The 400 Blows (1959)

Powerful

Admirable film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

THE 400 BLOWS is a French drama about childhood and growing up under very difficult family and social circumstances. The main protagonist is a boy, who was faced with a lack of understanding by his own family and teachers at school. His French teacher is the embodiment of terror and incomprehension. His mother and stepfather, because of work and irregular life, do not have time for her only son. The boy began to run away from home and deal with petty crimes...The story is incredibly realistic, clear and honest. Deviation from the traditional narrative is more than obvious. Mr. Truffaut has introduced realistic social and family situations. These situations have offered insight into one emotional confusion and painful agony. It is difficult to describe with words. The boy leads an inner struggle, that moves him away from the school and parents. The story contains some of the director's autobiographical moments and intimate experiences from his youth. Because of that, an image of Paris and a musical score are quite sad. Certain critiques of education or perhaps social incompetence is the point of this movie. Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel is a realistic and simple character. The boy, who does not provoke sympathy. A vulnerability and naivety of his character are amazing. His honesty, while a psychiatrist attempts to fathom reasons for his discontent is almost heartbreaking. His support is Patrick Auffay (René Bigey) as his best friend and accomplice in the crime.Claire Maurier as Gilberte Doinel is quite superficial and deceptive character in the role of Antoine's mother. Albert Rémy as Julien Doinel is a confused and unfulfilled Antoine's stepfather. Guy Decomble as Sourpuss He is an indifferent and insensitive teacher.This is a small and very interesting masterpiece. Very important drop in the French New Wave.

a young boy growing up in Paris during the 1950s. Misunderstood at home by his parents for wagging school and stealing things and tormented in school for discipline problems by his teacher (Guy Decomble) (Antoine falsely explains his being away from school was due to his mother's death), Antoine frequently runs away from both places. The boy finally quits school after being caught plagiarizing Balzac by his teacher. He steals a typewriter from his stepfather's (Albert Remy) work place to finance his plans to leave home, but is apprehended while trying to return it.Antoine Doinel in the final scene The stepfather turns Antoine over to the police and Antoine spends the night in jail, sharing a cell with prostitutes and thieves. During an interview with the judge, Antoine's mother confesses that her husband is not Antoine's biological father. Antoine is placed in an observation center for troubled youths near the seashore (as per his mother's wishes). A psychologist at the center probes reasons for Antoine's unhappiness, which the youth reveals in a fragmented series of monologues.

What a dreadful disenchantment! What a shame of life! What a pity of parents! Sorry boy, it is not your entire fault: your school mates also want to run away from those 'chaotic' kind of teachers and miserable classroom. You are not the only one willing to do it, although your brightness looks like missing from your head-box and it is probably in your 'bollocks'. The educated ones once said: "the apple does not fall far from the tree", so Antoine darling, do not expect too much from this life, because it was your mother who drew your path since she gave you birth. What is more, did not you see her kissing that disgusting guy whilst crossing the pedestrian crossing? She does not give you money, she is not even interested in what you are studying at school... What kind of mother is that!? Yes, but do not forget to throw the garbage away...Ah, right, I understand. Only when you missed things up she comes to you and says "if you do this, I will give you that". Oh, come on! But even so, after all your 'minor effort' in Honoré de Balzac to get better marks, here comes the other nuts scatterbrained tutor and throws away all your effort. Even I would not make any effort to study in that case.However, remember that you have a treasure, which name is 'René'. Such a lovely friend, always helping and giving the most accurate advice. What a bad luck at the end, though, when he could not visit his friend Antoine, after a long journey with the bicycle. But, at any rate, Antoine is a good kid. When he has to take away the garbage he does it. When he has to study, he also does it. Even when his tutor tells him off and orders him to clean or do anything, he is listening! Let us not forget that after stealing the typewriter, it was him who decided to go back and leave it from where he took it, and it was not his Chicken-René-friend. I truly believe that François Truffaut wanted to show us the 'lack of child guidance' combined with the unhappy home life, Antoine's mistakes and his behavior towards the consequences. This movie reminded me of both Billy Elliot and Forrest Gump, given the fact that all characters are running towards desperate destinations, in a crucial time of their lives. I enjoyed the movie and the French expressions, but I disagree that this movie is better than Ben-Hur (1959) or Strangers on a Train (1951).

Through this film, I got an idea of the beautiful old French town and of the life that children lived mid-20th century. How many psychological problems evident in this canvas ... Looking at it I realize how many create one psychologist and psychiatrist profession for half a century ... I'm sure we lucky to be born in the current years, and our children are lucky more, and even more grandchildren. Let's think about what role can play this pattern, if it is to watch most of the people of the future: - For a positive effect, it is necessary to show in the ripened age, then people will be able to sympathize with the previous generations ... - It can be seen in the infinite power of the unconscious and desire for freedom ... - Our desire to deeply pledged to go beyond and take the life under our cap.