Parade
Director: Jacques Tati
Year Released: 1974
Rating: 3.0
Tati's final release, shot for Swedish television, is a documentary-esque depiction of one of his 'live' shows, which includes pantomime, jugglers, a sword swallower and a pony running in circles. There's no actual plot to speak of, but it's obvious the goings-on are meticulously orchestrated by Tati - a man runs onto the stage against his wife's wishes, audience members are shown looking bored - in what's a very tongue-in-cheek production: it lacks the social criticism and intellectual depth of his best-known releases, but it's immensely fun. I have no idea if Guy Laliberté is aware of Tati's work, but this feels like a spiritual predecessor to Cirque du Soleil.
