Playtime

The movie Playtime is a movie written by Jacques Tati (he stars as the main character Monsieur Hulot). The story is based in Paris about a young American tourist and a old Frenchman who is lost in the new modern city. The movie runs parallel story lines between the two main characters, comparing and contrasting their different views on the city. In the scene I chose, the old man has just gone to see a doctor of some sort and has gotten lost in the technology and modernity of the world. Throughout the whole movie and predominantly in this scene, wide and long shots are used, to emphasize the vastness of the world. Hulot's actions by themselves, his stumbling and bumbling around in the city, also adds to this environment and setting.

Choice 1 In this shot, a medium-long shot is used showing the main character, Monsieur Hulot, walking into a modern building with an old-looking official. The color of the whole shot is mainly grayscale, with white floors, gray buildings and black chairs. This color scheme continues throughout the scene, emphasizing how foreign the modern world is, with bland and stark colors. It can be also thought of to reflect the old man's mood towards his environment, as he may be finding himself confused by the change in society and technology. Hulot walks into the building and looks around, only stopping when he is told to sit and wait. The lighting in this scene is harsh and cold, Choice 2 In this shot, the old official is puzzling over how to use the electronic control board. His puzzlement and frustration is shown through his dialogue and his actions, with tapping his chin, moving with timid and hesitant actions, and his waving of arms in frustration. This helps relate him to Hulot's situation of puzzlement in the new world, as both of them are old and are not used to modern ways.  Choice 3 Monsieur Hulot has just been directed to the waiting room to see the doctor. He walks around the room, looking around at everything. He begins exploring the room, trying out chairs, tables, and how slippery the floor is. He then moves to the window and looks outside, watching people walk by. The ones who walk by are dressed in complete black suits, complete with black hats. This contrasts the outfits of Hulot and the old official, who are wearing gray instead of black, which can signify another difference in the societies of different .

Choice 4 While waiting, Hulot continues to explore the room. He walks around and starts squeezing the chairs, and seems surprised when one bounces back to its original position. His actions and explorations of the place can be seen as childlike, like a newborn child exploring a new place. Hulot's actions have a feeling of curiosity around them as he studies and investigates objects, which reflects on the theme that he is in a strange unknown place where he does not know much about the environment surrounding him. Choice 5 I thought this shot was interesting because of the placement of the portrait in regards to Hulot (not sure what this is called). It seems like the man in the portrait's eyes are staring directly at Hulot as he gets up and walks away from the chair he was sitting in, which gave sort of an eerie feel to the shot. Also, harsh light can be seen in this shot, as Hulot's shadow on the wall is clean cut and crisp. Choice 6 In this shot, a younger man has entered the waiting room. He is all dressed in a black suit like the men that were walking outside, and is also holding a briefcase. First and foremost, the posture of the two characters are very different, the younger man is sitting straight with his feet rigid in front of him, while Hulot is sitting sideways, legs spread apart and slouching a bit. Hulot's facial expression either shows one of disbelief or surprise while he stares at the younger man. Also, I believe that the placement of the camera in this shot, which was closer to the younger man than to Hulot, shows that their generation is more prominent and younger. I also thought that Hulot's posture, with his umbrella in between his spread legs, looked quite childlike when put along with his facial expression. It may be a sign of their disbelief and curiosity that is directed towards the younger generation Choice 7

In this shot, Hulot is seen staring out the window of the waiting room and watching buses unload tourists. This is one of the links between the parallel stories of the American tourists and Hulot's adventure, as his viewing of their buses foresees their imminent meeting sometime in the future. This part over the shoulder shot and part wide/medium shot also shows how bland and colorless the outside world is, with simple buildings made of glass and metal, and even with gray buses and cars. This creates a mood that is in contrast with the one at the ending of the movie, where everything is colorful and happy. Instead, this shot portrays life and society as bland and colorless. It also isolates Hulot and makes him look lonely as he is one sole person watching them from behind a glass window. Choice 8

Hulot is walking around the building looking for the doctor, and in this shot he is on a balcony above the cubicles when he spots the doctor. The wide shot showing the cubicles as the main scene instead of Hulot gives the impression that that is his destination, which is proved seconds later when he rushes down the escalator to find the doctor, only to get lost again. The purpose of this shot is to foreshadow an upcoming setting for the scene, and also to emphasize the organized and stiff structure that Tati is describing as "modern society" throughout the movie. There is also a little more color in this shot, with green and the occasional yellow or blue, and the lighting is less cold because of these colors. Choice 9 In this shot, Hulot is seen walking around the cubicles, peering in and trying to find the doctor. The position of the camera, a slight bird's eye view, emphasizes his small figure in the largeness of the cubicles, which creates a greater feel of loneliness and solitude around him. The shadows created by the bright lighting are also quite distinct and sharp, which makes the cubicles more menacing and threatening with tall looming shadows.

Choice 10 In my final selection, Hulot is standing on a balcony overlooking the city of Paris. This shot is somewhat of a familiar image because before this in the movie, Hulot was pictured standing behind a window looking out into the city and buses unloading tourists. However, this shot was a longer shot and taken from further away behind him, with a much grander view in front of him. I believe this gives the sign that he is becoming more and more lonely and lost in the grand city. Also, the bright harsh light coming in from the top and front casts a silhouette on Hulot's figure.

Overall, all of these shots work together to create a sense of isolation and loneliness that surrounds Monsieur Hulot as he is lost within the modernity of the building. The usage of a wide shot most of the time causes confusion and really makes a viewer pay attention to the small details in the film, usually taking them a few viewings before they understand the meaning.