From the beginning of the 90s, British viewers (and soon the whole world) began to scare the hell out of him, watching him speak in an incomprehensible language and always find himself in the most incredible situations.
After offering two feature films to his legendary Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson was able to transfer the burlesque spirit of his first character to other less funny characters: the unforgettable Johnny English, of course, the delicious parody of the famous James Bond and many others. Recently, the hapless housewife Trevor alone in the face of the bee, an exciting Netflix series, in which we discovered all the talent of the actor.
But where did Rowan Atkinson get his inspiration for his first sketches, his first gags, his first facial expressions? Interview in 2015 in Columns Los Angeles TimesThe actor talked about his influences in terms of comedy, citing in particular Monty Python or burlesque film legends such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd, before discussing with particular interest the French film director:
“I think in particular of a French actor called Jacques Tati. I loved his films and I remember seeing Les Vacances de Mr Hulot when I was 17, it was a major inspiration. It opened a window into a world that I. I had never seen before. I told myself that It was really interesting to see how a comic situation could be developed purely visually, without lacking speed or rushing like Benny Hill. It was more weighted, it took time. And I liked that.”
Mr. Hulot’s Vacation, which Rowan Atkinson also explains he showed on repeat at his school, is a film the actor re-watched for his own character on Mr. Bean’s Vacation Summer Trip.
Even if Jacques Tati’s film certainly inspired his film, Atkinson specifies that it nevertheless distinguished itself from it, going so far as to offer his feature film an inverted narrative structure:
“Our film is based on Bini’s desire to find herself on a beautiful beach”– he said in the press conference.
“In the French film, Hulo traveled for five minutes and stayed at the beach for an hour and a half, but in ours, Bean travels for an hour and a half and ends up at the beach for five minutes… From this point of view, Mr. Bean’s vacation is the opposite of Mr. Hulot’s…”
(Re)discover an extract from ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday’…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
