Tati and the French

As a great lover of French film, as well as French culture in general, I can afford to make a critical point, as I did discussing "La Mome".

Like other peoples, the French built a myth around themselves, this one concerning their pro-culture bias, especially contrasted with the primitive English, and the culturally challenged Americans. THEY support great Artists, as opposed to other primitive cultures, which support pop-trash, eat junk food, and ignore their artists, often forcing them to Paris, to be accepted. I'm willing to go along with this myth.

At least most of the time.

How Hollywood treated Welles, Keaton, von Stroheim, and many others, is well known, and is certainly a stain on the oft greatness of that film industry. But what about Tati, one of the really great and original film artists of the 20th century, whose career was abruptly ended (more or less) when his real masterpiece was trashed by the French critics, and ignored by the public?

"Play Time" is a remarkable work, the clearest statement I've ever seen concerning mid-20th century modern architecture, and man's place in it. And, it's hilarious?