Directed by Jacques Tati • 1953 • France
Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati's endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort, where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati's masterpiece of gentle slapstick is a series of effortlessly well-choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers; it was the first entry in the Hulot series and the film that launched its maker to international stardom.
This introduction to MONSIEUR HULOT’S HOLIDAY by actor and comedian Terry Jones was recorded by the Criterion Collection in 2001.
This version of MONSIEUR HULOT’S HOLIDAY is the original theatrical release from 1953, which is 12 minutes longer than director Jacques Tati’s reedited 1978 version.
In this video essay from 2013, Jacques Tati scholar Stéphane Goudet discusses the debut of Tati’s Monsieur Hulot character, among other topics.
