The films of Jacques Tati - Michel Chion

Life never ceases to give homage to Jacques Tati. Be it on the beach, in an old part of town, or in the glamour of a modern city, we find everywhere the gags which have peopled such films as Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot and Playtime. If a silhouette crosses us at a street corner, we are quickly reminded of certain scenes in Mon Oncle. Tati was a great film comic who deserves to be placed on the same level as Keaton and Chaplin. Tati created Monsieur Hulot who has now entered the world of screen legends. Above all, Jacques Tati was an exemplary artist who was not scared of taking risks or to invest his entire being in the making of his films. From Jour de fte to Parade, there is a Tati-World which this study invites us to discover. Michael Chion is a critic at Les Cashiers du cinma and has published numerous works which develop his theories on the art of sound in cinema (La Voix au cinma and Le Son au cinma). A musical composer, Michael Chion is also the author of ponine, which was awarded the Prix Jean-Vigo in 1985.