The first time I saw Francois Truffaut's "Day for Night" was on VHS, we didn't have DVD's back then. While the film was always considered a classic, the only available print was a dubbed version. The dubbing was so bad it actually became infamous. Film lovers demanded the subtitled version be released. After viewing the dubbed version, I thought this was a good movie but had to admit, the dubbing distracted me so much, I wasn't able to fully appreciate the film.
Years later when the film was released on DVD, it was subtitled. When I watched the movie again, it was as though I had seen it for the first time. Hearing the actors speak French was a major improvement. Now you could hear the passion in which the actors had said their lines. After that viewing, I considered the film a masterpiece, one of Truffaut's very best films.
And now I have seen it a third time, just before writing this. The magic was still there. I still consider this one of Truffaut's great achievements.
Francois Truffaut is one of my favorite directors. I can't tell you why it has taken me so long to finally review one of his films on this blog, but if you read my reviews on amazon, you'll find I wrote about his work often. Of the 27 films he directed (including his short films) I have seen 20. I find many of his films deserve to be ranked among the greatest cinema has ever known. Titles such as "400 Blows", my personal favorite, "The Green Room", "The Soft Skin" and even some of his later works such as "The Last Metro".
Truffaut's childhood was much like what you saw in "400 Blows". He dropped out of school at 14, was arrested several times. He was considered damaged goods. The only hope he saw in life was in the movies. He started a film club and eventually started writing as a film critic for the now famous, "Les Cahiers du Cinema", along with Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and Eric Rohmer. Some of his reviews can be found. I remember reading a negative review he gave to George Stevens' "Giant".
He was also known for his admiration of Alfred Hitchcock. He even published a book on the British director. For years, some viewers just couldn't understand how someone like Truffaut could admire a man like Hitchcock. They have two very distinct styles of film making. But Trauffaut would pay homage to the master of suspense in his films such as "The Soft Skin" and his final film, "Confidentially Yours" with Fanny Ardent.
Of all the filmmakers of the French New Wave, perhaps Godard and Truffaut had the greatest cross-over appeal. Godard was more political, sometimes I feel too political. Truffaut was more romantic. His earliest films "Shoot the Piano Player" and "Jules & Jim" set a standard for the New Wave movement and are considered among film buffs as his greatest works. Never mind what I think.
The tagline for "Day for Night" was "a movie for people who love movies". And that basically is what this film is. There is some flimsy story-line going on here, about a production for a movie called "Meet Pamela", but the film is about people who love movies. People who are willing to give their life for cinema. Nothing is more important than what we see on the screen.
Some might argue that Truffaut's film is not realistic. It is too sentimental. It doesn't accurately show the hardships of directing. But, why would it? Why would Truffaut make a movie about films and tell his audience how terrible it is? How every production is pure misery. If that were the case, why bother to make movies if you get no joy out of it. "Day for Night" is much more playful. It shows the constant decisions a director must make and what can go wrong on production but it does it in a cheerful way. It's all just another crazy day at the office.
In our behind the scenes look at the production of the movie we see young lovers, one of the movie's stars, Alphonse (Jean-Pierre Leaud, one of Truffaut's most trusted actors and his alter-ego in the Antoine Doinel series) as he brings his girlfriend, Liliane (Dani) to work as a script-girl. He wants to marry her, she seems indifferent. Then we have the older leading man, Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Amont) who plays the husband of Severine (Valentina Cortese). The two once made movies in Hollywood and were romantically linked. After a very bad break-up the two never worked together again. What will happen now? An American actress is brought in to play Pamela, Julie Baker (Jacqueline Bisset, a beauty among beauties, in probably her best performance). But she suffered a nervous breakdown and walked out of her last picture. The insurance company won't cover her feeling she needs more time to rest.
With these events going on, we see life happening before our eyes but everything must come second to the movie. The show must go on.
In some ways "Day for Night" is episodic. Truffaut shows us brief moments of shooting and we see everything that could go wrong, go wrong. From an actor forgetting their lines and missing their cue to the problems working with animals, when a cat refuses to drink from a saucer of milk. Truffaut creates tension. These are dramatic moments. But when everything works out we are over-come with joy.
Another thing I admire about the movie is the way it shows these people are like family. When one actors says their lines wrong, everyone doesn't get angry. They work with that person, provide encouragement. Everyone is looking out for each other. It is the only way production will run smoothly.
Some things about the film I don't think are quite realistic. The way various people walk up to the director, played by Truffaut, and ask his advice. Yes, it is true a director must make constant decisions but on a movie set there is a hierarchy. A grip will never speak to the director. The director of photography yes. Everyone must go through channels. This person speaks to this person who relates the message to this person which eventually reaches the director. In this movie everyone approaches him. But this isn't a complaint. Just an observance of how things really work.
The film won the Academy Award for "Best Foreign Language Film" in 1974 and the following year was nominated for "Best Director", "Best Screenplay" and "Best Supporting Actress (Cortese)". Due to the Academy's rules a movie must in New York and L.A. in order to be considered for an award. "Day for Night" did not and wasn't eligible.
Truffaut was never again nominated for "Best Director". But did receive a previous "screenplay" nomination for his first film "400 Blows". "400 Blows" was also nominated for the palme d'or at Cannes and Truffaut won the "Best Director" award.
"Day for Night" is a movie for people who love movies. It is the greatest film made about the movies. And it is will be one of the masterpieces of cinema.
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