this is french new wave at its finest

As I watched the 400 Blows, I kept in mind the historical context which is the backdrop for Antoine's story in the film. Truffaut made this film in the late 50's, a decade and a half after World War II, and his films visual representation of France goes a long way in seeing the modernization after the social demise in the years following the war. Shots of the bustling city, filled with cars- which Phillips states represents the youth culture's influence on the prevalence of materiality in the nation. Phillip's acknowledgment of French youth culture and the shift towards "a more urban, consumer culture" (189) can be seen as a prevalent thematic element both in Truffaut's visual and narrative representation. Antoine's petty crime in search of a financial independence from his parents is indicative of the generational gap between the older, more conservative parents and their children, who throughout the film I saw as more competent and legitimate despite their insolence. I focused on the ways that Antoine does not move and act like a child; rather I was able to read into such idiosyncrasies as his gestures to his friends as Truffaut's directorial vision of showing Antoine as a representation of France and the discrepancy within the nation between the older pre-war generation and their modernized post-war children. This is accredited to Truffaut’s use of constant movement in the camera work and editing (Phillips 191).

I saw a clear similarity between Antoine and Bruno’s character in Bicycle Thieves. I feel the way the two realist films share a common theme of an empowered and capable child goes a long way in understanding the realist films and their themes in post-war Europe. This similarity allows me to conclude that the realist depiction of the society within Europe must be accentuated by the contrasting of generations to comment on the overall social situation. Bruno, the only member of his family with a job, is seen as clearly more adept to the post-war Italy that his father desperately struggles with. The youth culture which is represented in 400 Blows is an integral aspect in understanding how the contrast between Antoine and his parents is a larger allegory for the way that French society and culture was in a transitional period, and the pre-war generation was losing grip of their conservative and Catholic standard of society.