I really am having a hard time understanding what it is I missed. I saw a film about a preadolescent kid who gets into a lot of trouble.
Could someone please tell me what is so revealing about this?
Is it because of the time in which the film was made?
It was the first full-length movie by François Truffaut and one of his very best. It's a very well made movie, touching, interesting, nostalgic and also a lesson of life.
It shows a lot of the beautiful city of Paris, which means that settings and cinematography are first class. The characters are memorable and wonderfully portrayed by the actors. Each character is revelant and unique, even those that aren't lead characters. The soundtrack by Jean Constantin is a masterpiece. The movie is french and the language of course is french. I consider french one of the most beautiful and charming languages that exist.
The movie is solid from the very start. It has the most original and amazing beginning on a movie ever and the same can be said about its ending which is no less unique. And overall speaking, the movie has a story and it's all intriguing, it doesn't bore at all.
Plus, the movie has classic humor that doesn't exist anymore. Plus, being french, the movie is obviously a little crazy and slightly bizarre. It's from a time when the french were universally known for their unique sense of humor and originality.
As for the lead character, Antoine, yes, he gets into a lot of trouble, but he also is quite misunderstood and unloved by some, which kind of makes him do a lot of nonsense.
All of these are good reasons why this movie is such a classic.
«I was on the fire escape! I saw ya!»
I guess for me I saw a film about a juvenile who has a lot of anti-social tendencies, but somehow falls in love with films regardless. I remember his parents not getting along, I remember him escaping trouble, then finding the movie posters, but not much else.
I'll have to see it again.
The movie doesn't make its points clearly and the criminal plot can hurt them, but it's about an enthusiast kid who is crushed down for not bending himself to authority and the hypocrisy that surround him, coming mainly from his parents and teachers. I would say that this theme is as important today as the day it was filmed.
shareThanks. I guess I can kind of see that. It flew over my head at the time I saw it, but this makes some sense to me.
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I had never heard of this film (despite enjoying many foreign films,
such as "The Bicycle Thief", "Eyes Without a Face", etc.), then read
about its restoration and release on DVD about eight to ten years
ago. The L.A. Weekly raved about it, so I went down to Tower Records
(hard to believe they don't exist anymore, but that's another story)
and bought it. It was on the Criterion Collection, so it was pricey
($40).
The first time I watched it, I was somewhat bored and disappointed. YET
it stuck with me, so I watched it again several months later. I began to
realize that, like many great films, it demands the viewer's participation.
It isn't just reading the subtitles, it's a willingness to invest in the
daily lonliness and pain of this kid.
In the years following, I have come to enjoy it more with each viewing.
It's far from my favorite foreign film, but it still delivers the goods.
The soundtrack, gorgeous black-and-white photography and totally
natural performances make for a truly fulfilling, organic viewing
experience.
I'm glad I own the film.
Great explanation on how to view this. It absolutely needs your full attention. That doesn't mean it's boring, nor is it a film too "Smart" for certain audiences. It's an emotional journey of a young man that even today, can resonate with someone. It's before the Quick Cuts that Goddard made famous shortly thereafter so it has a more traditional feel but it's narrative is very original and compelling. With all that said, we as the viewer must invest ourselves into the story.
shareGreat description!
One dog goes one way the other goes the other way and this guy's sayin "Whadda ya want from me?"
It's a succesful product of "oh so French, so artsy" type of marketing. There are thousands of films like this, but this thing, like most of the crap coming from French "New Wave" is ridiculously overrated
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Go watch "The Matrix" or something. Probably more your speed, no?
Oh i was wondering when some snob would respond "Go watch Transformers". I was wrong, this time they come up with The Matrix
I like French films like Entre les murs, La Haine, Baxter... Are they action blockbusters?
And i like "Heavenly Creatures", which has a similar plot (troubled youngsters getting in trouble)
But in order to get "pseudo-intellectual seal of approval", i must like The 400 Blows? Well thanks, i wont take it...
I didn't think there was anything "artsy" about it. It is just a solid Dickensian tale of a boy that causes trouble, but is also misunderstood.
He is both a product of the world around him but also of his own unwillingness to change. And it had some lighthearted humor throughout to keep things lively.
Zardoz (1974) has spoken!
My top 100 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls079512886/
I think this film of a troubled young teenager was influential to many other later filmmakers who developed many of the themes as the years went by.
Its that man again!!
Simply put.
Coming of age.
Confusion of what he is escaping from.
From everything.
Beautiful.
Well put. He does literally escape from everything in this movie. His school, his home, the observation camp.. his escapism finally lets him really be free & make it to the ocean, which he had never seen before.
share...but, you can only run towards the ocean for so long before you have to turn back. I think at this point he understood that you cant totally escape your life or the problems that come with it. But you can always find beauty (ocean) in an endless world
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