Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Parade Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 10, 2014

Jacques Tati's final film, "Parade" (1974), arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include a new visual essay created by scholar Stephane Goudet; an episode of the French television show Magazine; and "In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot", a two-part documentary film created by Jacques Tati's daughter, Sophie Tatischeff. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

One final performance

Parade is part of Criterion's The Complete Jacques Tati Blu-ray box set, which was released on October 28th.

Jacques Tati’s final film is also his most unusual one. It was produced by Swedish Television and different portions of it were shot on video, 16mm and 35mm. Tati was also assisted by two different cinematographers: Jean Badel, who also lensed the lavish PlayTime, and the great Gunnar Fischer, who worked with Ingmar Bergman on many of his greatest films.

The majority of Parade takes place inside Stockholm's old Cirkus Theater. In front of a very enthusiastic crowd, clowns, acrobats, magicians and musicians show what they are capable of while Tati directs the show. Occasionally, Tati also acts as a mime and performs plays that borrow material used in his films with the iconic Monsieur Hulot.

The film is broken into multiple episodes (some were shot at Europa Studios in Stockholm while others were shot in Paris). Each focuses on a specific performance and occasionally on the reactions of the crowd. The video footage has the majority of the best surprises. During the performances, members of the audience are frequently invited to participate in different plays and improvise with the artists. One of the best performances features a not so friendly mule and an aging man who decides to prove that the two can quickly impress the crowd. (The volunteers are actually actors who know exactly what they are doing).

Tati’s performances are very charming, but there is a nostalgic element to them that makes it quite difficult to focus on their originality. Indeed, the great comedian’s body does not respond as well as desired and occasionally the fluidity of his performance looks quite odd. Of course this is hardly surprising considering the fact that Tati was in his late ‘60s when Parade was shot, but the mind immediately registers the oddness because it is impossible not to compare the new gags with the old gags from the classic films with Monsieur Hulot.

As it is the case with Tati’s early films, the performances incorporate a variety of different sound effects. Some of the best enhance the struggle of a tennis player to have a decent game as well as a boxer who faces a formidable opponent.

Some of the more interesting group performances feature a few hockey players who are determined to have a practice session while some classical musicians are performing a chamber piece. There is also an excellent segment with a group of military musicians who try to impress their strict leader.

Music is used primarily to enhance the stage performances. The film's soundtrack was created by Charles Dumont, who also scored Tati’s Trafic.

Parade arrives on Blu-ray after a new 2K restoration which was completed in 2012. The restoration was undertaken by Les Films de Mon Oncle with the support of the Centre nadional du cinema et de l’image animee and BNP Paribas. The film’s soundtrack was also restored by L.E. Diapason at Epinay-sur-Seine, France.

Parade Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jacques Tati's Parade arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 35mm internegative at Eclair in Epinay-sur-Seine, France, where the film was also restored. The 2012 restoration was undertaken by Les Films de Mon Oncle with the support of the Centre national du cinema et de l'iamge animee and BNP Paribas. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit at L.E. Diapason in Epinay-ser-Seine from the original magnetic track.

Restoration supervisors: Jerome Deschamps and Macha Makeieff, Philippe Gigot.
Image restoration: Eclair Group, Epinay-sur-Seine, France.
Sound restoration: L.E. Diapason, Epinay-sur-Seine."

Jacques Tati shot portions of Parade on video, 16mm and 35mm. Unsurprisingly, there are native fluctuations in terms of clarity, definition and density. Some of the panoramic shots, in particular, immediately reveal all sorts of different format limitations (see screencapture #7). Elsewhere, however, definition and even image depth are far better (see screencapture #15). As it is the case with the rest of the color films in The Complete Jacques Tati box set, yellows and greens are elevated, giving the entire film a distinctively warm appearance (see screencapture #3, 5, and 11). Overall image stability is very good. Finally, there are no encoring or other transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Parade Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

Rather predictably, dynamic intensity is limited, but such is the original sound design of the live footage. There are, however, various sounds and noises that are well defined. (See the episode with the mule and Jacques Tati's tennis player). The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow, and there are no pops, audio dropouts, or distortions to report in this review. The English translation is very good.

Parade Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• In the Ring - in this new visual essay, Jacques Tati scholar Stephane Goudet discusses the unusual structure and style of Parade, the film's hybrid quality (portions of it were shot in 16mm, 35mm, and video), the different gags and the audience's role during the circus show, etc. Stepahen Goudet also addresses the balance between comedy in satire in Jacques Tati's work and some of the key similarities between Parade and the French director's earlier films. The essay was created in 2013. In French, with optional English subtitles. (29 min, 1080p).

• In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot - presented here is a two-part documentary directed by Jacques Tati's daughter, Sophie Tatischeff. The documentary focuses on Jacques Tati's work as an actor and director, the emergence of his iconic character and the maturation of the gags seen in his films, the use of sound/dialog, the use of music, etc. Included in the film are various archival interviews with Jacques Tati, raw footage from the shooting of different films, short clips from the films, etc. In French, with optional English subtitles. (104 min, 1080i).
  
  Part One
  
  1. Early Inspiration
  2. First Films
  3. Birth of a character
  4. Dialogue and action
  5. Observing characters
  
  Part Two
  
  1. Worldwide success
  2. From Music halls to PlayTime
  3. Music and artistic freedom
  4. "My job is to watch you"
  5. Bringing Smiles

• "An Homage to Jacques Tati" - presented here is an episode of the French television show Magazine in which painter and set designer Jacques Lagrange pays tribute to Jacques Tati. (Jacques Lagrange became Jacques Tati's artistic collaborator in 1945). He designed various posters and drew gags and film sets for Mon Oncle, PlayTime, Trafic, and Parade. The episode was broadcast in 1982. In French, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - a booklet featuring essays by critics David Cairns, James Quandt, Jonathan Rosenbaum, and Kristin Ross. (Please note that the booklet is included inside the box set).

Parade Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I think that Parade works well only if one is already familiar with Jacques Tati's legacy. Produced by Swedish Television, the film's hybrid quality is quite unusual, but its atmosphere and charm are not. It offers one final glimpse at just about everything Tati loved and incorporated in his films with Monsieur Hulot. Criterion's release of Parade also includes an outstanding documentary film directed by Tati's daughter, Sophie Tatischeff. RECOMMENDED.