A Satire of Frances Culture in Jacques Tatis Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot

Jacques Tati's Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot offers a biting satire of France's vacationing culture, while also critiquing the class of people who partake in these vacations, from capitalists, like Mr Smith, to the Marxist intellectual who badly flirts with Nathalie Pascaud's character. The film, released in 1953, comes during the moment of post-war European capitalism-inspired confidence, allowing for greater technological advances, which theoretically improve the experience one has. Tati's film, and the main character, Hulot, refrains from this consumption, pointing to Tati's critique.

In many ways, Hulot is an example of the Rousseauian man. He only says one word--his name--and also is behind in terms of technology, with his car a poor, sputtering and broken down model compared to the vehicles on show. He is also not interested in behaving as one should, which in the eyes of some makes him painfully socially awkward, but also demonstrates a critique of bourgeois society. Hulot doesn't use language, doesn't follow social cues, and doesn't follow expectations of behavior while at the beach. He is, in many ways, incompetent and awkward (much like Rousseau was in real life), but still enjoys himself--indeed, he and the English woman, who enables some of Hulot's activities at the risk of being construed as socially ignorant are the ones who seemingly enjoy themselves the most, with the English woman asking Hulot at the end of the vacation if he will return next year.

Hulot's pleasure is at direct odds with many of the other vacation goers. Mr Smith, the apparent businessman and direct representative of capitalism, is always called to the telephone, with a call waiting from Berlin or London or Washington--thus, Mr Smith misses out on actual vacation time, with many of the calls coming right before he is to do an activity with his family,

like take a photo. Tati's critique here is clear: the bourgeois life, which allows one to have such a vacation, then takes away from the pleasure of having the vacation. The Marxist intellectual is subject to the same critique; he is too wrapped up in individual analysis, using a misguided comment about women to try and flirt with Pascaud's character, rather than enjoying the

vacation.

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But what does enjoying the vacation entail? Part of it is, in the Rousseauian sense, about being in nature, and admiring nature. That has a comedic value too, perhaps best depicted by the horse kicking backwards, pushing the man in the convertible under the top--the technology of the bourgeoisie still subject to the laws and actions of nature. The other aspect is plain amusement, something that only a few characters--Pascaud, the English woman and Hulot--attain. It is perhaps a little simplistic, but they get enjoyment from simple things--a masquerade dance, a drive in the country, Hulot being hilariously good at tennis despite his improper form, a fact that angers everyone who "correctly" plays tennis.

The summation of Tati's critique of the bourgeois life is perhaps in the tennis scene. It is the people who do not do things "correctly" who get the most out of the vacation. In order to maintain the style of the bourgeois life, the correct form must be maintained, always: at meals, in the evening, on the beach, and in terms of general manners and activities. The playing of loud music, for example, is prohibited, by unplugging the record player. Furthermore, the bourgeois life leads to predictable repetition: creativity is removed by the regimented time of eating and by the same music being played every morning, as Pascaud's character opens her window. It is only those who are distasteful to the bourgeois who are inspired by creativity to escape the repetition, and thus, genuinely enjoy themselves, and the non-speaking Monsieur Hulot, with awkward social relationships, achieves this.

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