Mon Oncle (My Uncle) is a 1958 film comedy by Jacques Tati. It was a huge international success, the biggest enjoyed by its author, and in it, we once again meet Monsieur Hulot, Tati’s emblematic character, whom he played in several movies. A sympathetic middle-aged man, with a long and lean silhouette, a staple hat, a pipe, and a raincoat, Monsieur Hulot has become one of cinema’s most iconic figures, in the tradition of Chaplin and other silent movie antiheroes. Monsieur Hulot hardly speaks, and most of Tati’s movies use sound in a completely original way, with a focus on noises and sound effects (doors, footsteps, etc.) rather than on dialogue. What dialogue is spoken is scarce, barely audible, and somewhat cartoon-like. In Mon Oncle , Georgette, the maid, repeatedly assents to her employer in a nasal and high-pitched voice, saying only, “ Oui, Madame ” (Yes, Madame), while an elegant neighbour speaks with a caricatured snobbish accent, stretching her words.
"Nowadays, the movie is perceived as an ode to freedom, to the right to live as one wants without becoming prisoner to social conventions."
In a post-war France obsessed with modernity, Monsieur Hulot still lives on the upper floor of an old mansion, spending much of his time wandering along old streets and being friendly to everyone he meets. Benevolent and quite childlike himself at times, Monsieur Hulot is adored by his nephew Gérard and is often called to take care of him. Hulot’s lively, noisy, and popular neighbourhood makes for a strong contrast with the modern area where Gerárd and his parents live and work. The two hardly ever meet, except when the grocer delivers vegetables or when Monsieur Hulot himself goes to visit, wreaking havoc and delighting Gérard. Empty and conventional conversations dominate the “modern world.” A perfect example of this is the “guided tour” of her house offered by Gérard’s mother to her neighbour. She proudly presents the multiple gadgets in her dwelling, as modern as her husband’s factory and quite uncomfortable. Her neighbour sadly points out that they are lucky to have a family life, while she is alone in her big house: “ Moi, je suis seule dans ma grande baraaaque ,” with a strong emphasis on the familiar word “ baraque ” (shack). Later, she comes back, and Gérard’s father, seeing only her colorful poncho at the entrance gate, mistakenly takes her for a carpet seller and shouts, “ Mais non, nous n’achetons pas de tapis !”’ (No, we don’t buy carpets!).
Since his family disapproves of his way of life, Monsieur Hulot needs a job. He is therefore hired by his brother-in-law’s company, an up-to-date factory, where he, of course, unwillingly unleashes chaos and is incapable of coping with modern devices. He is far too absent-minded to follow the implacable rhythm of machines. Mon Oncle strongly questions the race towards progress and the sad destruction of traditional neighbourhoods to make place for inhuman dwellings. It was thus denounced by some critics as a reactionary film when it was released in 1958, but it also pleased those who had already felt the negative aspects of consumption society. Nowadays, the movie is perceived as an ode to freedom, to the right to live as one wants without becoming prisoner to social conventions. Mon Oncle also says much about the changing status of women and about the artificial image of a perfect family living around the latest gadgets of modern comfort. Tati’s way of asking serious questions through a poetic and slapstick style makes his movies timeless and universal, appealing to children and adults alike.
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