Playtime

Introduction by Christy Wampole, Professor of French at Princeton University.

One of the most impeccably choreographed films of all time. Jacque Tati’s PLAYTIME is a carefully constructed feature that took three years to complete. Tati stars as the lovable, old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot; we follow Hulot’s exploits, which run parallel to an American tourist as the duo attempts to navigate a technology-modern Paris. This comedy of confusion perfects mise-en-scène, with every frame filled to the brim with inventiveness and quirky characters. In French w/ subtitles.

Christy Wampole is an essayist and Professor of French at Princeton University. She is co-editor of The Cambridge History of the American Essay (2024), the most expansive history of the form in the United States ever written. Her books Degenerative Realism (2020) and Rootedness (2016) received prizes from the Modern Language Association. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The European Review of Books.

Director Jacques Tati

Cast Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek

Country France

Language French (with subtitles)

Aspect 1.85

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