Tati is in this for less than half of the running time, the rest is forgettable besides the bumbling musicians. Somewhat depressing when you read about the context of Tati's financial failure after Playtime.

Not the final hurrah Tati deserved, but it's cute enough

A dispiriting end to a distinguished, if erratic, career, Parade is Tati at an all time low, stripped of money, ambition and even good health, cranking out a cheap, aesthetically questionable tribute to a dying art form for Swedish television. There is a certain pleasure in watching Tati return to his roots, and some of his routines are entertaining, but the end result is a rambling, self indulgent film whose lack of focus frustrates to the nth degree. The ending saves it from the scrapheap.

In essence, Parade is a filmed performance of Tati's circus show that he made for French television. Despite my general disinterest in the circus, I actually found this film quite moving and often very dazzling. The various acrobats, jugglers and the like that populate the film make for a great continuation to Tati's study of movement, and the way that the circus performance involves the audience reminded me of the communal celebration that forms within Play Time.

In essence this is a filmed circus performance, with Tati doing some of the "Sporting Impressions" that made him famous before his film career, a bucking bronco routine and a troupe of acrobats doing their thing. Tati does some interesting things with the audience and including backstage shenanigans as part of the show itself, but the whole thing never really comes alive. Pleasant, and a nice sendoff for Tati's career, but totally inessential.

Strangely, I've never understood the appeal of the circus until now.

11 Mart 2011, pera muzesi & hayatinda cok sirk izlemis biri degilim. bir kac saniye sesli guldugumu ve sasirdigimi farkettim ama hepsi bu. bir bucuk saatlik filmde, bir kac saniye.. bu nedenle oldukca sikici geldi. espri anlayisi cagin gerisinde.. bunun disinda aralara sikistirilmis olan ufak cocuklarin hikayesi parade'yi basit bir sirk gosterisi kaydindan cikariyor.