Whatever you make of the actual jokes, there’s little arguing against Jacques Tati as cinema’s the most painstaking, elaborate comedic artist. Conducting so little as a quick image search for any of his films — no, actually: do an image search — will put almost any recent comedy to shame. But Tati en stasis is insufficient: the pictures as they move — people and objects in and out of a frame, the cutting between individual shots, the rhymes that are carried out over time (sometimes a long time) — are a whole other ballgame.
If you haven’t seen any of his films, seek them out — Criterion’s made that journey as easy as it’ll ever be. Those with any acquaintanceship will find a good deal to appreciate in Andrew Saladino‘s video essay “Jacques Tati – Where to Find Visual Comedy,” a wide-reaching effort that considers Tati’s mechanics as is and in relation to contemporary comedy, along with a history lesson contextualizing his unique (albeit precedent-rich) style. Then again, the unfamiliar might do well to give this one a look; it’ll undoubtedly encourage at least a few neophytes to dive in.
See the video below: