Upon its release in 1974, Jacques Tati’s final film, PARADE—a seemingly off-the-cuff documentary in which the director acts as ringleader of a colorful circus—was viewed by many as a departure from the intricately choreographed comedies for which he was renowned. In this episode of Observations on Film Art, Professor Kristin Thompson takes a closer look at this misunderstood delight to reveal how—in its deft interplay of rehearsed performance and spontaneity—it connects, both stylistically and thematically, to Tati’s larger body of work.