Mon Oncle (1958)
FILM CLASSIC REVIEW #4
Jacques of All Trades - an analysis of Mon Oncle
Chaplin, Keaton, Jerry Lewis, Inspector Clouseau, Mr. Bean…. We know all of these characters, but what of Hulot? The French pantomime from the wonderful imagination of Jacques Tati. Not to say that slapstick comedy hadn't existed or flourished already under the world of Chaplin, but Tati offered a unique, intimate, and really gentle version of it. That is to say, he combines it with the principles of Italian Neorealism. It's Micro-Slapstick, as I would call it. A combination of real life, silly and sublime, is what Tati is striving to look for. No film of his better exemplifies this idea than Tati's first color picture Mon Oncle.
It's a series of long-form skits, filled with very humorous micro-actions and very foolish behavior on behalf of Hulot and the entire set of goof-ball players. The story simply tells of Hulot, down on his luck, crashing at his sister's place in order to find a job in a new city. What follows is comedy of errors. As we know, Hulot can't help himself, and his naïve curiosity leads him into some embarrassing and outrageous situations. But tomfoolery is gracefully done by all of the actors and the director himself. It's a ballet of sorts. Take for instance a scene where Hulot accidentally block the flow of water to the strange fish-shaped fountain in his sister's front lawn, during a lavish dinner party. For about ten minutes or so, we see the event unfold, in a long shot, as we are guided through the step-by-step process of fixing the problem. Hulot tries to stick his foot back onto the hole, which works temporarily, but he can't just keep his foot there! After a while of strange problem solving, Hulot runs off, and leaves the patrons of the dinner party to deal with the problem themselves. What follows is another series of embarrassing problem solving, this time revolving around people who don't have a clue as to how the situation happened in the first place. Every last action is as monotonous, strange and silly as a predicament like this would play out in real life. Tati allows us to appreciate the simple fact of life, that when things go bad, they tend to go worse over time.
What about the gentle side of the picture? Can it be just mishaps, or is there truly a heart to the picture? Well there certainly is, and it even begins at the very beginning. The film opens and ends with a group of puppy dogs frolicking around the French city of which the film takes place. As adorable as that is, it's a reassurance that where Tati is taking us is a happy little place. The spirit from the very beginning is just plain fun. All of the jokes and gags that the film offers us definitely exist along the lines of laughing with the performers, not at them. It's just plain fun to embark on some mischief. Take for instance, the scene where the little kids of the town gamble to see how many townspeople knock into a lamppost. It's hilarious, in that classic child prankster way, and definitely as harmless as they come. The parents all blame Hulot for influencing the trouble, but Hulot doesn't care, for he and boys are having way too much fun. It all cultivates near the end of picture, when he gather up the boys in order to dispose of a clump of rubber hoses that he accidentally made at the factory. Hulot and boys throw the big pile off of a bridge, into the water, and scare a teenage couple down below into thinking that a suicide had taken place. The boys and Hulot run off in their wagon, and sing songs all the way home. There's such an innocence to these actions, and reminds us greatly about the simplicity of childhood. Hulot is a little kid at heart, and much to the parents with whom he is living with; the careless fun eventually rubs off them.
Through a series of pantomimes, gestures and other events, Tati creates a beautiful world of childhood wonder, and that is what makes the film Mon Oncle unlike any slapstick comedy ever since. It's the child at heart that Tati was able to capture in all of us through his titular character Hulot, and through his films, we'd all like to be like those puppy dogs, and scamper about the streets of France, looking for fun at every turn.
Chaplin, Keaton, Jerry Lewis, Inspector Clouseau, Mr. Bean…. We know all of these characters, but what of Hulot? The French pantomime from the wonderful imagination of Jacques Tati. Not to say that slapstick comedy hadn't existed or flourished already under the world of Chaplin, but Tati offered a unique, intimate, and really gentle version of it. That is to say, he combines it with the principles of Italian Neorealism. It's Micro-Slapstick, as I would call it. A combination of real life, silly and sublime, is what Tati is striving to look for. No film of his better exemplifies this idea than Tati's first color picture Mon Oncle.
It's a series of long-form skits, filled with very humorous micro-actions and very foolish behavior on behalf of Hulot and the entire set of goof-ball players. The story simply tells of Hulot, down on his luck, crashing at his sister's place in order to find a job in a new city. What follows is comedy of errors. As we know, Hulot can't help himself, and his naïve curiosity leads him into some embarrassing and outrageous situations. But tomfoolery is gracefully done by all of the actors and the director himself. It's a ballet of sorts. Take for instance a scene where Hulot accidentally block the flow of water to the strange fish-shaped fountain in his sister's front lawn, during a lavish dinner party. For about ten minutes or so, we see the event unfold, in a long shot, as we are guided through the step-by-step process of fixing the problem. Hulot tries to stick his foot back onto the hole, which works temporarily, but he can't just keep his foot there! After a while of strange problem solving, Hulot runs off, and leaves the patrons of the dinner party to deal with the problem themselves. What follows is another series of embarrassing problem solving, this time revolving around people who don't have a clue as to how the situation happened in the first place. Every last action is as monotonous, strange and silly as a predicament like this would play out in real life. Tati allows us to appreciate the simple fact of life, that when things go bad, they tend to go worse over time.
What about the gentle side of the picture? Can it be just mishaps, or is there truly a heart to the picture? Well there certainly is, and it even begins at the very beginning. The film opens and ends with a group of puppy dogs frolicking around the French city of which the film takes place. As adorable as that is, it's a reassurance that where Tati is taking us is a happy little place. The spirit from the very beginning is just plain fun. All of the jokes and gags that the film offers us definitely exist along the lines of laughing with the performers, not at them. It's just plain fun to embark on some mischief. Take for instance, the scene where the little kids of the town gamble to see how many townspeople knock into a lamppost. It's hilarious, in that classic child prankster way, and definitely as harmless as they come. The parents all blame Hulot for influencing the trouble, but Hulot doesn't care, for he and boys are having way too much fun. It all cultivates near the end of picture, when he gather up the boys in order to dispose of a clump of rubber hoses that he accidentally made at the factory. Hulot and boys throw the big pile off of a bridge, into the water, and scare a teenage couple down below into thinking that a suicide had taken place. The boys and Hulot run off in their wagon, and sing songs all the way home. There's such an innocence to these actions, and reminds us greatly about the simplicity of childhood. Hulot is a little kid at heart, and much to the parents with whom he is living with; the careless fun eventually rubs off them.
Through a series of pantomimes, gestures and other events, Tati creates a beautiful world of childhood wonder, and that is what makes the film Mon Oncle unlike any slapstick comedy ever since. It's the child at heart that Tati was able to capture in all of us through his titular character Hulot, and through his films, we'd all like to be like those puppy dogs, and scamper about the streets of France, looking for fun at every turn.
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