Day for Night (1973)

A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (screenplay), Jean-Louis Richard (screenplay)

Stars:

Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Léaud, François Truffaut

Won 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Julie Baker
Valentina Cortese	...	Séverine
Dani	...	Liliane, la stagiaire scripte
Alexandra Stewart	...	Stacey
Jean-Pierre Aumont	...	Alexandre
Jean Champion	...	Bertrand, le producteur
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Alphonse (as Jean-Pierre Leaud)
François Truffaut	...	Ferrand, le réalisateur
Nike Arrighi	...	Odile, la maquilleuse
Nathalie Baye	...	Joëlle, la scripte
Maurice Seveno	...	Le reporter TV
David Markham	...	Dr. Michael Nelson
Bernard Menez	...	Bernard, l'accessoiriste
Gaston Joly	...	Lajoie, le régisseur
Zénaïde Rossi	...	Madame Lajoie

Storyline

The shooting of "Je vous presente Pamela" (may I introduce Pamela) begins. This is the story of en English married wife falling in love and running away with the father of her French husband. Will be simultaneously shown the shooting, the behavior of the people (including the technical team) on the set, and a part of their private life (a factor of complication)...

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Plot Keywords:

film within a film | film industry | film crew | behind the scenes | filmmaking | 

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Taglines:

A movie for people who love movies.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French English

Release Date:

7 September 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Day for Night

Filming Locations:

Côte d'Azur, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,808, 27 July 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,808, 27 July 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Carrosse,PECF,Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (dream sequences) Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

François Truffaut, an early contender to direct The Stunt Man (1980), borrowed elements from that films's source, the Paul Brodeur novel of the same name, for this film's story.

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Goofs

During the filming of the car crash scene, when the stunt man backs up the car driving through the the open door, and when he jumps free as the "driverless" car supposedly heads for the cliff where it will crash, someone else is visible inside the car, actually driving.

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Quotes

Bertrand: An actress who won't appear in a bathing suit is ludicrous!

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Crazy Credits

This film is dedicated to Lillian and Dorothy Gish.

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Connections

Referenced in The Year of the Rat (2003)

User Reviews

A close and intriguing look at the film-making process

François Truffaut's La Nuit Américaine is one of the most remarkable achievements in the "film within the film" genre. The movie stars Truffaut himself (who else could possibly play the role?) as Ferrand, an experienced director who's working on a new feature, "Je vous prèsente Pamela" (I introduce Pamela), and La Nuit Américaine showcases the difficulties of the production: props not working, actors struggling to memorize their lines, crew members leaving the project and scenes that have to be shot various times before Ferrand nails them (the "bad actor-cat" scene is a must-see). You know the bloopers that are sometimes included on the DVDs? Same thing, only funnier. Truffaut is brilliant in showing how different an actor can be from his on-screen persona (Jean-Pierre Léaud is outstanding as selfish, spoiled Alphonse), the cast and crew's private lives affecting or being affected by the making of the film, and how the slightest detail can change an otherwise foolproof schedule.

The most intriguing aspect of this movie, however, is perhaps the autobiographical elements the director has added: it basically sums up Truffaut's entire career, with references to his previous masterpieces (Léaud's presence being the most obvious one), and he has clearly based the character of Ferrand on himself (the flashback with the then 9-year old film lover stealing pictures of Citizen Kane is pure movie magic). He fascinates us so much we don't immediately realize the film was made under the same circumstances as the fictitious flick the characters are trying to achieve.

A flawless love letter to cinema, La Nuit Américaine should be on everyone's must-see list. Thirty years on, it has lost none of its appeal.