La nuit américaine (1973)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

Jean-Louis Richard (writer)
Suzanne Schiffman (writer)

Release Date:

7 September 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

A movie for people who loves movies.

Plot:

A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Actor | Pregnancy | Press Conference | Filmmaker

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jacqueline Bisset	...	Julie
Valentina Cortese	...	Severine
Dani	...	Liliane
Alexandra Stewart	...	Stacey
Jean-Pierre Aumont	...	Alexandre
Jean Champion	...	Bertrand
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Alphonse (as Jean-Pierre Leaud)
François Truffaut	...	director Ferrand
Nike Arrighi	...	Odile
Nathalie Baye	...	Joelle
Maurice Seveno	...	TV Reporter
David Markham	...	Doctor Nelson
Bernard Menez	...	Bernard the Prop Man
Gaston Joly	...	Lajoie
Zénaïde Rossi	...	Madame Lajoie

Also Known As:

Day for Night (USA)
Effetto notte (Italy)
The American Night (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

The film is dedicated to the Gish sisters (Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish).

Goofs:

Continuity: Several takes are wasted trying to get a cat to drink milk from a tray. Eventually Joelle brings in "the studio cat" to do the scene. But the cat that actually drinks the milk is actually a third, different cat.

Quotes:

director Ferrand: Making a film is like a stagecoach ride in the old west. When you start, you are hoping for a pleasant trip. By the halfway point, you just hope to survive.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Splendor (1989)

Soundtrack:

Grande Chorale

The reality of illusion

La Nuit américaine (1973) or Day for Night as it's also known, is a classic film about making films. Whereas Fellini's 8 1/2 focuses on the inner creative process of the film director, Day for Night focuses on the practical details of physically making the film. We see the often absurd process Ferrand (the director played by director Francois Truffaut) and crew engage in to create a film.

The director must constantly answer questions about every detail of props, sets, camera, lighting, costumes and at the same time engage in a constant delicate negotiation with the actors. In one scene Ferrand is frustrated as he tries to direct a cat: "Listen, it's very simple. We'll stop and begin shooting again when you find me a cat who knows how to act!" Ferrand tells the actors whatever they need to hear to keep them going. He strokes some egos and treat others as children as he negotiates the turmoil of their personal lives when it affects their performance in the film. The whole process of making the film is a controlled chaos with many details and even the story constantly changing. Towards the end of the making of the film, one of the actors die, making it necessary to do a last-minute re-write. Day for Night is an entertaining film that shows the good, the bad and the ugly of making a film. While the technology and process has changed a bit since this film was made, the core of the story is as relevant today as it was then.