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IMDbPro

Day for Night

Original title: La nuit américaine
  • 19731973
  • PGPG
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
23K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,478
1,538
Day for Night (1973)
Trailer for Day for Night
Play trailer2:48
1 Video
94 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
23K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,478
1,538
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • François Truffaut
    • Writers
      • François Truffaut(screenplay)
      • Jean-Louis Richard(screenplay)
      • Suzanne Schiffman(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jacqueline Bisset
      • Jean-Pierre Léaud
      • François Truffaut
    Top credits
    • Director
      • François Truffaut
    • Writers
      • François Truffaut(screenplay)
      • Jean-Louis Richard(screenplay)
      • Suzanne Schiffman(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jacqueline Bisset
      • Jean-Pierre Léaud
      • François Truffaut
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 85User reviews
    • 90Critic reviews
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 13 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Day for Night
    Trailer 2:48
    Day for Night

    Photos94

    "Day for Night"  Jacqueline Bisset, Francois Truffaut (Director) 1973 Warner Bros.
    Francois Truffaut Directing "Day For Night" 1973
    "Day For Night" Fir. Francois Truffaut, 1973.
    fotobusta 18 x 26
    François Truffaut, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Valentina Cortese, Dani, and Jean-Pierre Léaud in Day for Night (1973)
    Jacqueline Bisset in Day for Night (1973)
    Day for Night (1973)
    François Truffaut and Jean Champion in Day for Night (1973)
    Jean-Pierre Léaud in Day for Night (1973)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Léaud in Day for Night (1973)
    Day for Night (1973)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Aumont in Day for Night (1973)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jacqueline Bisset
    Jacqueline Bisset
    • Julie Baker
    Jean-Pierre Léaud
    Jean-Pierre Léaud
    • Alphonse
    • (as Jean-Pierre Leaud)
    François Truffaut
    François Truffaut
    • Ferrand, le réalisateur
    Valentina Cortese
    Valentina Cortese
    • Séverine
    Dani
    Dani
    • Liliane, la stagiaire scripte
    Alexandra Stewart
    Alexandra Stewart
    • Stacey
    Jean-Pierre Aumont
    Jean-Pierre Aumont
    • Alexandre
    Jean Champion
    • Bertrand, le producteur
    Nike Arrighi
    Nike Arrighi
    • Odile, la maquilleuse
    Nathalie Baye
    Nathalie Baye
    • Joëlle, la scripte
    Maurice Seveno
    • Le reporter TV
    David Markham
    David Markham
    • Dr. Michael Nelson
    Bernard Menez
    Bernard Menez
    • Bernard, l'accessoiriste
    Gaston Joly
    • Lajoie, le régisseur
    Zénaïde Rossi
    • Madame Lajoie
    Xavier Saint-Macary
    • Christian
    • (as Xavier Macary)
    Marc Boyle
    • Le cascadeur anglais
    Walter Bal
    • Walter, le chef opérateur
    • Director
      • François Truffaut
    • Writers
      • François Truffaut(screenplay)
      • Jean-Louis Richard(screenplay)
      • Suzanne Schiffman(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After the release of this film, Jean-Luc Godard sent François Truffaut a letter criticizing the way the film depicts filmmaking and called him a liar for it. Godard also criticized him for pandering to the mainstream, something they were both critical of filmmakers doing when they were critics at Cahiers du Cinema. Additionally, Godard went on to say that because the film was not truth and because the film was a hit, that they should make a film together about the filmmaking process; Truffaut would produce, Godard would direct, and they would both co-write the script. Godard's return address was of Jacques Daniel-Norman, a virtually unknown filmmaker whose films were loved by Truffaut and Godard when they were film critics, hinting at a return to a simpler time. Ignoring this hint, Truffaut was insulted by the letter and responded by telling Godard that he is demeaning and pretentious and that he pretends to be poor, when in reality he was the wealthiest of their circle of friends. The response also included a line in which Truffaut flat out calls Godard a "shit". It is believed that this quarrel is what ended their lifelong friendship. Godard later regretted writing this letter, especially after Truffaut's early death in 1984 and went as far as to write a moving tribute to his former friend.
    • Goofs
      Several takes are wasted trying to get a cat to drink milk from a tray. Eventually Joelle brings in "the studio cat" to do the scene. But the cat that actually drinks the milk is actually a third, different cat.
    • Quotes

      Julie: Liliane ran off with the stuntman.

      Joelle: Does Alphonse know?

      Julie: I had to tell him.

      Joelle: With the stuntman? I'd drop a guy for a film. I'd never drop a film for a guy!

    • Crazy credits
      This film is dedicated to Lillian and Dorothy Gish.
    • Connections
      Edited into Day for Night: A Conversation with Jaqueline Bisset (2003)

    User reviews85

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A movie made with skill and affection
    François Truffaut's "Day for Night" ("La nuit américaine") is a movie about the making of another movie, "Meet Pamela" ("Je vous présente Pamela"). From the snippets we see of "Meet Pamela", it looks like an insignificant and silly little film, even though its stars are fond of describing it to the press as a "modern tragedy." However, they mostly don't have time to philosophize about the larger meaning of "Meet Pamela"--they're just trying to film the darn thing!

    "Day for Night" is an ensemble movie, showing how the many kinds of people on a film set surmount the many minor crises inherent in film-making. There are romantic entanglements and misalliances, as well as technical problems (e.g. the film's title refers to the necessity of shooting a nighttime scene using daylight and a special filter).

    Valentina Cortese has some unforgettable, hilarious scenes as Severine, an alcoholic actress who can't remember her part. Also good are Nathalie Baye as an unflappable continuity girl; Jean-Pierre Léaud as an intense but callow young actor; and Jacqueline Bisset as an actress trying to survive the movie-making process after having suffered a nervous breakdown the prior year.

    All these elements make "Day for Night" an entertaining movie. But upon reflection, I'm amazed at the craftsmanship it involved. Taking on the role of Ferrand, the director of "Meet Pamela," is Truffaut himself. He makes Ferrand into a professional, unassuming, and likable figure--it feels as though Truffaut put a lot of himself into his role. So it takes some conscious effort to disentangle Truffaut from Ferrand, but once that happens, Truffaut's astounding achievements become clear. As co-writer of the screenplay, Truffaut had a hand in everything that is said; as director of "Day for Night," he set up every shot in the movie. Even the shots in which he appears as Ferrand. Even the complicated shots that show the backstage workings of a movie set and feel so realistic that it's strange to think of them as having been set up. He shoots "Meet Pamela" unexceptionally, usually with a static camera (Ferrand-style) while the "real-life" scenes use hand-held cameras and other exciting techniques (Truffaut-style). It would probably take multiple viewings to appreciate all of what Truffaut did here.

    I suppose this means that "Day for Night" is a noteworthy example of the "auteur theory." But that sounds like too dry and academic a summary for a movie that was made not only with superb skill, but also with a palpable love for cinema and love for life.
    helpful•38
    8
    • marissas75
    • Jan 16, 2006

    FAQ2

    • Why was this movie nominated for Academy Awards in two different years?
    • Why was the title changed?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 7, 1973 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Italy
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Ameriška noč
    • Filming locations
      • Aéroport Nice-Côte d'Azur - Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France
    • Production companies
      • Les Films du Carrosse
      • PECF
      • Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $509
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $11,206
      • Apr 25, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $509
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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