Day For Night - La Nuit Americaine - Francois Truffaut [DVD] [1973]

This sparkling comedy drama from French master director Francois Traffaut is the sort of self-loving, semi-mock at The Industry that they - and the critics - all love.But, making a film about making a film can't be as easy as it would seem - how realistic do you make it, how much comedy and mishap do you throw in?I found on this, my third viewing, that little details continue to reveal themselves and works smoother and better as a whole. Jacqueline Bisset looks lovelier than ever, as the lead actress in the movie, titled 'May I Introduce Pamela?', who's a dodgy choice as she hasn't made a film since suffering a nervous breakdown, which makes the London-based insurers twitchy......which puts greater pressure onto Truffaut himself, as relationships/affairs, kittens that won't drink milk, stunts that don't get stunted properly and a death in the cast, which necessitates a whole re-write. You get the picture?This all sounds manic and possibly stupid, but as I said this isn't Hollywood and my second paragraph; Trauffaut keeps a tight rein and it all works in a kind of well-organised Robert Altman picture sort-of-way. Loose enough to seem free and flexible but with enough structure.Many love Day for Night a lot - clever and masterful as it is - and only a seasoned director could dare such, but isn't the sort that I can really get my teeth into. Preferring Trauffaut's gritty and thought-provoking classics, this one is more about entertainment than statement. Which is fine, but I just don't get the same buzz, or anticipation from it.The DVD - it's verified as an Amazon purchase - has only French writing on the case. The default languages setting seems to be dubbed English, which actually starts off OK, with at least actors seemingly French, speaking English but soon, lip-sync fails as more of the cast appear. It's also (presumably) dubbed into German & Spanish. To watch it properly, you need French language but you need also to set English subtitles; they don't appear automatically.Subtitles (according to the DVD blurb, in French) are in English, German, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Czech, Turkish, Greek & Romanian.

This a review of the blu-ray release of Day for Night (The Criterion Collection). Note that this version is a french langauge version with English subtitles and to be honest I almost sent it back. The quality is ok but not amazing for a blu-ray. The menu feature is clunky and it wasn't intuitive to get the subtitles to appear despite selecting them at the initial screen they didn't play so I then had to select them using my player remote - which didn't initially select them - seems to be a two step process to get them. On balance I think I'd have been happier paying less money for a DVD release with dubbed English and am at a loss to understand why Criterion didn't provide that option on this release.

One of Truffaut's best movies. You'll love it even if you don't love film-making. If you're a film-maker yourself, it'll amuse you with its truth about the art and the sheer love of cinema which pulls you through the moments of torture. Either way, you owe yourself a watch. Like most Truffaut films, it gets under your skin and you'll find yourself pulling it out from the shelf periodically.

Disappointed to find the French language had been voiceovered in English, I don’t spk French that well but always thought it added to the charm of the film with its spoken French .

Fantastic Blu Ray from one of the best French directors ever. Truffaut who died way to early made this particular movie as a tribute to American cinema and American film history. It gives a unique insight in the film industry. Truffaut who has had a turbulent life as a child and adult survived because of cinema, this is his thank you. This Criterion Collection Blu Ray is stuffed with all kinds of rare material and interviews, a must have for the real Truffaut fans.

This is a lovely film, about a film. Francois Truffaut shows us the fascinating 'behind the cameras' action whilst the cast are embroiled in their own personal issues. It won 1 Oscar (Best Foreign Film) and was nominated for 3 others. I bought the DVD to replace my VHS version - I need this film in my library!

One of the best films made by Francois Truffaut!

A feature film about making a feature film.Enjoyable,and with many extras on the DVD.