Mon Oncle

I think it is important to concentrate on detail. It shows that the director is completely entwined in his work. When a director cares that much about his work, like Tati did, their films become great. Tati’s film, Mon Oncle, was fantastic visually because he paid so much attention to detail. But, I would not say it is necessary to work a lot on detail to make a good film.

I found the theme of Mon Oncle to be the conflict between the modern world and the old world. The family in the film, the Arpels, sacrifices their comfort for their modernized home. Their house is a product of modern architecture. The Arpels have all kinds of gadgets, switches, and different types of technology within the house.  When Uncle Hulot, played by Tati, comes to visit he does not fit in at all. Hulot comes from an old neighborhood situated in a corner of the city. Hulot contrasts completely with Mr. Arpel: Hulot does not have many possessions while Arpel possesses many, Hulot travels by bicycle or by foot and Arpel uses a car, and Hulot is full of life and amusing while Mr. Arpel is dull and uptight.

Sherman's March

I do not really know what it is about McElwee that makes people want to see his films. He is very educated and is kind of charismatic, but that does not seem like enough for people to want to see his films. I thought the film became very repetitive, based on the fact that he just keeps becoming enamored with various women. One thing that may contribute to the interest of viewers, which I can only guess at, is that his life is a little more interesting than others. During the time he makes Sherman’s March, he follows all sorts of people and gets to learn about all different types of study. A few examples include following an actress and her journey to land a part in a movie, following an interior designer who also teaches him a little about Christianity, and he also learns about linguistics from a PhD student. I do not think that just anyone could make a personal documentary about their insights and exploits. Ross McElwee has a high level degree in filmmaking, so it is not like he is just a random person off the street, like Thierry was in Exit through the Gift Shop. I agree that there is something about McElwee, like his charisma or insight, that make his films interesting. McElwee is just very carefree in the film, but not so much that he is just sitting around doing nothing, which I think is what makes people like him. He takes the audience on a pretty interesting journey, even if he is just a “normal guy”.