Playtime: A satire on corporates and capitalism

Playtime is unlike any other movie I have seen. It manages to be a quirky, slapstick-esque, satirical tale of a modern technological urban Paris. It follows a retired army man, Mr. Hulot (Jacques Tati) who, befuddled by perfect matchbox office skyscrapers and machine-controlled offices, eventually gets lost and ends up in a premium restaurant. There is a subplot running parallel with it that follows Ms. Barbara, an American tourist, who is equally perplexed by the city.

The visual style of Playtime

The most striking feature of Playtime is its visual style. Uncannily sanitised, sterilized buildings, so detached from realist environment it feels like the entire film is a dream. The recurrent themes of modernism and corporations, long hallways, and plush waiting chambers. A barrage of electronic switches and circuitry that baffles man and yet is welcomed as a necessary evil. It bears a thematic resemblance to Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times.

Plot and characters

The film is a whirlwind of chaotic storytelling as the protagonist feels like an alien out of place in the corporate society. People hardly move around in glass-walled offices or drugstores. It’s as if they’re like melancholic statues lost in their dreams. I couldn’t help but draw parallelisms with the works of the American painter Edward Hopper. Indeed, the prevalent usage of stark light and sharp shadows lends more credibility to this interpretation. Shots of office buildings are striking too. Monotonously repeating mosaic-like windows seem intimidating; like the buildings are not residences but heartless, monotonous concrete monsters.

Soon enough, Hulot finds himself in an expo where salesmen and women can’t stop listening the qualities and features of technological innovations - How about doors that make no noise on slamming? Or broomsticks with headlights to get that nasty behind-the-cabinet cleaning? A satire on the dark side of capitalism making available to us unnecessary products. The treatment of the subject is funny and Hulot’s timid demeanor arrests our attention - to find out what happens next.

Serendipitously, Hulot meets an acquaintance from the army and he visits their “ultra-modern flat”. The building are striking with no concrete walls - replaced by glass. The family seems like captivated in a glass cage. Their minds muddled by ideas funneled into their head by the television while they lose track of the real world around them. Aesthetic modern living for the modern man - everything that the advertisement sells to us.

The ensuing comedy in the bustling premium restaurant is a welcome break from the satirical deep first half. This part is louder and light-hearted where things seemingly only goes wrong all the time. Perhaps a nod by Tati to the culture of slapstick movies. I found myself laughing at a couple of scenes - for instance, the broken glass door.

Cinematography

One peculiar thing about the cinematography - there are no close-up shots. Why? Perhaps to reinforce the fact that these people are somehow detached from our real world like peering into their world like we look at animals in a zoo and to emphasize the voyueristic viewpoint. The film is majorly shot in static camera mode with little movements. This makes it a great study of the potential of the static camera.

Conclusion

In concluding, Playtime seems like Tati’s personal protest against the rapid industrialization of Paris as he saw the natural beauty of his city getting lost in the concrete and the machines. To be fair, Playtime is a movie to be watched and enjoyed and not written about.