I believe that people do not do justice to Etaix's "Yoyo". The endless comparisons to Tati are only partly justifiable.
Etaix embarks on a serious quest with this film. To portray life. Not only a branch of life - filmed with the utmost care for the smallest, microscopic detail; filmed to make us realize and appreciate the little things; filmed to make us laugh when the endless combination of detail assembles a film of comedy; like our dear Tati loved to create; BUT life itself - filmed with the philosophical and saddening need to show it in its macroscopic beauty and horror: Love, Beauty, Wealth, Poverty, War, and Suffering.
The joyfulness of this film is just a wrapping for the serious content within:
Father who lived a luxurious life in a villa, is sad, and dreams of love; Yoyo who lived a poor life as a circus clown, is also sad, but dreams of wealth. Later in the film they both acquired their dreams there, where the other had thought to have lacked it. However the ending portrays something else. Yoyo rides an elephant into a swimming pool and the pool turns into circus. Maybe one of the oldest lessons, found also in the Bible, that wealth will not make you happy? Or maybe for each viewer his own ending.
This film is a drama. And its images affirm this. Many scenes and the melody that is played throughout the film, really underlines the overall beauty of this work. "Yoyo" is truly a piece of art. I loved this film and I must say I did not expect it to be this heart touching while making me laugh at the same time.
I believe Etaix should not be solely discussed along others like Tati, Chaplin, Keaton, Marx brothers etc. Because then "Yoyo" will not be appreciated fully; and solely as a comedy "Yoyo" is not that good either.
I cannot say whether Etaix should belong alongside with Bresson, Gordad, Truffaut, Renoir, Resnais etc. But I can surely say that he is not far off.
Etaix embarks on a serious quest with this film. To portray life. Not only a branch of life - filmed with the utmost care for the smallest, microscopic detail; filmed to make us realize and appreciate the little things; filmed to make us laugh when the endless combination of detail assembles a film of comedy; like our dear Tati loved to create; BUT life itself - filmed with the philosophical and saddening need to show it in its macroscopic beauty and horror: Love, Beauty, Wealth, Poverty, War, and Suffering.
The joyfulness of this film is just a wrapping for the serious content within:
Father who lived a luxurious life in a villa, is sad, and dreams of love; Yoyo who lived a poor life as a circus clown, is also sad, but dreams of wealth. Later in the film they both acquired their dreams there, where the other had thought to have lacked it. However the ending portrays something else. Yoyo rides an elephant into a swimming pool and the pool turns into circus. Maybe one of the oldest lessons, found also in the Bible, that wealth will not make you happy? Or maybe for each viewer his own ending.
This film is a drama. And its images affirm this. Many scenes and the melody that is played throughout the film, really underlines the overall beauty of this work. "Yoyo" is truly a piece of art. I loved this film and I must say I did not expect it to be this heart touching while making me laugh at the same time.
I believe Etaix should not be solely discussed along others like Tati, Chaplin, Keaton, Marx brothers etc. Because then "Yoyo" will not be appreciated fully; and solely as a comedy "Yoyo" is not that good either.
I cannot say whether Etaix should belong alongside with Bresson, Gordad, Truffaut, Renoir, Resnais etc. But I can surely say that he is not far off.