Jacques Tati was famous for his comedic depictions of man vs. technology, so it’s ironic that his first feature film, “Jour de Fete,” was never properly completed because of a technical defect. For the story of Francois the mailman, who wreaks havoc in a tiny village by trying to emulate the exaggerated “modern” delivery techniques he’s seen in a film at a local carnival, Tati experimented with an untested color technique. He’d intended to give his pastoral tale a unique, almost hand-tinted look, but the color process failed and until recently only black and white copies of the film were available. This week — 50 years and months of meticulous reconstruction later — audiences at the Music Box Theatre will finally be able to enjoy this milestone of French comedy the way Tati envisioned it. There are nightly showings of the film this week starting Friday; call the Music Box (773-871-6604) for more infomation.
