A review the 1953 classic film “Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday”
In only his second film as a director, Jacques Tati introduced us to the character with whom he was to become synonymous. M. Hulot is the shy, gentle, unassuming, but constantly bumbling, Frenchman who is immediately recognisable with his long-stemmed pipe, his leaning forward awkwardly, and elbows pointing out with hands in the small of his back. As well as directing and starring Tati co-wrote the screenplay, making him something of an auteur. Never has a trip to the seaside been so funny.
However, this charming, black & white comedy is something of an oddity, since it is is essentially plotless and wordless, comprising a sequence of visual and aural jokes with minimal and almost meaningless dialogue. Sound is really important here: it is laid on the picture and forefronts any dialogue, whether it is the ambiance of birdsong or sea waves or the comic device of a car with a problematic engine or a restaurant door endlessly emitting a double squeak. In the end, we have a riot of noise with an unintended firework display.
Some viewers will find the mêlée of mishaps too slow, too repetitive and as light and fluffy as a soufflé but, in its own way, it is a classic.