The 400 Blows - The Quintessial 'Coming of Age' Story
Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows) (1959)
Apparently I'm giving myself a little crash course in French film. François Truffaut's story of a neglected child who turns to mischief and theft is an intense and emotional examination of adolescence in its most formative years. Truffaut's own experience as a child of the French education system, and the experiences of his friends render his tale a deeply powerful one. Child actor Jean-Pierre Léaud is an incredible force on the screen, portraying nuances of despair and rebellion so infrequently found in performances by youth. The film itself exudes an adolescent aura, one that commandeers sympathy and sentiment. I find myself at a loss for words at how dearly close I feel to this film. I want to point to the blocking of the characters, a seemingly effortless attention to detail that creates a symmetry in framing that is hard to describe. I want to point to the cinematography, its beauty something effervescent of French romance. However, I could not describe these and other things that make this film a moving, memorable experience.
After writing this, I went to Roger Ebert's reviews to see if the wordsmith could put into words what I could not. He describes the simplicity better, gives a little too much of the plot away, but makes up for it by giving a clearer picture of director Truffaut as a person. Enjoy.
