Movie of the Week – Day for Night

This week’s movie is Day for Night (1973).

The drama/comedy is about a director struggling to finish his film in the face of a plethora of crises among the cast and crew. French New Wave director François Truffaut directs (it is my personal favorite of his films), working with composer Georges Delerue, cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn and production designer Damien Lanfranchi. Truffaut also stars in the film with support from Nathalie Baye, Jean-Pierre Leaud (Truffaut’s star in The 400 Blows), Valentina Cortese, and Jacqueline Bisset. The film is maybe the best narrative exploring the exploits of making a film (influencing many films and filmmakers – like Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou; it is also the direct influence on Anderson’s American Express commercial). Truffaut’s camera is fantastic in the film, as it flows through the set, seemingly always in the perfect position. Day for Night is also Truffaut’s funniest film, as the director manages the egos of actors and complications arising from the production (like getting a cat to drink from a saucer). I highly recommend the film for fans of cinema (both the art of cinema and the process of filmmaking), as it is a must-see for aspiring filmmakers and critics. Check out the trailer.

Available on DVD and Streaming