Dir. Jacques Tati. 1967, 115 mins. France. 70mm. With Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek, Rita Maiden. Tati’s artistic ambitions knew no bounds—for this bank-breaking comic masterpiece, he built Tativille, a sprawling set that was virtually an entire city. The iconic M. Hulot arrives in this ultramodern metropolis and stumbles through its many architectural absurdities. Playtime is wall-to-wall with brilliantly choreographed jokes and astonishing compositions; Tati crams so many sight gags into each frame that they’re impossible to catch on the small screen.
Part of the Museum's annual summer 70mm film festival, See It Big: 70mm. Tickets are $20.