Saturday, September 11, 2010

Source of inspiration 221 (click on this title!): Tativille!

These photos are stills taken from Playtime, a movie by Jacques Tati:


Comment on the last photo:

In the background, there are numerous grey cubicles, work boxes where people are confined. Everything seems well ordered; nothing unexpected can probably happen in their lives. It’s an image of a society where everything has to be perfectly organized and tidy. The fact that these people are closed up in boxes suggests they are strongly influenced by a society which dehumanizes them and prevents them from thinking for themselves or from communicating with each other. All these people, locked up in their geometric environment, seem trapped in an insane ideology.

Metallic grey is the dominant colour in this picture. It symbolizes the boring conformity of the characters.

The man in the foreground is Mr. Hulot, the main character of the film. He’s dressed conventionally in a grey coat and hat, and he’s holding a black umbrella.

Hulot does not seem to understand what is happening. He seems unsure of where he has to go. He appears to be an observer, alone, hesitating at the top of the escalator. He stands out from the mass of office workers by his behaviour.

Is he conscious of the absurdity of a world based on senseless work and order?

Article by Julie Botet

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