Illustrations by Grace McKenna

Venue: Edinburgh University Film Society (Upper Hall, Pleasance)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Playtime follows the bumbling Monsieur Hulot—among other characters—as they navigate a hyper-consumerist Paris in a variety of sketches. It is made up of six segments: (1) the airport, (2) the offices, (3) the trade exhibition, (4) the apartments, (5) the restaurant, and (6) the roundabout. Being made up of such a wide range of sketches, it’s difficult to explain the plot as a whole—but to watch this movie in such a way misses the point. Although the characters recur throughout the different sketches, the narrative (and even the dialogue) is fairly irrelevant. Instead, the film focuses on creating a masterclass in clown comedy. However, this isn’t to say Tati’s piece isn’t saying anything—quite the opposite—but rather, that its messages are more subtle and visual.

Playtime is in many ways a French take on Mr Bean; from accidentally stumbling into lifts to chasing reflections, Monsieur Hulot’s lack of awareness is immediately apparent. Tati’s comedy, however, is more subtle than Atkinson’s. Throughout the movie, the audience is restrained to a state of tittering. An example of this is Hulot fooling around with the waiting chairs; it’s a simple gag, but it keeps your lips tense, ready to laugh. Then, when Tati hits the audience with the scene where Giffard is walking seemingly for an eternity in conspicuously loud shoes, your lips are finally released.

This film is superlative in its genre, beautifully combining visual and auditory comedy and throwing it into a cinematic pot of chaos. From Hulot getting completely lost in the offices, to the door salesman slamming a door “in golden silence”, to the restaurant falling to pieces, the movie consists of an entire cast of clowns. This sets Tati’s comedy apart from Mr Bean since—although Hulot is the main clown of the story—everyone on set contributes to the absurdity.

Beyond this, Playtime is saying more than initially meets the eye. Absurd comedy aside, the movie makes an interesting artistic commentary on consumerism. Although set in Paris, the city itself is never quite seen—only through reflections. Instead, the imagery focuses on hyper-brutalist buildings in which everything takes place. At the time in 1960s France, President Charles de Gaulle was attempting to reshape Paris with brutalist modern buildings to improve France economically. Seeing this, Tati created this film set to challenge such an aesthetically displeasing shift in Paris and uses Hulot to show the disorienting nature of hyper-commercialism. Tati handles socio-economic change in the best way possible: through hilariously absurd caricatures. His unique artistic approach undoubtedly solidifies Playtime as a true masterpiece in its genre.