Playtime (1967)
Criterion Collection, 2 Blu-rays English · Blu-ray

Read more

Jacques Tati's gloriously choreographed, nearly wordless comedies about confusion in an age of high technology reached their apotheosis with PlayTime. For this monumental achievement, a nearly three-year-long, bank-breaking production, Tati again thrust the lovably old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a baffling modern world, this time Paris. With every inch of it's superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, PlayTime is a lasting record of a modern era tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion.

4K digital restoration, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
Introduction by actor and comedian Terry Jones
Three selected-scene commentaries, by film historian Philip Kemp, theater director Jérôme Deschamps, and Jacques Tati expert Stéphane Goudet
Like Home, a visual essay by Goudet
“Tativille,” a 1967 television program featuring an interview with Tati from the set of PlayTime
Beyond “PlayTime,” a short documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the production
Interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot
Audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of PlayTime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival
Tati Story, a short film by Goudet on the life and career of Tati
“Monsieur Hulot’s Work,” a 1976 television program about Tati’s beloved character
Cours du soir (1967), a short film written by and starring Tati
Alternate English-language soundtrack
PLUS: An essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum
Cover based on an original poster by René Ferracci