So much average

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

In the 50's, François Truffaut worked as a critic with a rather defiant and resentful attitude toward traditional "popular" filmmaking. Yet even old-school directors like Cocteau or Clouzot said they never experienced such intensity on the big screen after they saw "The 400 Blows". Truffaut dared to challenge reciprocity and got unanimous praises from his peers and beyond, acknowledging the historical magnitude of the film, maybe the French "Citizen Kane".I guess there's just something about movies made by young directors; Truffaut was only one year older than Welles when he made his directorial debut, young enough to remember the most ungrateful part of boys' lives when they are old enough to take it seriously but too young to be taken seriously. Truffaut embraced the innate freedom of his age and never regarded childhood with nostalgic eyes, deeming it as a period of entrapment and submission to the rules of adults. Interestingly, Truffaut adopted the same rebellious approach to film-making, rejecting cinematic conventions of a plot, protagonists and villains for something that would tunnel the viewers into the truth of life rather than providing an escape from it.The French New Wave was a tsunami of creation that changed the face of cinema. Just like Jean-Luc Godard with "Breathless", a new generation of film-makers would explore cinema as a form of expression prone to improvisation, a freedom of tone, anything but codified tropes, it was Godard who said that the best way to criticize a film is to make one, that's to their credit. But unlike Godard, I doubt Truffaut made this film for the sake of challenging conventions or to make something "pivotal". And for one thing, I happen to share Jean-Pierre Melville's feeling that the New Wave had a huge influence on American Cinema, but the auteur thing was a bit overplayed in France, and the magic was lost in the 60's.So I'm not interested in 'auteur' Truffaut but 'rebel' Truffaut, his youth was exactly the same as his counterpart in the film Antoine Doinel: school troubles, delinquency, absent parents etc. Cinema wasn't just a vocation; it was a survival move, an escape from the path that was awaiting him, a rebellion within the rebellion. There's something in Doinel that reminded me of "Cool Hand Luke", a propensity for 'leaving', the classroom, the place, it's not just rebellion, but like the title suggests: "raising hell", which is the real meaning of "400 blows" but the word "blows" might render the idea that the kid is going to take many hits in his life, which is actually less misleading than the French title, sounding more like childish fun.And Antoine Doinel takes the hits and keeps moving forward, it's not "Rocky" though, Doinel has no specific goal, he lives from day to day, he doesn't think of the consequences, which is the essence of youth ennui. "The 400 Blows" happens to be an immersive character study in the life of a boy who's abandoned by his parents, his mother spending many extra-hours with her boss, and her father who's not the brutal type, has given him a name and a roof, but not what Antoine truly needed: a guidance, a meaning, anything. Antoine comes home eats, takes the trash down and goes to sleep. And the awful state of the house plays almost as an alibi for Doinel's mischievousness.But Truffaut's directing never needs to be intrusive to make us root for Antoine. We just see his background and get it. It is very fitting that, of all the "Simpsons" characters, it was Nelson Muntz who paid tribute to the movie as he was a character whose sordid background was unveiled in the later seasons and is perhaps the closest to Doinel. Doinel isn't even a bully though, and at the first scene, he's the unlucky kid who picks up the sexy calendar just when the teacher raises his eyes. The tragedy of Doinel is that before taking the path leading to delinquency and (who knows) crime, he's just a kid who doesn't care enough about his life to contemplate the idea of becoming a bad boy.The only escapism he finds is with his friend (Pierre Auffray), a fun moment at a zoetrope (a wink to "Strangers on a Train" and Truffaut's idol Hitchcock) and movie theaters, were Doinel drops the picture of Harriet Andersen from Bergman's "Monica", cinema was an escapism for Truffaut as well and the builder of his dreams. The film is a slow escalation to the point where the parents finally give up and put Doinel in a detention center less out of anger than disillusion, because he would escape anyway. Once again, Truffaut never shows the parents as the bad guys, even the kid doesn't blame them, yet we know he's hurt, deeply.Truffaut loved Doinel but was so worried he would grow up during the making, Leaud's answer was that both he and Truffaut had sickly souls, they would never grow up. Truffaut loved the answer and it sealed their collaboration, I wasn't a bit surprised that some scenes involving Leaud were improvised, this is not the improvisation for-the-sake-of-it like Godard would use to show off his revolutionary talent, it's improvisation to capture the truth of the moment, and this is perhaps the best compliment I can give the film, it is truthful, and that final shot is the perfect culmination of a story where you dare to dream of a happy ending but the word "Fin" seems like bars of a prison entrapping poor Antoine.The film is dedicated to Andre Bazin, a former critic, co-founder of Cahiers du Cinema who died in 1958. "The 400 Blows" is the pivotal encounter between a message, a feeling and a young talent, at the right time and the right place. To label it as New Wave starter is too reducing, especially since the film is deeper and more penetrative than Godard's "Breathless".

The 400 Blow Is the first film Iv'e seen from François Truffaut, and Is a quintessential piece of cinema from the French new wave. It tells the story of a rebellious young boy called Antoine. Throughout the film Antoine Is struggling to find his place In the world. His home life Is dysfunctional, he's disenfranchised with his school life and his teachers don't understand him. He's un-loved by his parents, especially by his un-caring mother, who didn't want him the first place. He's constantly skipping school and lying to his teachers and parents. After numerous Instances causing trouble, he steals a type writer from his step-fathers workplace, which proves to be the final straw. He winds up In a juvenile detention facility, where he doesn't fare any better.Watching this film I was constantly reminded of Tony Richardson's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Which came out a couple of years after this film, and was clearly Inspired by It. It's clear to see the Influence this film has had on Cinema. It's a wonderful piece of work, despite this being Truffaut's debut, he crafts a highly accomplished film. The technical side of this film such-as the lighting and direction are expertly handled. The film also contains a wonderful screenplay, there's not a single dull moment In the film, every scene feels Important and necessary. Truffaut takes his time to flesh out every character In film. Every character feels like a fully formed three dimensional human being, In-which they're filled with regret and flaws. The film shows the angst and harsh reality of growing up and feeling un- wanted and disconnected.

*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.

Good movie, but hardly brilliant or a classic.A boy, Antoine Doinel, is often in trouble at school and doesn't get along with his parents, especially his mother. He briefly runs away from home but then returns (or is returned...). After a while he ups the ante and turns to petty crime...Interesting drama. It also has its lighter side. There are many moments of comedy - the scene with the gym teacher taking the class for a walk was priceless! However, hardly the classic this is made out to be. Directed by Francois Truffaut, this is regarded as being the vanguard of the French New Wave movement. But it really isn't THAT good. It is hardly profound - the plot is a few weeks/months in the life of a early/mid-teens boy. There is no big realisation at the end, or plot closure.Even as a character-based film it is not fantastic. Yes, you feel some empathy for and engagement towards the boy but he is more villain than hero. (The adults are hardly saints either, I might add).Worth watching though, as it is a reasonable story, and to see what all the fuss is about...