Analytic Paper of a French Film I Watched

Industrialization and Efficiency as Depicted in Mon Oncle

Jacques Tati is a believer in the idea that newer doesn't always equate to greater. In his movie Playtime, he displays an alternate future where everything is systematic and many of our traditions are already abolished. Mon Oncle also directed by Jacques is a comedic and cute story that takes place before the events of Playtime when industrialization is still taking place. The movie is a clear critique of industrialization and specifically uses the imagery of efficiency in order to illustrate the absurdity of the changing times. It is a subtle warning and calls for the preservation of a more traditional way of living. This analysis will strive to show specific examples of how the shots, editing, sound, and (most importantly of all) the mise-en-scene all work together to illustrate how foolish industrialization for the purpose of efficiency truly is.

The first element to showcase is Jacques's use of sound. Right as the movie begins we are shown a construction site and it is accompanied by some overbearing construction site noises, the jackhammering is annoying and that is the image Jacques wants you to associate industrialism with. Soon after the credits are finished it shows very stylized text and plays very lighthearted cheery music as it starts to show imagery of a more traditional and tender town. This is a reoccurring audiotory gag and it guides the audience to feel a certain way towards the traditional towns compared to the industrial towns. Another way sound is used is during the beginning of the movie when the mother is walking around in her “efficient” rubber cleaning dress, it awkwardly squeaks as she waddles around, it's funny and mocks the attempt to be efficient. This type of audio gag happens frequently in the movie, another example is the assistant with the tight skirt and heels that click as she scurries around the factory.

One more auditory technique to pay attention to is how most of the modern items and areas sound. Chairs clank, the floors clack, the buttons click and beep. Everything sounds very jarring and sometimes obnoxious and this subtly shows yet another way that peak efficiency can be inefficient.

Some other elements relevant to the argument are the shots and editing used in the movie. In typical movies, the main character is a placeholder for the intended audience to relate with and identify with. In this movie, Jacques doesn't give you a character to find yourself in. Most of the shots are wide and far out showing most of the set. You feel like an observer outside of their world. This point of view not only is original but makes it so you can see every element of the set. 

Finally, Jacques’s most impressive feat in this movie is his use of the element of mise-en-scene. It strives to specifically show the idea that both the traditional town and industrial city are inefficient the only difference being one thinks it's not. Jacques makes sure to illustrate the efficiency of the traditional town in a comedic manner as well. In an iconic scene when Mr. Hulot has to go up to his apartment, there is a lengthy sequence of him having to very slowly walk up the complex and absurd system of stairs that lead up to his humble home, all of which is just to drop off groceries. Meanwhile, in the central market of the traditional town, there are constant reminders of people slacking on their jobs, wandering about aimlessly, or just being trapped in meaningless conversation. One specific instance of this is a man that we see throughout the movie procrastinating sweeping the garbage off the street by starting a conversation with the locals. Food vendors with broken scales, food carts unattended, stray dogs wandering the streets. It's obvious that Jacques didn't want to make the traditional town look superior to the industrial city but when we are shown the industrial city we actually see much of the same inefficiency that we see in the town. One of the prime examples is also the people striving to fit in this modernized world that we see throughout the movie. The gate operator whose only purpose is to move a gate an absurdly small gate ajar when he sees someone coming. There are workers inside that only get to work as the directors are checking in on them. The elegant neighbor who gets mistaken for a carpet vendor. These are some examples of the people but the sets that come with the industrial city solidify this efficiency, The rooms are bland, dull, and tie together in confusing ways so one can get lost easily, the walkways that guide people twist and turn in confusing ways, the chairs are too low to the ground, the couches can't be laid on, the buttons that operate the buildings are confusing, the list goes on. Every element that the characters think is efficient and new is twisted in a way that makes them seem preposterous. This is Jacques's point, inefficiency makes us human, and trying to get rid of it won't work. The only noticeable difference is the character that Jacques gives both areas. The atmosphere around the traditional town is so much more vibrant and pleasant. It has an aura of childhood nostalgia and bliss, especially for the post-war people of France. On the other side, the cityscape looks horrible in comparison, the grey and repetitive buildings are actually really depressive when given further thought. This setting may even be reminiscent of German infrastructure and can be correlated to German occupation. This is supposed to influence the general French audience to resent industrialization.

        This analysis is just scratching the surface of Jacques's complex world. Nearly every element in his movie is placed to solidify his points and every single scene is riddled with rich and meaningful secrets that are sure to give you a new experience on every watch. It's amazing how with so little dialouge he is able to sell a very convincing and intricate story about the changing times. Mon Oncle is a movie bursting with substance and despite all of the depressing thoughts of industrialization removing much of the pleasant past it still tells this story in a very lighthearted way that leaves you hungry for more.