Clumsy Monsieur Hulot finds himself perplexed by the intimidating complexity of a gadget-filled Paris. He attempts to meet with a business contact but soon becomes lost. His roundabout journey parallels that of an American tourist, and as they weave through the inventive urban environment, they intermittently meet, developing an interest in one another. They eventually get together at a chaotic restaurant, along with several other quirky characters.
Production
Tativille: a functioning glass-and-steel nightmare built from scratch.
Direction
Deep focus mastery — foreground, midground, background all performing comedy.
Sound
Intricate audio design replacing dialogue with ambient absurdity.
Director
Jacques Tati
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Tati constructed Tativille on six hectares outside Paris using borrowed funds, then went bankrupt when audiences stayed home for 1967's summer of love.
The film predicted modern airport architecture so accurately that you can't tell 1967 from 2024 in some shots — Tati's satire became documentary.
FR
