Mon Oncle is Jacques Tati’s 1958 comedy about Monsieur Hulot, a socially awkward yet lovable character and his quixotic struggle with postwar France’s infatuation with modern architecture, mechanical efficiency and American-style consumerism. The dialogue in this movie takes a back-seat to the lively musical score and visuals.

At its debut, Mon Oncle was denounced by some critics for what they viewed as a reactionary view of an emerging French consumer society, which had lately embraced a new wave of industrial modernization and a more rigid social structure.