Jour de fête
Encyclopedia
Jour de fête (1949) is the title of a film comedy
by the French
director Jacques Tati
. Jour de fête tells the story of an inept and easily distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.
In Jour de fête, several characteristics of Tati's work appear for the first time in a full-length film. The film is largely a visual comedy, though dialogue is still used to tell part of the story, at one point using a background character as a narrator. Sound effects are a key element of the film, as Tati makes imaginative use of voices and other background noises to provide humorous effect. The film introduces what would be a key theme in Tati films, the over-reliance of Western society on technology to solve its (perceived) problems.
The movie was originally filmed in both black-and-white and Thomson-color, an early and untried color film process. In using both formats, Tati feared that Thomson-color might not be practicable, a concern that proved well-founded after the Thomson firm went bankrupt before the film could be processed. Tati then released the black-and-white version (which features occasional short bursts of colour, hand-coloured by Tati directly onto the frames). In 1995
, new technology allowed the restoration of the color copy, which was finished and released by Tati's daughter Sophie Tatischeff
and cinematographer François Ede.
The film was shot largely in the town of Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre
and the surrounding region; many of the locals played the roles of extras.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
director Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...
. Jour de fête tells the story of an inept and easily distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.
In Jour de fête, several characteristics of Tati's work appear for the first time in a full-length film. The film is largely a visual comedy, though dialogue is still used to tell part of the story, at one point using a background character as a narrator. Sound effects are a key element of the film, as Tati makes imaginative use of voices and other background noises to provide humorous effect. The film introduces what would be a key theme in Tati films, the over-reliance of Western society on technology to solve its (perceived) problems.
The movie was originally filmed in both black-and-white and Thomson-color, an early and untried color film process. In using both formats, Tati feared that Thomson-color might not be practicable, a concern that proved well-founded after the Thomson firm went bankrupt before the film could be processed. Tati then released the black-and-white version (which features occasional short bursts of colour, hand-coloured by Tati directly onto the frames). In 1995
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
, new technology allowed the restoration of the color copy, which was finished and released by Tati's daughter Sophie Tatischeff
Sophie Tatischeff
Sophie Catherine Tatischeff , was a French film editor and director.Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Tatischeff was the daughter of Jacques Tati and began her career as assistant editor on her father's film Play Time...
and cinematographer François Ede.
The film was shot largely in the town of Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre
Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre
Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre is a commune in the Indre department in central France.It is situated near the source of the Indre River. The town has a population today of approximately 899 ....
and the surrounding region; many of the locals played the roles of extras.
Cast
- Jacques TatiJacques TatiJacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...
as François (the postman) - Guy Decomble as Roger
- Paul Frankeur as Marcel
- Santa Relli as Roger's wife
- Maine Vallée as Jeannette
- Delcassan as The tattler
- Roger Rafal as The hair-dresser
- Robert Balpo