Employment Offer

Jean Eustache’s final film—commissioned for the French television series “Contes modernes” (“Modern Tales”)—is a sharp satire of contemporary man’s dehumanization at the hands of specialized psychology. In the first half, an unemployed, middle-aged sales director (Michel Delahaye) seeks a job from the want ads and performs well in his interview. In the second half, a handwriting analyst (Michèle Moretti) determines the suitability of each candidate by reading into their cover letters various subconscious weaknesses and faults. Like much of Eustache’s later work, EMPLOYMENT OFFER contrasts different modes of communication, with an emphasis on the considerable blind spots in human understanding and relationships.