Trafic (1971)

Mr. Hulot drives a recreational vehicle from Paris to Amsterdam in his usual comic, disasterous style.

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writers:

Jacques Tati (original scenario), Jacques Lagrange (artistic collaboration),

Stars:

Jacques Tati, Marcel Fraval, Honoré Bostel

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jacques Tati	...	Monsieur Hulot (as Mr. Hulot)
Marcel Fraval	...	Truckdriver
Honoré Bostel	...	Director of ALTRA
François Maisongrosse	...	François (as F. Maisongrosse)
Tony Knepper	...	Mechanic
Franco Ressel
Mario Zanuelli
Maria Kimberly	...	Maria

Storyline

At Altra Motors, Mr. Hulot designs an ingenious camper car with lots of clever features. A lorry hauls the prototype to an important auto show in Amsterdam, with Mr. Hulot alongside in his car and a spoiled, trendy PR exec, the young Maria, in her sports car packed with designer clothes and her fluffy dog. The lorry has every imaginable problem, delaying its arrival. A flat tire, no gas, an accident, a run-in with police, a stop at a garage, and numerous traffic jams showcase vignettes of people and their cars. Through interactions with these down-to-earth folks, Maria gradually loses her imperious conceit, becoming much more relaxed and fetching.

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Plot Keywords:

traffic | police | dog | reckless driving | running out of gas | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

French Dutch English

Release Date:

11 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Traffic

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 1,215,771 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Corona, Les Films Gibé, Selenia Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The end scene (people walking with umbrellas between parked cars) was shot on the parking lot of the then still functioning Amsterdam Ford factory.

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Goofs

Several (Dutch) license plates can be seen on various different vehicles, sometimes even in the same shot. For instance the license plate "FT-92-65" can be seen in the petrol station scene on both a Peugeot 504 and a Chrysler 180. Later the same plate is on a Peugeot 204 passing in front of the exhibition center. In the "road rage" scene the number 76-04-NF is on both the Renault 16 and the Citroën ID. Shortly after the same plate is on an Opel Kadett parked in front of the exhibition center.

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Connections

Referenced in The Illusionist (2010)

User Reviews

Almost as good as Tati's best films; very underrated!

Tati's final theatrical film, which is often considered his greatest failure, is in actuality nearly as good as his masterpieces. In this film, Tati stars for the fourth and final time as M. Hulot. This time he has a job as an automobile designer, and it is his job to get his company's new Camping Car to Amsterdam for a big auto show. Accompanying him is a driver, François, and a public relations worker, Maria (played marvelously by Maria Kimberly, who reminds us of the great lead actress roles played by Nathalie Pascaud and Barbara Denneck in M. Hulot's Holiday and Playtime respectively). Maria drives around in a little yellow convertible with her little fur-ball dog. Its fast and maneuverable. It can go pretty much anywhere it wants. Unfortunately, François and M. Hulot are driving a large truck. They often get into trouble when they're trying to follow Maria's car. Every problem that can happen does. Many observations are made about how people act when they're in their cars on the highway (it's a non-stop traffic jam from Paris to Amsterdam). The jokes in Traffic are always hilarious. The first fifteen or twenty minutes are somewhat dry of them, which is mainly why I don't rank this one up there with M. Hulot's Holiday, Mon Oncle, and Playtime (it's about even with Jour de fête). But when it gets going, it never stops. And it's beautiful, too, just as all of his other films. The final sequence is sublime, and the final shot will stay with me forever. 9/10.