Parade (1974)

Two children go behind the scenes of a small circus.

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writer:

Jacques Tati

Stars:

Jacques Tati, Karl Kossmayer, Pierre Bramma

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jacques Tati	...	Circus performer
Karl Kossmayer	...	Circus Performer
Pierre Bramma	...	Circus performer (as Bramma)
Michèle Brabo	...	(as Michele Brabo)
Pia Colombo	...	Circus performer
Johnny Lonn	...	Circus performer
Bertilo	...	Circus performer
Jan Swahn	...	Circus performer
Bertil Berglund	...	Circus performer
Moniqa Sunnerberg	...	Circus performer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hall Norman and Ladd	...	Circus performers

Storyline

Two children go behind the scenes of a small circus.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | mule | magician | juggler | juggling | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #731.

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Connections

Featured in Jacques Tati, le rire démocratique (2002)

User Reviews

Not a major Tati work, but a satisfying swan song

Tati was really going for something here, but I'm not quite sure what. He's being so subtle here that I couldn't really tell what his point was.

The film is all about a circus, with performances by clowns, magicians, acrobats, jugglers, a band, and Jacques Tati. The different scenes vary in worth - the jugglers are awesome, but there's one sequence, where people try to jump on a pony and a donkey, that's very cruel to animals (although it ends wonderfully). One of the bigger disappointments of the film are Jacques Tati's mimes. Not that they're bad, but Tati fans have already seen them all. He impersonates a football player, a boxer, a tennis player, a fisherman, and an equestrian. This is how he first got famous in the 30s and 40s, by impersonating sportsmen, but at 70 something, his miming isn't as great anymore. And we've seen them all the way back to Watch Your Left and up to The Night Course.

The action isn't just of the circus performers. Tati also goes behind the scenes of the circus and especially to the audience. A lot of the film, in fact, observes the audience. We get to know several of them as characters.

The ending is quite great. It has the same bittersweet tone that all of Tati's endings have. I actually teared up a little, but that was mostly because I knew that this was the last time "Une film de Jacques Tati" would ever appear on screen. I didn't love Parade, but I certainly liked it. 7/10.

Details

Country:

France Sweden

Language:

French Swedish English

Release Date:

18 December 1974 (France)

Also Known As:

Gösteri Dünyasından

Filming Locations:

Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,800

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gray-Film, Sveriges Radio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min (1983)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1