Jour de Fete (1949/1964)

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Jour de Fete (1949/1964) – J. Tati

Jacques Tati’s first feature doesn’t star M. Hulot – instead Tati plays a bumbling postman, delivering the mail by trusty bicycle through the quaint French countryside.  The film takes place on the day that the carnival arrives in the small village and before we meet our hero, we see the villagers getting ready for the big day and the carnies arriving and starting to set up.  An old woman with a goat introduces us to the central characters – but as with most Tati films, it matters not a whit what anybody says.  The actions are there for anyone to see and understand – often accentuated with ostentatious sound effects and charming French music.  The sound effects (which play a big role in all Tati’s work) are even funnier once the postman arrives on the scene, ready to engage in some acrobatic slapstick.  The day of the festival moves from feelings  of excited anticipation to the glamour and fun of the event itself (complete with carousel and carnival games) to some rather drunken antics as the evening stretches to night (and the kids are put to sleep).  A pivotal moment involves a short film about how the mail is delivered in America (with helicopters, airplanes, and maybe even bodybuilders), leading not only to shock but to a full next day’s attempt to deliver the mail “American-style” (i.e., as fast as humanly possible).  Of course, this leads to a heap of chuckles and even a belly-laugh or two (especially from Aito, aged 7).  The 1964 version of the film that we watched included some hand-tinted sequences (and Tati apparently added some extra new footage) but Jonathan Rosenbaum tells me that the restored 1994 version in full colour is well worth tracking down.  And I’m sure we will.