Pierre Étaix. Pierre Étaix and Jean-Claude Carrière, 1961-1971.
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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #655, released 2013. French language with English subtitles. Collective runtime approximately 457 minutes.
Summary: No particular depictions of violence toward animals.
The set includes five full-length films and three shorts, comprising just about Étaix’s entire directorial output. The films follow an understandable but unfortunate progression. The first few are refreshing works of understated comedy in the French taste, each containing surprises that are quite funny. The frequent comparisons to Jacque Tati and Buster Keaton are appropriate, and there also is a taste of Ernie Kovacs-style visual wit. These early works culminate in the excellent Yoyo. The next few films mark a downward slide toward You Kids Get Off My Lawn fist shaking, still entertaining at times, but similar to the worst episodes of Mr. Bean. Le Grand Amour tries to recapture the earlier charm, but Étaix’s career ends with Land of Milk and Honey, innovative in a few ways, but a tedious indulgence in humiliating contemporary French culture by rehashing ideas and visual language used previously to better effect.
The Criterion compilation contains:
Rupture (1961)
Happy Anniversary (1962)
The Suitor (1962)
Yoyo (1965)
Feeling Good (1966)
Le Grand Amour (1969)
Land of Milk and Honey (1971)