Review on Playtime movie by Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati's film Playtime is about an American tourist's journey to Paris on a European tour, and it's interesting to people involved in architecture and design in one way or another. The director shows not the classical architecture of Paris but faceless buildings of glass, metal and concrete, but in the glass we can see reflections of the Eiffel Tower and other iconic buildings and structures of Paris and the Parisian sky. He is ironic about the consumer society and these identical airports, exhibition centres and business centres which can be found in every metropolis where individuality is lost, but at the same time it is clear that this architecture appeals to him. The overall impression is also supported by the colours palette used - monochrome greys, blues, browns and blacks, suggesting uniformity, a lack of individuality and soul. Almost an entire city was built for the film, designed to be an image of 'modern' Paris. The city was nicknamed Tativille, a...