted to get a fischl plushie HAHAHAKJSHDF unfortunately i was too broke to even be able to spend a single cent 😔💔

11: favourite extracurricular activity? you expect me to choose? hmm as at this point it's between stargazing and writing!! omg geminids shower is in like 10 days my camera is so ready teehee

46: fav holiday film? OOH OOH I GOT ONE!! les vacances de monsieur hulot (mr hulot's holiday) :D it's a comedy film (in black&white) about mr hulot going to the beach for a holiday but he ends up unknowingly creating chaos for everyone in his vicinity and i found it an absolutely hilarious film!! i think it's also really suitable for families/friends to watch if yall just wanna have a good laugh together :>

[nicholasbritel]

That’s how broken I was Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953) // John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015)

[erermela]

[the-hulot-universe]

Drawing by Pierre Etaix Mr Hulot’s holiday - Jacques Tati

[lucienballard]

Jacques Tati

[garancespoo]

Les vacances de Mr Hulot - Jacques Tati