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part of
Trick Shots
The Devil’s Toy
Rouli-roulant
1966. Church bells welcome the new day in this black-and-white Quebec: ducks swim across a park pond, a neatly dressed young family strolls along asphalt pathways. But sudden electric string music signals disaster, and a radio voice warns us: “There is a plague spreading from city to city. A dread disease which needs only pavement to multiply and proliferate”.
Nevertheless, young lads storm the streets like a horde of zombies on their new four-wheeled evil contraptions: skateboards! Skateboarding, a then-new pastime viewed with suspicion by the police and adults, gave young people a thrilling sense of speed and freedom. In The Devil’s Toy, youngsters reclaim the streets. Residential areas, parks and motorways serve as battlegrounds between them and the respectable citizens who use the might of the law to have their toys confiscated.
Canadian filmmaker Claude Jutra watches from the sidelines, using dynamic camerawork and a satirical wink that, through voice-overs, presents the entire film as a Public Service Announcement. Dedicated to all victims of intolerance.
Bio Claude Jutra
Claude Jutra (1930-1986) was a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in 1956, where he trained in all facets of filmmaking. Claude Jutra's film career paralleled Quebec cinema itself. Starting as an amateur when Quebec cinema was just taking shape, he participated in several of its key developments: traditional documentaries and docudramas at the NFB; the germinal period of direct cinema; the first independent film productions; and the later trend toward large-budget features.
Credits
Script
Cast
Charles Denner, Marc Harvey, Pierre Charpentier
Camera
Michel Brault
Editor
Werner Nold
Music
Geneviève Bujold, Pierre Florent Brault
Producer
Marcel Martin
Production
National Film Board of Canada (NFB)