Love is the affirmation of imperfection
I've been influenced by a lot of Jacques Tati's work, but there's never been a scene that really touched me or made me cry. But throughout his work, I feel a deep love for humanity.
The story is set in France after World War II. Amidst modern architecture and interiors that still look fresh today, even the carefree Uncle Hulot and the couple who run the plastics company struggle with the high-tech equipment. While this film captures this human clumsiness, it doesn't emphasize it too much, instead portraying it as simply part of the scenery. It feels as though Jacques Tati is affirming everyday failures and human imperfections, saying, "Humans are stupid, they're only this good. But that's okay." I also thought it was amazing that the director himself plays the characters involved.
There are many little details in even the smallest movements, like going down the stairs or walking. The film depicts the irrational movements of humans in great detail. At first glance, these useless movements seem unnecessary to the story, and some viewers may find them irritating, but I think that human movements are essentially all useless. Perhaps the reason we find the slightly eccentric Uncle Yuro so endearing is because he is full of human qualities that we tend to overlook. Throughout the film, I've been thinking that rather than trying to dress up, perhaps others will treat us more lovingly if we just stay true to ourselves without overthinking it.
