Overview
A whimsical exploration of love and filmmaking unfolds on set, where passion blurs the lines between art and life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- self reflexive
- lazy sunday
- film club viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Truffaut's affectionate, self-reflexive filmmaking comedy as witty, tender, expertly crafted, and among the finest films about making movies.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The shooting of Je vous presente Pamela structures the characters' romances, rivalries, crises, and daily routines.
The film continuously shows scenes being shot while revealing the technical decisions, interruptions, and backstage behavior that produce them.
Actors, director, producer, and technical staff receive intersecting professional and romantic storylines within the hotel and film set.
The production's mishaps and relationship complications are rendered as hilarious, tender, and ultimately celebratory of filmmaking.
Films like Day for Night, and why
Contempt
A self-reflexive filmmaking drama balancing romantic entanglements, professional chaos, and affectionate cinephilia.
The Player
A warm, bittersweet behind-the-scenes comedy about performers, production pressures, and the fragile boundary between work and private life.
The Last Metro
A French ensemble dramedy where romantic complications and theatrical performance intertwine with playful cinematic artifice.
Opening Night
A backstage comedy-drama built from interconnected personal crises, professional dysfunction, and affectionate observation of performers.
Movie Details
- Director
- François Truffaut
- Release Date
- 1973-05-24
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (681)
Cast
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Valentina Cortese
- Dani
- Alexandra Stewart
- Jean-Pierre Aumont
- Jean Champion
- Jean-Pierre Léaud
- François Truffaut
- Niké Arrighi
- Nathalie Baye
Common questions
- What is Day for Night about?
- A director, cast, and crew juggle romantic turmoil and production disasters while making a movie that mirrors their own unruly lives.
- What is Day for Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Day for Night as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Day for Night violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Day for Night.
- What did critics think of Day for Night?
- Critics broadly regard Truffaut's affectionate, self-reflexive filmmaking comedy as witty, tender, expertly crafted, and among the finest films about making movies.
- Which films are like Day for Night?
- Films with a similar feel include Contempt, The Player, The Last Metro, and Opening Night.
- How long is Day for Night?
- Day for Night runs 116 minutes.
