Directors’ Cup Voting, Round 1, Match 4: Jacques Tati (Playtime) vs Joris Ivens (A Tale of the Wind)

29 – 26 Tati

Less than four hours to go folks!

It’s gonna be hard for Ivens. What a humdinger! I’ll be sick as the proverbial feathered friend if at the final whistle it’s a case of Alas, poor Joris.

One thing i like about some Ivens films is switching between black and white and colour; i wouldn’t want all directors to do it, but it does show an appreciation of, while accentuating, the beauty of both

Cheer up Kenji, it would be a loss to one of the greatest physical comedians of all time.

Yes i have nothing against Tati, and Playtime is an extraordinary and brilliant film, it’s just he has less need of promotion.

Kenji, what you’re saying can be applied to many here (including Bartas who passed) but don’t expect that all of them will pass that first round in order to achieve a piece of…fame. hope not for this matter but to avoid a final where exposure won’t be the issue rather a travelogue of familiarities ;)

Playtime 1 – 0 A Tale Of Wind
A difficult choice to make.

Well,that’s maybe the toughest one for me so far in the cup.I liked both of the films much.Strange enough,at first I found both of the films to be boring.Playtime seems very weird to me and I couldn’t understand why it was supposed to be funny,or appreciate Tati’s modernisms.A Tale of the Wind seems boring,self-indulgent and difficult to understand.But,as the films continue,both reveal their value.Playtime was hilarious after the first 45 minutes or so,and especially from the restaurant scene and on I just couldn’t stop laughing.And not only that,but the film became so much more impressive visually,it has a great energy and flow.And there were so many characters and situations in the screen,that I really need to rewatch this one to fully appreciate it.But,as I haven’t enough time to rewatch Playtime,my vote would go for “A Tale of the Wind”.Some scenes of the film were visually stunning,I still wonder how he managed to shoot some of them.But it’s not gonna take my vote only because of its images,as its themes are also great.Although at the beginning of the film I thought it’s going to be boring and self-indulgent,it turns out to be poetic and moving.Ivens manage to capture the passion of the director,his love for his art and his faith for his purpose in an excellent way.His dream for shooting the invisible,the impossible,as he was searching for meanings both in art and in life.Well,I just realized that until I wrote this,I hadn’t fully appreciated Ivens’ movie.Now that I wrote some of my thoughts about it,I understand how it’s growing inside me.A really great movie,and not so difficult to vote for this one at last.(Unfortunately it seems that is too late for Ivens to win this match,despite of my vote).

Playtime 0 – A Tale of the Wind 1

Dim,don’t be so disappointed.At least one person I know will search for more Ivens’ films,hehe,despite of Tati’s win.

JACQUES TATI: Playtime 1 – JORIS IVENS: A Tale of the Wind 0

An easy choice to make.

Playtime
This is a beautiful, vibrant film that just has so much going on in each frame that it demands to be watched again and again. This is only my first viewing of it, but I guarantee there will be more. It is wonderful just spending time in this modern/futuristic city that Tati has created. The restaurant in particular is somewhere I would love to be able to visit. The entire film is shot on a set completely built by Tati. It is a sad fact that due to the debt Tati found himself in after making this film, and its commercial and critical failure upon release, the entire city and studio lot that was to be Tati’s legacy to French film-makers for the future, was torn down and the land sold. A marvellous film that I wanted to spend more time in.

A Tale of the Wind
I didn’t understand this at all. The first 2 thirds are vague ramblings and meditations on ‘the wind’ and how to photograph ‘the invisible wind’. It is slow, surreal and feels almost arbitrary, as it flits from scenes sitting around in a desert to meeting a man in China to hallucinating whilst being taken to hospital and (presumably) being pronounced dead. I found this to have no continuity, no plot or structure at all. The last third, which is partly a documentary on the director Ivens trying to film the Terracota Army in Beijing, is fascinating and easily the best part of this ‘film’. From what I’ve read, to understand this film you need to have a prior knowledge of Ivens’ work. As a standalone film it didn’t work for me but I may try to hunt down his earlier work to see what the fuss is about.

31 – 27 Tati.
Tariq got in there quick ;)

oh, disappointed that my first taste of Ivens is losing to an equally wonderful film? not at all but i’m trying to console Kenji, hehe.

i think it’s Tati 31 Ivens 27, with Tariq’s vote.

i hardly dare contemplate impending doom: “how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it”

Thanks for re-checking McBean and Kenji.

I’d hate to have sat through A Tale of The Wind just for my vote to be lost.

Playtime 1 – A Tale of the Wind 0

Une Histoire de Vent was no doubt beautiful in every way. It moved me in a way none of Tati’s works have ever done, in fact. But, Playtime just leaves me slack-jawed in awe every damn time, no matter how many times I see it. And that, dear friends, is something truly special.

Playtime 1 – A Tale of the Wind 0

Forgive them (the ones who voted for Playtime) for they don’t fully know what they are doing.

=O

You heard me.

I’m really glad Tati will win he is a great director and deserves next round

:) – wow, some very strong support for A Tale of the Wind. I certainly appreciate it. I’ve been checking in on the votes from time to time to see where I sit, but I knew this was going to be tough run in this matchup. Whichever way this goes, these are two fantastic films, and I’m glad this many people have been able to watch both.

I wasn’t aware before Kenji mentioned it that Marceline Lorridan was Ivens’ wife, though she’s there in the film with Ivens in that crazy set of negotiations with the museum authorities. I’m also guilty of not mentioning Marceline Lorridan and her contribution to the film. Thanks Lea for the details of the shoot with two crews one filming the other. And, all this puts another spin on A Tale of the Wind! I can’t help think of Agnes Varda’s Jacquot.

Ivens’ going out of the cup is one of the biggest losses really. Totally agree with Kenji that Tati does not need the promotion. Sitting where I am, I’ve managed to see all of Tati in the theatre (goes to show that festival programmers/curators give his work enough importance), and never an Ivens on the big screen. How I would have loved to see A Tale of the Wind in a theatre.

Kenji, with you on this one. Awfully sad about the turn of events.

hey, Ivens is a great director too ;)

but even though i voted against Woody Allen, he certainly passed with a great film in the next round, same with Tati (although i’d like to see more surprises winning matches)

“Totally agree with Kenji that Tati does not need the promotion. Sitting where I am, I’ve managed to see all of Tati in the theatre (goes to show that festival programmers/curators give his work enough importance), and never an Ivens on the big screen. How I would have loved to see A Tale of the Wind in a theatre.”

dude, i can agree with distribution favoritism but here in Greece, programmers show no love to neither of those directors!!! hence, it would be a miracle to see either film on the big screen here :(

Can’t the Ivens camp here do some magic like the “muttering” woman at the end of the film and conjure up some votes? :)

@ dim

In Iran you can’t see even Hollywood movies in the big Screen.don’t be sad :(

edit: i mostly forgot even Iranian Directors(Kiarostami-Mehrjui-Panahi ….)

Dimitris, do they have local film societies in Greece, or at least some decent arthouse cinema programmers scattered round?

Well,there are some film societies,but there so few,and sometimes to concentated on the canon,and they also have very few screenings.As for art-house cinema programmers,that would be great,but no.Only in summer,some older classic films are on cinemas,for 1-2 weeks most of them,and only in the very big cities(Athens and Thessaloniki) and only in 1 or 2 cinemas.Too bad for us,the Greek cinephils:(

Ah, cos a couple of film societies i’ve been in, a lot of the older (and dare i say some fogeyish) members were big fans of Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, a staple popular classic on TV, in arthouse cinemas and so familiar with a whole generation of British that Dimitris’ complaint sounds odd from a British perspective.

Playtime — 0 vs. A Tale of the Wind — 1

Just finished A Tale of the Wind and want to get this in before it’s over (not that it really matters).

One thing I like about this Director’s Cup format is the strategy aspect of it. It looks like Tati’s going to get through the first round, but he had to expend his best ammunition to do it.

How do you play it if you’re managing a big director? You don’t want to play his best films too early, but you also don’t want to get eliminated without playing them.

Jirin, my strategy is to just get my directors as far as possible.

Rocky: Ah, the bulldozer play, eh?

“but you also don’t want to get eliminated without playing them.”

it’s kind of a Russian roulette Jirin. it’s almost certain that the big names will pass with their popular films (regardless if e.g. i like Hail Mary more than Band of Outsiders in a Godard ranking) and even if they’re up against a masterpiece of a film as lesser-known as it is, they’re gonna have to lose their lucky charms to get disqualified. it’s great to see however so far equally challenging films but with a medium share of votes and not landslide victories, which this IS the point of the comp: that all opinions do matter.

aside of Bergman and the U.S. team, the big names clinched their individual “director” victories and their countries lost because they weren’t used. (or were against another major country)