June 13, 2019
Jour De Fete –
France, 1949
Now if you asked me to explain the character Tati plays, I
would be at a bit of a loss to explain him. He’s, well, odd, but not odd in a
way that makes everyone keep their distance, but rather, odd in a lovably
quirky way, and the fact that he seems to have no knowledge that many of the
people around him see him as a source of entertainment first and a helpful
member of the community second only adds to this. Or maybe it’s the other way
around and we only get that impression because of the special day at the heart
of the film.
In any event, Tati plays Francoise, a postman in a small
countryside town where time seems to move at a much slower pace. We know this
because of a passing comment a town member gives about the mail being picked up
later despite the pick-up date having already passed. He certainly knows his
postman. What’s more, he knows his town, and it’s a place where the postman is
just as likely to be found lending a helping hand in the field as he is doing
his route. At one point, his job is given to a young boy because Francoise’s
strong hands are needed elsewhere – and perhaps because the boy will deliver
the mail on time.
The role of Francoise asks a lot of Tati. There’s a running
gag involving him being attacked by a bee while riding a bicycle, which is
simply hilarious. In one scene, the bee seems to go from terrorizing him, to
frustrating the members of a marching band before once again pursuing him.
Later, Tati has to ride a bicycle faster than a falling pole, a gag that made
me recall Buster Keaton’s memorable falling house stunt in Steamboat Bill, Jr. There’s also a scene in which Francoise tries
to ride a bike that is unbeknownst to him on the other side of the fence,
leading to multiple instances of his trying to “ride” the fence. It’s all great
stuff, yet what puts it in the same category as the slapstick greats that
preceded him is his complete acceptance of it all. When life makes a mockery of
him, he just picks himself up and keeps going, as if it were all just a normal
part of life.
To call Francoise the lead character would be slightly
false, for the character does not really have a role in the film until about the
half hour mark. Until then, the film is content to show us what happens when a
traveling fair arrives for a one-day event. In the film’s opening scene, we
follow a trailer full of merry-go-round horses and witness the influence they
have on the local children, many of whom begin running behind the trailer with
great big smiles on their faces. They know what’s coming. From there, we get a
meeting with local officials and men prepping for the big event by going to the
local barber for a shave and a haircut. Women don their nicest outfits, and one
of the fair’s organizers casts flirtatious glances at one of the town’s lovely
young ladies – much, I might add, to the consternation of the man’s wife.
During one amazing scene, the man and woman stare at each other, and for a
moment, it appears that they are engaged in one of those conversations which
proceed a sweet rendezvous, yet upon closer inspection, we see their mouths are
not moving at all, and the dialogue is from a movie that the fair has brought
with it. Perhaps the dialogue is what they would say to each other if things
were different.
When Francoise arrives, the film’s pace quickens, and we get
a series of humorous encounters in which Francoise is a great help to many,
while also being a source of humor for some. It seems a bit cruel at times, as
all Francoise seems guilty of is being rather handy to have around. In fact,
with the exception of the owner of a building that Francoise keeps riding his
bicycle into, I can’t think of any reason that anyone would wish him ill.
The film finally makes it “point” after Francoise is invited
to watch a short newsreel purporting to show real postmen in the United States.
The images are ludicrous, the spitting image of parody, yet, having never
traveled abroad, Francoise takes it as fact that postman are physical supermen
trained as if they were acrobatic daredevils and Bond-like spies able to speed
through fire without breaking a sweat or experiencing even a trace of fear.
Soon, there he is adopting “American-style” delivery techniques and wreaking
havoc all over town.
As I watched the film, I remembered what it was like in my
youth when the fair would make its annual pilgrimage to Nevada Country. I was
from a town that didn’t even have stoplights, so the fair, with its
carnival-like rides, skill-testing games, huge prizes, and exotic animal attractions,
was truly a big deal. Conversations among us kids often revolved around when we
were going and, later, which of us had gone the most times. And after it had
torn down its tents, dismantled its thrills, and headed off to its next
destination, life returned to normal. We went back to school, our parents went
back to work, the silence of the nights returned. Yet we never forgot those
magical feelings, and when the fair returned the following year, we were right
there.
Jour De Fete gets
this about the fair and small towns. It is a reminder of simpler times and of
the wonder that the new and magical can bring. It is also a film about the
marching of time, inviting viewers to explore whether technological advances
also lead to personal and cultural progress. And it is also a film about
Francoise, a character I respect probably more than I understand. With Jour De Fete, Tati created a film that
is driven less by narrative than by remarkable characters, and his film is a
salute to life and the everyday people who inhabit our world. It is truly something special to behold. (on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion
Collection's The Complete Jacques Tati box set)
3 and a half stars
*Jour De Fete is
in French with English subtitles.
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