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La nuit américaine (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
7 September 1973 (USA)
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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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 10 wins
&
5 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
A quintet of films inspired by 8 1/2
(From The Guardian - Film News. 18 December 2009, 9:28 AM, PST)
Film Junk Podcast Episode #246: Steven Seagal: Lawman
(From FilmJunk. 7 December 2009, 12:50 AM, PST)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 18 December 2009, 9:28 AM, PST)
Film Junk Podcast Episode #246: Steven Seagal: Lawman
(From FilmJunk. 7 December 2009, 12:50 AM, PST)
User Reviews:
A close and intriguing look at the film-making process
more (42 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Day for Night (USA)
Effetto notte (Italy)
The American Night (International: English title) (literal title)
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Effetto notte (Italy)
The American Night (International: English title) (literal title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
115 min
Color:
Black and White |
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:PG |
Chile:14 |
Finland:S |
Sweden:Btl |
UK:PG |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
During one scene, director Ferrand briefly talks about The Godfather (1972). François Truffaut was up for an Oscar for directing this film but lost to Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather: Part II (1974).
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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.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
References La peau douce (1964)
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Soundtrack:
Grande Chorale
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FAQ
Why was this movie nominated for Academy Awards in two different years?Why was the title changed?
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more (42 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for La nuit américaine (1973)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Liliane | Purple_Wolfhound |
| tell everyone you know! | profiterium |
| at the oscars | hitlerberries |
| The Max Fisher connection | literatelover |
| The Dream Sequence. | kishorekumarzone |
| film crew | ewe2003 |
Recommendations
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François Truffaut's La Nuit Américaine is one of the most remarkable achievements in the "film within the film" genre. The movie stars Truffaut himself (who else could possibly play the role?) as Ferrand, an experienced director who's working on a new feature, "Je vous prèsente Pamela" (I introduce Pamela), and La Nuit Américaine showcases the difficulties of the production: props not working, actors struggling to memorize their lines, crew members leaving the project and scenes that have to be shot various times before Ferrand nails them (the "bad actor-cat" scene is a must-see). You know the bloopers that are sometimes included on the DVDs? Same thing, only funnier. Truffaut is brilliant in showing how different an actor can be from his on-screen persona (Jean-Pierre Léaud is outstanding as selfish, spoiled Alphonse), the cast and crew's private lives affecting or being affected by the making of the film, and how the slightest detail can change an otherwise foolproof schedule.
The most intriguing aspect of this movie, however, is perhaps the autobiographical elements the director has added: it basically sums up Truffaut's entire career, with references to his previous masterpieces (Léaud's presence being the most obvious one), and he has clearly based the character of Ferrand on himself (the flashback with the then 9-year old film lover stealing pictures of Citizen Kane is pure movie magic). He fascinates us so much we don't immediately realize the film was made under the same circumstances as the fictitious flick the characters are trying to achieve.
A flawless love letter to cinema, La Nuit Américaine should be on everyone's must-see list. Thirty years on, it has lost none of its appeal.