Movie_Muse_Reviews Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows" was one of the films that set the French New Wave in motion, but whereas many of its peers stand out mostly for their experimentation, "The 400 Blows" offers deeper human truth in addition to innovative filmmaking technique.In a clearly a semi-autobiographical story, the film focuses on a young boy (Jean-Pierre Leaud) in his emerging teens who doesn't care much for school, isn't emotionally well cared for at home and endeavors to live "the wild life" (to use the more accurate translation of the film's title) with help from his friend Rene (Patrick Auffay). The film consists not of a narrative arc, but of a series of episodes lined up like dominoes, where the choices and consequence of one sequence have obvious implications on the next. Whether you were more the delinquent type in school or not, there's an innocence to Antoine Doinel that makes it difficult not to connect with his experience. Skipping school, running away from home, talking back to the teacher, lying to adults - none of these applied to my childhood, but I also didn't grow up with a cheating mother who found me annoying, a mostly spineless father and teachers more interested in discipline than trying to understand any misbehavior. Although Antoine's choices are ultimately his own, there are so many ways his childhood course could have been corrected, rather than the route his parents and teachers chose to correct it. His desire to avoid and run away represents a universal yearning to escape people and systems that fail us. By the end of the film, we recognize that his choice to act on that impulse shows bravery, not a rogue avoidance of a path to redemption.Truffaut does lots of interesting stuff with the camera in this film, but it's that purity of story that makes "The 400 Blows" a classic. He also has this cynical sense of humor that complements the more dramatic notes and harsher truths of the story. We sense Truffaut's own impishness in the way he depicts Antoine's day-to-day exploits and his attitude toward the adults in the film.The desire for freedom almost poetically fits with what Truffaut brings from a filmmaking perspective to his feature debut. From long tracking shots to the visually unforgettable spinning centrifuge carnival ride sequence, the film occasionally takes these moments of respite from the narrative to let us sit with a particular feeling or emotion. Often, there's a humor associated with these moments too. He even tries a few transitions and camera tricks that by today's standards feel dated or cliche, but the spirit remains.Nevertheless, style feels secondary to story in a way that it doesn't with the films released in close proximity to it including Resnais' "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and Godard's "Breathless." Those films touch upon some interesting themes and ideas, but "The 400 Blows" will connect with a wider audience and should resonate for many more decades into the future.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- 400 Blows, 1959. Follows 13 yr old as he turns to a life of crime to escape the neglect he experiences from home by his parents and his school teacher. He ventures out on his own and discovers the freedom he longs for is not easily attained.*Special Stars- Jean-Pierre Leuad. DIR: Francois Truffaut.*Theme- A classic 'coming of age' story.*Trivia/location/goofs- Multiple film fest winner, classic French New Wave cinema.*Emotion- An enjoyable French new Wave Cinema film telling a 'coming of age' movie plot of a young boy becoming an adult.*Based On- a book of the time period.

Anssi Vartiainen One of the defining films of its director François Truffaut as well as the French New Wave movement. The latter was a loose term joining together a group of mid-century French film makers that took upon as their goal to talk about current subjects, to experiment with the film medium and to ground it in reality through real locations and modern subject matters.And keeping that in mind, it's easy to see why this film become such a cornerstone for them. It tells about a young Parisian school boy Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), who struggles in every area of his life. His parents heap both scorn and misunderstandings upon him, his school work barely passes muster, and he spends most of his days partaking in minor crimes and misdemeanours. The film doesn't really have a traditional story arc. Doinel doesn't learn that much, his circumstances don't really change. Rather the whole film has the atmosphere of the inevitable in it as Doinel's life slowly spirals deeper and deeper into ruin, culminating in the last haunting shot of him staring directly into the camera on a deserted beach, silently crying for rescue.And yes, the film has a rather gruff feel. It seems like they simply set up the camera, shot the scene and excited the room. Which of course is the ideal of New Wave, but takes some getting used to from a viewer more familiar with mainstream film media.Still, it's a beautiful film in its own way. Personally I appreciate the ideal it represents more than I appreciate it as a stand-alone film, but I'm still glad I saw it.

Prismark10 The title of the film is The 400 Blows but its actually an expression for 'Raising Hell.'Made in 1959 in a cinema verite style. This is the full screen debut of Francois Truffaut and an example of the French New Wave. It was a critical hit.Jean-Pierre Leaud plays Antoine Doinel, a misunderstood teenager in Paris who constantly gets into trouble at school and an at home. Doinel is based partly on Truffaut himself.Doinel finds school boring, does not get on with his teachers who usually catch him telling lies including an embarrassing one where in a panic he tells that one of his parent has died. At home he is alone a lot as both parents are working. His glamorous mother (Claire Maurier) seems to have little time for him. He gets on better with his father (Albert Remy) who is more playful but as the film progresses, he is actually the step-father and you also learn that his mother is having an affair. Doinel wants love but his step- father seems too weak (he suspects his wife is cheating) his mother too busy but he seems happiest when she does give him attention such as towelling him down after a bath.Doinel and his best friend Rene get into all sorts of scrapes and petty crime. Several times Doinel runs away from home and sleeps rough. He gets caught stealing a typewriter from his stepfather's workplace and comes into the attention of the police, social services and the judiciary. At the end he is sent to a young offender's institute that he also runs away from and onto a beach to what looks like an uncertain future.However Truffaut would re-visit Doinel over the course of his directing career.Watching this film it becomes apparent how much this influenced the British New Wave in the 1960s. So much of this film reminded me of Kes by Ken Loach with its naturalistic acting styles. Just look at the mischievous scene where the sports teacher takes the class for a walk around the streets of Paris and the kids disappear few at a time. Then there is the very naturalistic scene at the Punch & Judy show where the much younger kids are enjoying themselves. The city is a playground but when Doinel is living rough it is also oppressive and scary.Of course as time has gone on the shock value of the out of control adolescent has been lost with newer, more franker films. The French New Wave also had a different way of telling stories in the cinema that someone like me brought up on a diet of junk Hollywood blockbusters might not always appreciate. The film can be a little too wayward and loose.However the final freeze frame of a boy fulfilling his dream of seeing the sea but still alone and lost is regarded as a classic. Apparently this is the first time a film ends in a freeze frame.