Friday, February 28, 2014

The 400 Blows (1959)


IMDb plot summary: Intensely touching story of a misunderstood young adolescent who left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
Directed by François Truffaut. Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, and Albert Rémy.

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. It's certainly miles better than Jules and Jim, the only other Truffaut film I've seen, but it left me feeling pretty unsatisfied. It has a strange emotional center, as the character of Antoine seems oddly innocent but hardly victimized throughout the entire movie. This gives the flick a weirdly nostalgic feel -- weird because the circumstances surrounding the character's life and actions are hardly something I'd imagine someone would feel nostalgic *for*.

The first half is filled with charming coming-of-age-movie type moments that made me smile, such as when he tells his teacher that he wasn't at school the day before because his mother died. As things get darker and worse for him, he seems to just take it all in stride. I didn't pity him, but it was hard for me to think of him as a juvenile delinquent. It's just... an odd emotional center, and it leaves me confused more than anything else. 2.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1119 out of 2041, below Interstate 60 and above Mother.

Rent from Amazon for $2.99.

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