LES VACANCES DE MONSIEUR HULOT FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Codelli, L, in Positif( Paris), May 1982 The English version of Les vacances is preceded by a warning: Magny, Joel, and others, in Cinema(Paris), January 1983 Don't look for a plot, for a holiday is meant purely for fun. The Benson, Sheila, Mr. Hulot's Holiday, in CoEvolution quarterly, disingenuous wording disguises a serious challenge to the audience- vol 38. Summer 1983 what regular filmgoer would agree that""funwere Carriere, Jean-Claude, in American Film(Washington, D. C ) Decem- contradictory terms? For Tati, the renunciation of narrative is a liber ber 1985 ating act; M. Hulot's holiday will also be a vacation for the viewer, 9 Hemming, Roy, in Video Review, vol. 1l, no 4, July 1990 minutes in which we are free to follow our own impulses, and not Rimbau, E, in Nosferatu(San Sebastian), no 10, October 1992 submit to the bosss orders. The story-teller is no longer in charge Jullier, Laurent, ""Lart des bruits chez Jacques Tati, in Focales, there's no one hurrying us from one event to another, telling us where no.2,1993 to look, when to laugh, what to feel. Tati's film is the exact opposite of questieau, K, ""Exit, in Sinema, no. 116, July/August 1993 escapist"entertainment, in the sense that it doesnt relieve us of our Segers, J., in Film en Televisie Video(brussels), no 434, Septem- own emotions and perceptions. It offers another kind of escape ber 1993 perhaps a more profound one-an escape from domination, from Sopenia Balordi, A. Emma, and Marie-France Lorente, "Les(autres) regimentation-a cinematic flight to freedom vacances de Monsieur Hulot, ' in Humoresques, no 6, Febru Les vacances has no plot, but it does have a structure. The film ary 1995 begins and ends with images of waves washing onto an empty Salonen, A, Hullunkurinen Herra Hulot, in Filmihullu(helsinki) beach-images of permanence, steadiness, rhythmic motion. The no.4/5.1997 steady, natural rhythm embodied by the waves is echoed in the films pronounced alteration of day and night; the film thus acqui a powerful and unique sense of real time marked by natural events. This rhythm is never monotonous-there is also a strong sense of an Les vacances de m. hulot is one of the most radical films ever ebb and filow of energy, of movement giving way to inertia and then made-the Sacre du printemps of the movies. If its radicalism has regenerating itself. The day belongs to the outdoors-the open spaces never been fully perceived-it has entertained audiences around the of the beach, the sea, the countryside. Morning is announced by the world. rather than scandalize them-it is because Les vacances eautiful blonde girl, Martine, standing on her balcony and looking a comedy, and everyone knows that comedies aren't to be taken down at the world below. She confers a sort of blessing, and the world riously. But without Les vacances, there would be no Jean-Luc omes into motion, energized by the lovely saxophone line of Alain Godard, no Jean-Marie Straub, no Marguerite Duras-no modern Romans'theme music Night belongs to the hotel, with the guests cinema. With his 63 film, Jacques Tati drove the first decisive crowded into the tiny lobby, silently reading, playing cards, or wedge between cinema and classical narration. To do so, Tati had to listening to the radio Overlaid on this natural rhythm is the human return to the prehistory of movies-the age of Lumiere, Melies, rhythm of habit-exemplified by the ringing of the noontime dinner Porter, and their anonymous predecessors, before the story-telling bell, but reflected in a dozen specific ways in the behavior of the priority was firmly encoded in the way films were shot and edited-in minor characters-the businessman continually called away to the order to find a non-narrative way of seeing. The gaze of Tati's camera phone, the English couple out for their promenade, the student as in the earliest films, almost entirely innocent: it does not make lecturing on radical politics. Repetition is a traditional comic device, he value judgements, the selections of one element force a story out of an undifferentiated wo shoots without seems to have captured the heartbeat of the world. The film,'s other structuring principle is psychological. The early sequences are concentrated on the beach and the hotel, but as these 4 Tati pretends that D. w. Griffith never existed. He holds his shots locations lose their novelty for the guests, they wander further and ere the classical, story-telling grammar would demand that he cut further afield-to the tennis courts, to a picnic, even(accidently)to away to another; he prefers long shots over close-ups, the embracing a funeral. Sheer boredom--the chief danger that a plotless film overview to the significant detail. One of the opening gags in Les invites-is thus incorporated into the film; it becomes a kind of ally, vacances involves a group of passengers running back and forth from pointing the movie in new directions. Both of these forward impulses- one train platform to another, misled by the unintelligible announce- repetition and boredom-are exceedingly subtle; because they oper ments on the P.A. system as to which track their train will arrive on. ate both on the level of subject(the repetition and possible boredom of Griffith would film the scene with insert shots of passengers'pan- a resort vacation)and of style(traditional comic techniques, the need icked faces, and perhaps cut back and forth between the two tracks to to move to a new situation when the first has become exhausted ), they emphasize the suspense-will the 1 make their train or not? are almost imperceptible. But Tati simply mounts his camera on the roof of the station, where he Tatis own character, the tall, angular, perpetually astonished M has a clear downward overview of the whole scene and films the hulot, is as often a straight man to the other characters as he is action in a single, continuous shot. As the group of travellers dashes a comedian. Tati doesn't want to foreground himself as a star or as the I to foregroun the humor would becomes a kind of warm-up exercise for the film that is to follow: the much on the spectators freedom of choice(by the time of the 1967 viewer is led to explore the entire field of the shot, from near to far and Playtime, Hulot has almost disappeared). hulot does not embody the from side to side, top to bottom. The viewer learns to direct his freedom of perception that the film strives for as much as he points the mentions for himself; Tati will not make the choice for him. way to it, through his own spectacular failures of perception. Hulot 1266LES VACANCES DE MONSIEUR HULOT FILMS, 4th EDITION 1266 Codelli, L., in Positif (Paris), May 1982. Magny, Joel, and others, in Cinema (Paris), January 1983. Benson, Sheila, ‘‘Mr. Hulot’s Holiday,’’ in CoEvolution Quarterly, vol. 38, Summer 1983. Carriere, Jean-Claude, in American Film (Washington, D.C.), Decem￾ber 1985. Hemming, Roy, in Video Review, vol. 11, no. 4, July 1990. Rimbau, E., in Nosferatu (San Sebastian), no. 10, October 1992. Jullier, Laurent, ‘‘L’art des bruits chez Jacques Tati,’’ in Focales, no. 2, 1993. Maquestieau, K., ‘‘Exit,’’ in Sinema, no. 116, July/August 1993. Segers, J., in Film en Televisie + Video (Brussels), no. 434, Septem￾ber 1993. Sopeña Balordi, A. Emma, and Marie-France Lorente, ‘‘Les (autres) vacances de Monsieur Hulot,’’ in Humoresques, no. 6, Febru￾ary 1995. Salonen, A., ‘‘Hullunkurinen Herra Hulot,’’ in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 4/5, 1997. *** Les vacances de M. Hulot is one of the most radical films ever made—the Sacre du printemps of the movies. If its radicalism has never been fully perceived—it has entertained audiences around the world, rather than scandalize them—it is because Les vacances is a comedy, and everyone knows that comedies aren’t to be taken seriously. But without Les vacances, there would be no Jean-Luc Godard, no Jean-Marie Straub, no Marguerite Duras—no modern cinema. With his 1953 film, Jacques Tati drove the first decisive wedge between cinema and classical narration. To do so, Tati had to return to the prehistory of movies—the age of Lumière, Méliès, Porter, and their anonymous predecessors, before the story-telling priority was firmly encoded in the way films were shot and edited—in order to find a non-narrative way of seeing. The gaze of Tati’s camera is, as in the earliest films, almost entirely innocent: it does not make the value judgements, the selections of one element over another, that force a story out of an undifferentiated world. Tati shoots without prejudice, without priorities; he sees (or attempts to see, within the limits of the frame) everything. Tati pretends that D. W. Griffith never existed. He holds his shots where the classical, story-telling grammar would demand that he cut away to another; he prefers long shots over close-ups, the embracing overview to the significant detail. One of the opening gags in Les vacances involves a group of passengers running back and forth from one train platform to another, misled by the unintelligible announce￾ments on the P.A. system as to which track their train will arrive on. Griffith would film the scene with insert shots of passengers’ pan￾icked faces, and perhaps cut back and forth between the two tracks to emphasize the suspense—will the passengers make their train or not? But Tati simply mounts his camera on the roof of the station, where he has a clear, downward overview of the whole scene, and films the action in a single, continuous shot. As the group of travellers dashes from the far track to the near, from background to foreground, the shot becomes a kind of warm-up exercise for the film that is to follow: the viewer is led to explore the entire field of the shot, from near to far and from side to side, top to bottom. The viewer learns to direct his attentions for himself; Tati will not make the choice for him. The English version of Les vacances is preceded by a warning: ‘‘Don’t look for a plot, for a holiday is meant purely for fun.’’ The disingenuous wording disguises a serious challenge to the audience— what regular filmgoer would agree that ‘‘plot’’ and ‘‘fun’’ were contradictory terms? For Tati, the renunciation of narrative is a liber￾ating act; M. Hulot’s holiday will also be a vacation for the viewer, 93 minutes in which we are free to follow our own impulses, and not submit to the boss’s orders. The story-teller is no longer in charge; there’s no one hurrying us from one event to another, telling us where to look, when to laugh, what to feel. Tati’s film is the exact opposite of ‘‘escapist’’ entertainment, in the sense that it doesn’t relieve us of our own emotions and perceptions. It offers another kind of escape, perhaps a more profound one—an escape from domination, from regimentation—a cinematic flight to freedom. Les vacances has no plot, but it does have a structure. The film begins and ends with images of waves washing onto an empty beach—images of permanence, steadiness, rhythmic motion. The steady, natural rhythm embodied by the waves is echoed in the film’s pronounced alteration of day and night; the film thus acquires a powerful and unique sense of real time marked by natural events. This rhythm is never monotonous—there is also a strong sense of an ebb and flow of energy, of movement giving way to inertia and then regenerating itself. The day belongs to the outdoors—the open spaces of the beach, the sea, the countryside. Morning is announced by the beautiful blonde girl, Martine, standing on her balcony and looking down at the world below. She confers a sort of blessing, and the world comes into motion, energized by the lovely saxophone line of Alain Romans’ theme music. Night belongs to the hotel, with the guests crowded into the tiny lobby, silently reading, playing cards, or listening to the radio. Overlaid on this natural rhythm is the human rhythm of habit—exemplified by the ringing of the noontime dinner bell, but reflected in a dozen specific ways in the behavior of the minor characters—the businessman continually called away to the phone, the English couple out for their promenade, the student lecturing on radical politics. Repetition is a traditional comic device, but in Les vacances, it acquires a transcendent, poetic quality; Tati seems to have captured the heartbeat of the world. The film’s other structuring principle is psychological. The early sequences are concentrated on the beach and the hotel, but as these locations lose their novelty for the guests, they wander further and further afield—to the tennis courts, to a picnic, even (accidently) to a funeral. Sheer boredom—the chief danger that a plotless film invites—is thus incorporated into the film; it becomes a kind of ally, pointing the movie in new directions. Both of these forward impulses— repetition and boredom—are exceedingly subtle; because they oper￾ate both on the level of subject (the repetition and possible boredom of a resort vacation) and of style (traditional comic techniques, the need to move to a new situation when the first has become exhausted), they are almost imperceptible. Tati’s own character, the tall, angular, perpetually astonished M. Hulot, is as often a straight-man to the other characters as he is a comedian. Tati doesn’t want to foreground himself as a star or as the center of the humor, because doing so would mean intruding too much on the spectator’s freedom of choice (by the time of the 1967 Playtime, Hulot has almost disappeared). Hulot does not embody the freedom of perception that the film strives for as much as he points the way to it, through his own spectacular failures of perception. Hulot