Sunday, February 21, 2010

Day for Night. 1973


Like most people I have a soft spot for Francois Truffaut films, perhaps one of my favorite characters of all times is Antoine Doinel played by the amazing Jean Pierre Leaud. I am always intrigued by this character as Truffaut's alter ego, his other. 

Day for Night was an audience favorite in the United States at the time of its debut. It is perhaps Truffaut the international director that most respected American Cinema.

La Nuit Americaine which is the title in French, is an exuberant celebration of the joy of film-making, The title refers to the effect of filming night during daylight with a special filter. The film asks a crucial question, "Is Cinema superior to life"? The film is an engaging drama about the people involved in making a film. How insignificant the cinematic stories compare to real life drama as they both unravel in this great story. Truffaut has declared on numerous occasions that real incidents experienced by him were the material for this film. He brings another personal experience which he was noted for. La Nuit Americaine is a meaningful film about the hardships one must endure while making a film. Making a film about a film is a complicated task but Truffaut succeeded with ease in creating an oeuvre of exceptional beauty. Cinema is shown as a big family in which Truffaut as film director Ferrand has to take care of everything including the bad mood of his players. La Nuit Americaine is an honest film which gives you an idea about the fact that personal problems don't matter, if you are taking part in a film. It is the cinema which rules. I love the idea that your profession is the most important part of your life and you will pardon anything for the chance of exercising it. Truffaut wished that the public would love to watch this film as much as he enjoyed making it. It was one of the last films to have been shot at the famous Victorine studios.

I love the scene where he receives a package and as he opens it you see a series of books about his most admired directors from Lubitsch, Bunuel, Goddard to Hitchcock.

The movie has a great cast that perform beautiful roles; from the gorgeous Jacqueline Bisset, the classic actor and well-known in Hollywood Jean Pierre Aumont, the funny and always charming Jean Pierre Leaud, Francois Truffaut himself and her first role ever of the talented Natalie Baye.

If you love films this is the films that you will love. 

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