400 Blows

Les Quatre Cents Coups
François Truffaut

Intricate, yet unintrusive shots, angles, pans.
The tracking shot of the boy (played by Jean-Pierre Léaud)running from the juvenile camp towards the sea is beautiful. There is something about shots of people running, or any creature running, that I find utterly fascinating. And of course film tutors will stress on the street shot of kids disappearing from behind the PT master as he jogs on ahead, oblivious to the fact that most of the kids have deserted him.

Léaud is a pleasure to watch, but I don't know why I like his best friend better. He seemed to have more life in him as an actor. But I supposed Truffaut picked one that more closely resembled him, to cast as his alter-ego.

The characters; what few strokes to make them; and how effective they are. The mother especially, is sheer brilliance. She is so real that I still can't get her out of my head. The step-father elicits pity, for he knows not what he does. The best friend won my heart with his frustated shrug when he isn't allowed to enter the detention centre to meet his friend.

The existentialistic principle is so muted, that it could be safely ignored. not like Jules et Jim, that showcases the absurdity of relationships so vehemently that it took a lot of effort to reconcile myself to the idea. There is so much hope in this film(400 blows), so much hope in the sight of the ovewhelming sea, in the boy's very youth, in his deep (for their years)friendship with his intelligent friend, so muc hope in that he was able to escape the centre in the end, even if temporarily. It's easy to perceive that and be satisfied in the illusion than by watching Jules et Jim that seeks to draw it out of you only to shatter into wretched little pieces.