Day for Night

“Shooting a movie is like a stagecoach trip. At first you hope for a nice ride. Then you just hope to reach your destination.” —Ferrand (Francois Truffaut)

Day for Night, known originally in French as La Nuit Américaine, is a film of French New Wave director François Truffaut, dealing with the trials and tribulations of making a film named Meet Pamela, about a woman who has an affair with his father-in-law. However, every possible complication manages to appear, putting the film in jeopardy.

For the filming technique, see Hollywood Darkness.

The film provides examples of:

• Actor Existence Failure: In-universe example: Alexandre.
• Art Shift: Ferrand’s dreams of when he was a young boy are in B&W.
• Author Appeal: In one scene, Ferrand opens a box fill with books about directors such as Hitchcock, Rossellini, Bergman, Buñuel, Godard, Dreyer, Bresson and Lubitsch.
• The Cameo: Writer Graham Greene plays one of the insurance company representatives.
• Cue Card
• Cute Kitten
• Directed by Cast Member
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Ferrand says in one scene, “The Godfather is showing all over Nice, and it's killing the other movies.” Later, this film would lose an Oscar to The Godfather, Part II.
• Man Child: Alphonse.
• May-December Romance: Julie and her husband, the doctor.
• Meganekko: Joelle.
• Muse Abuse: As soon as Julie ends opening herself to Ferrand about her problems, he has already incorporated her turmoil in the script.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech
• Serious Business: One of the central themes is the fact that for the main characters, the movies they make are more important than life itself.
• Straight Gay: Alexandre.
• Troubled Production: In-universe example.
• Written in Infirmity: In-universe example. One of the actresses failed to mention her pregnancy when signed to the film, and since with time it will become more pronounced, they decide to incorporate it in the movie.
• You Fail Film School Forever: Thankfully averted.