2. How are people affected by change? Some are able to adapt, while others, sadly, are not. The
‘50s were known for many things that changed the American and European culture: post-
war affluence, the rise of modern jazz, the rise of ‘fast food’ restaurants and drive-ins, the
invention of the teenager, the rise of drive-in theaters, and the rise of the anti-hero in films,
such as James Dean, Paul Newman, and Marlon Brando. The 50’s were also known for the
beginning of a new genre of music, as well as a new form of entertainment: Rock and Roll.
This meant the end of traditional performers, such as illusionists, clowns, and ventriloquists.
Jacques Tati wrote the script for the film The Illusionist. Tati was a music-hall mime before
turning to film directing. The film was inspired by Tati, and is a “modest homage to its
writer and a melancholy look at a lost world.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
The passage of time, the changes in trends, and the differences in class are three major
themes that L’Illusionniste deals with.
“It is the dusty stage world of magic an dancing girls that this film recalls with a delicate
visual style, tender humor, and a sense of loss.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

3. L’Illusionniste was directed by Sylvain Chomet, and was created with both
hand-drawn animation and computer-generated animation. The film
was based on a short sketch of a script by Jacques Tati. It was released
in France on May 16th of 2010. It opened in 84 French cinemas and
entered the box office at #8, with a revenue of €495,030 ($600,099) in
the first weekend. The Illusionist shows
the less glamorous side of life as an
entertainer. Set in 1959 Europe, it
follows the story of a magician and
his attempts to survive in the emerging
new culture of entertainers.

4. L’Illusionniste is a story that presents the theme of the end and the beginning of an era. The main
character is Tatischeff, an illusionist who is struggling to find jobs now that the popularity of his art is
declining. With emerging rock stars stealing the show in 1959, Tatischeff is forced to take on more
obscure assignments in fringe theaters, at garden parties, and in bars and cafés. He meets Alice while
performing at a pub located in an isolated Scottish village, where the villagers are celebrating the arrival
of electricity on their island. Alice is amazed by his tricks, and believes that his magic is real.
Encouraged by the illusionist’s kindness, Alice follows Tatischeff to Edinburgh, where they fall into a
daughter-father relationship. Alice tends to their home at a boarding house for vaudevillians, while
Tatischeff works in a small local theatre. He presents Alice with her materialistic desires (such as a new
coat and new shoes), which he has ‘conjured’ into
existence. Worried about disappointing her, Tatischeff
does not reveal to her that magic does not exist and
that he is driving himself to ruin working all night
jobs to buy her gifts.

5. The setting is 1959 Europe. The Illusionist is first seen at a theatre
in Paris, where it is shown that his popularity has greatly
declined. He then travels to London, where he is outshined by
the rock band Billy Boy and the Britoons. Next, he journeys to
a small and remote island in Scotland, where his show is finally
shown some appreciation. However, soon after his
performance, the villagers find a greater entertainment in a
light switch and a jukebox. Finally, The Illusionist
travels to Edinburgh,
where he stays for a while,
before moving on.

6. The Illusionist, Tatischeff
A magician struggling to keep audiences
interested in his old-fashioned sleights of
hand, the main character resembles the great
French comic actor and filmmaker Jacques
Tati. Generous and kind, he takes on more
jobs to support Alice’s tastes.

7. Alice
A naïve young girl, Alice is awestruck after
witnessing The Illusionist’s show. Believing
that his tricks are real magic, and encouraged
by his kindness and generosity, Alice follows
the Illusionist to Edinburgh.

8. Other Struggling Entertainers
This includes a suicidal clown, a
ventriloquist, and a trio of acrobats
who are living in poverty because their
practices are dying in this new age.

9. Jacques Tati was a beloved entertainer in France before,
after and during World War II. His performances were
said to have lifted the spirits of the downtrodden war-
time population. Tati was also a writer and director. He
was recognized as the 46th greatest movie director of all
time by Entertainment Weekly.

10. The Illusionist was written by Tati in the late 1950s
and was originally titled “Film Tati No. 4”. The
script was to have been a follow-up to Tati’s film
Mon Oncle. The film was never produced by Tati,
but was instead handed over to Sylvain Chomet by
Tati’s daughter Sophie.

11. There’s some speculation about whether Tati wrote
this film due to his feeling of regret for his lack of
involvement in the life of his illegitimate daughter,
Helga Schiel. Some also believe that it was a script
written for his legitimate daughter, Sophie.
Whomever the film was written for or inspired by,
it is undoubtedly a tale of Tati’s life experiences.

12. The first footage of the film was shown at the 2008 Cannes Film
Festival. The Illusionist won 7 out of the 24 awards it was
nominated for. These include:
Best Animated Feature Film nomination at the 68th Golden Globe
Awards.
Best Animated Feature Film nomination in the 83rd Academy
Awards.
Best Animated Feature nomination for Annie Award.
Won the 1st Cesar Award for Best Animated Feature on February
25th, 2011
Won the 2010 European Film
Award for Best Animated Film.

14.  The Nouvelle Vague or New Wave of popular music in France was embodied
by a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude. Film started to imitate US actors such
as Humphrey Bogart while music imitated Elvis Presley. Youths were looking
to be less serious than the generations of yesteryear.
 This quote from Larry Portis’ book French Frenzies sums up the difference
between US and French music and culture at the time- “In the United States,
the beginnings of rock and roll were in the spontaneous fusion of African-
American rhythm and blues and European-American country and hillbilly
music. In France, the beginnings of indigenous rock and roll lay in the efforts
of individuals to convince record producers that such a music should he
created because the market already existed."

15.  The French Rock and Roll Revolution started with influence from the flux
of popularity in US Rock and Roll in the 1950s. Artists of the time have
admitted that it all started with them parodying songs from the US. This
brought about such titles as “Hiccup Rock”, "Go Cook An Egg, Man!” and
“Tell Me You Love Me Rock”. We can see this influence in the film via the
silliness of Billy Boy and the Britoons.

19. The rise in popularity of rock and roll music caused a great decline in more
traditional “music hall” acts. The fans of rock and roll were young and had very
little interest in such old fashioned styles of entertainment. Music halls were forced
to book rock and roll bands or go out of business; pushing out
the traditional performers.
The final demise of the
music hall and traditional
entertainment, though,
was the growing
popularity
of the television.

25. THE END