The document discusses the 1950s cultural changes that led to the decline of traditional entertainers like magicians and ventriloquists, as rock music and new forms of entertainment rose in popularity. The film The Illusionist, directed by Sylvain Chomet, tells the story of a struggling magician named Tatischeff trying to survive in 1950s Europe as his art form is made obsolete by new trends. The film explores themes of cultural changes ending one era and beginning another.

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 and 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 of 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 continued growth of the lower-price cinema in the early 1910s was the
major cause of the decline in traditional entertainment – vaudeville. Lured by
greater salaries and less arduous working conditions, many performers and
personalities used the prominence gained in live variety performance to vault
into the world of the cinema. By doing this, however, many performers often
exhausted in a few moments of screen time the novelty of an act that might
have kept them on tour for several years. Vaudeville also suffered due to the
rise of broadcast radio after the inexpensive receiver sets later in the decade.
Some theatres continued to offer live entertainment, but by the 1930s, most
theatres were forced by the Great Depression to economize. Some of the most
famous vaudevillians continued the migration to cinema. Others, however,
found that the gifts that had delighted live audiences did not translate well into
different media. Many retired from performance and took on ordinary jobs
from the world of the middle class.

15. Historian John Kennick wrote:
“Top vaudeville stars filmed their acts for one-time payoffs, inadvertently
helping to speed the death of vaudeville. After all, when ‘small time’
theatres could offer ‘big time’ performers on screen at a nickel a seat,
who could ask audiences to pay higher amounts for less impressive live
talents? The newly-formed RKO studios took over the famed Orpheum
vaudeville circuit and swiftly turned it into a chain of full-time movie
theatres. The half century tradition of vaudeville was effectively wiped
out within less than four years.”

16. The 1950s introduced the creation of the teenager. Teenagers were also
the new and younger market. During the 1950s, films and music were
directed towards teenagers, with the goal of making as much money as
possible.
“There’s always a bit of aggression between a dad and his daughter
when she is turning into a young woman but she’s behaving like a
little girl. The dad doesn’t know what to do anymore; it’s a very
peculiar moment –and The Illusionist is like her dad. That’s why she’s
going through this crisis. And this time, at the end of the 50s, was the
invention of teenagers, and teenagers were invented because they could
buy things.” – Sylvain Chomet, on Alice and the Illusionist

17. 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.
“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.“ – Larry Portis, French Frenzies

18.  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.

21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4AuxL7ciBk&edit=vd

24. THE END

25. What is the message of this movie? Do you agree or disagree with it?
What were you thinking as you finished watching the film?
The Illusionist chooses to leave in the end of the film. Explain why The
Illusionist felt he needed to leave. What motivated him? What did this
motivation have to do with the theme of the film?
In what ways are the characters’
actions driven by the cultural
changes of the time?
Analyze the 3 clips. How do
Tatischeff and Alice represent
the major themes of the movie?

26. Awdhah Alghanam: Creation of the Google Doc
Anna Slusser: Discussion Questions, gathering of information for
Rock and Roll Revolution and the Decline of Traditional
Entertainers slides, as well as the Jacques Tati slides.
Jesenia Calderón: Edit and design of slides and presentation,
creation of clips, as well as the gathering of information for the
presentation.