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The last decade has been the most fruitful for me as a film fan. I have thoroughly enjoyed digging into different directors and eras of movies. Lately however, I have found myself hungering to go back to some of the standards. After all the greats became greats for a reason. This thread will be an attempt to keep myself committed over the next year or so to rewatching the big hitters of cinema. Hopefully some Mofos will join in or at least participate in some discussion along the way.
History: I watched this movie once just over a decade ago. I was actually pretty luke warm on it, which in hindsight is ludicrous. I don’t think I knew it was semi-autobiographical at the time, and I remembered it as the kid being from a much poorer family. A podcast I listen to has recently done a series on Truffaut that made me want to watch more of his films, and rewatch a few of course. I also didn’t know that this movie is part of a series, so I will be checking out the others, but won’t be posting about them here.
Acting: All the acting here is really good I thought. It’s a very stripped down, realistic style. Leaud as Antoine Doinel has to do the heavy lifting, of course, as he is in almost every single scene. Tough ask for such a young kid, but he is up to it. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who calls this the best child performance ever. Shout out to Albert Remy as the step-dad. I thought he brought a lot of levity to his scenes. The parents are both very good. The mother does an excellent job of going back and forth between caring for her son and complete selfishness.
Cinematography: Probably the star of the show here for me. From that opening as we sweep through Paris, complete with the Eiffel Tower looming in the background. I felt totally immersed in this world. The claustrophobia we feel in the classroom and the apartment juxtaposed with the freedom we feel when Antoine is in the wide open spaces of Paris, or even how big his friend’s apartment feels when he is away from his parents. Very well done. Excellently shot sequence in a police station as well. Where Antoine has to sleep in a holding cell with some other characters coming in and out.
Themes: I think one of the reasons I love auteurs so much is the way they strip their characters bare. I don’t have to agree with your world view. I don’t have to like your characters. Give me an honest portrayal of some broken humanity and I am going to be along for the ride. 400 Blows delivers here. Antoine is at times sympathetic, but also very selfish and careless. His parents and teachers don’t ever seem to take any time to listen to him, which really makes us understand his insatiable desire for freedom.
Favorite Scene: I am going to cheat here and go with two. I really love the scene where Antoine goes to a psychologist. We know from the previous scene that he intends to lie, but we can see that some honesty is seeping into his answers here as well. Brilliant decision to only show his face during the back and forth. When he tells the psychologist he lies because his parents never believe him when he tells the truth anyway, very good line. Then he tells a story of hearing his grandmother talk about how his mother didn’t want him and was talked out of having an abortion. Gut punch! The other scene of course is the ending, can’t talk about 400 Blows without mentioning it. Had to be the inspiration for Florida Project?
Final Thoughts: Glad I revisited this classic. It has its rightful place in the cannon of cinema. I think it is an absolutely brilliant film by Francois Truffaut. I hope it doesn’t take me ten years to watch it again.
History: I watched this movie once just over a decade ago. I was actually pretty luke warm on it, which in hindsight is ludicrous. I don’t think I knew it was semi-autobiographical at the time, and I remembered it as the kid being from a much poorer family. A podcast I listen to has recently done a series on Truffaut that made me want to watch more of his films, and rewatch a few of course. I also didn’t know that this movie is part of a series, so I will be checking out the others, but won’t be posting about them here.
Acting: All the acting here is really good I thought. It’s a very stripped down, realistic style. Leaud as Antoine Doinel has to do the heavy lifting, of course, as he is in almost every single scene. Tough ask for such a young kid, but he is up to it. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who calls this the best child performance ever. Shout out to Albert Remy as the step-dad. I thought he brought a lot of levity to his scenes. The parents are both very good. The mother does an excellent job of going back and forth between caring for her son and complete selfishness.
Cinematography: Probably the star of the show here for me. From that opening as we sweep through Paris, complete with the Eiffel Tower looming in the background. I felt totally immersed in this world. The claustrophobia we feel in the classroom and the apartment juxtaposed with the freedom we feel when Antoine is in the wide open spaces of Paris, or even how big his friend’s apartment feels when he is away from his parents. Very well done. Excellently shot sequence in a police station as well. Where Antoine has to sleep in a holding cell with some other characters coming in and out.
Themes: I think one of the reasons I love auteurs so much is the way they strip their characters bare. I don’t have to agree with your world view. I don’t have to like your characters. Give me an honest portrayal of some broken humanity and I am going to be along for the ride. 400 Blows delivers here. Antoine is at times sympathetic, but also very selfish and careless. His parents and teachers don’t ever seem to take any time to listen to him, which really makes us understand his insatiable desire for freedom.
Favorite Scene: I am going to cheat here and go with two. I really love the scene where Antoine goes to a psychologist. We know from the previous scene that he intends to lie, but we can see that some honesty is seeping into his answers here as well. Brilliant decision to only show his face during the back and forth. When he tells the psychologist he lies because his parents never believe him when he tells the truth anyway, very good line. Then he tells a story of hearing his grandmother talk about how his mother didn’t want him and was talked out of having an abortion. Gut punch! The other scene of course is the ending, can’t talk about 400 Blows without mentioning it. Had to be the inspiration for Florida Project?
Final Thoughts: Glad I revisited this classic. It has its rightful place in the cannon of cinema. I think it is an absolutely brilliant film by Francois Truffaut. I hope it doesn’t take me ten years to watch it again.