400 Blows

Can't believe I have a blog.

I recently viewed 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut. I'm happy this film was my first exposure to French film. Some thoughts follow.

The opening scene - credits rolling, Eiffel tower in the background, city neighborhoods in the foreground, the camera circling, closing in on the tower, and finally reaching the base of the tower - brings to mind someone encircling a substantial but delicate reward. That the end of the scene pulls away from the tower through a tree-lined street signals that by film's end the reward is realized.

Fortunately, low angle shots of parts of the tower softened by columns and trees, a grey sky a veiled sun and the use of sound bridges paint a not too rough journey ahead.

I could not tell how Antoine defaced the eyes of the pinup in the initial school scene, but it seems to hint women ought to either close their eyes to what's going on around them, or should put on glasses to better see what's going on around them. Either way it's an acknowledgement of the gender differences in French society referred to in class. The more obvious example of this is the girls-in-a-cage shot that occurs later in the film.

To the boy, it would have been simple play with almost inconsequential results. When he's caught, all that's missed is recess. As the film progresses, each succeeding transgression by Antoine comes with increasingly greater consequences, resulting in subsequently greater obstacles. Overcoming each obstacle is what Antoine must do before he can even realize what he's looking for.

The school [paint peeling from walls] and Instructor [at wits end] both seem equally worn. Yet neither seem particularly harsh. The lack of sharp contrast in light and color blends has the affect of blending all the participants together, as if they're all in the same boat floating in an unforgiving world tethered by society and its rules. That not everyone is comfortable with those rules [Antoine and friends] or is capable of abiding by them [boy not able to keep up with the writing in class] is made clear in the school scenes.

Antoine strains against the tether [the natural order of things] almost unconsciously. His rebellions seem almost comical in their execution and never cruel in intention [e.g., writing on walls, staying home from school, stealing from parents, abandoning gym teacher, even attempting to defy the physical law of gravity (representing the seemingly unchallangeable naturals laws of society.)] This innocence however offers no protection from reality. In one scene, Antoine gets quesy when he overhears the women conversing about childbirth, and in another Antoine gets caught returning the typewriter.

The arrest occurs after Antoine has consciously attempted to conform to the wishes of his parents and teacher - his initial eureka! moment - and fails. Both at home where he almost burns down the apartment, and at school where he is suspended for plagerism.

Because of this I believe the shot of Antoine, tears in his eyes, looking out the rear of the paddy wagon as a consequence of being caught returning the typewriter, is as much a realization that no matter how hard he tries with the best of intentions, not only does he not fit into society, he can't seem to be free from it's stupyfing [to him] rules. Not to argue that the saddness reflected in Antoine is not the result of losing what comfort, companionship, familiarity and [stupyfying as it was] certainty he had up to that point, just that it might be more than that. This is the harshest shot of the film; the darkness and heavy shadows every so often pierced by contrasting very bright lights.

The turning point in Antoine's life comes when he experiences what I believe is his [silent] second eureka moment. This occurs when he hears the runaway that was caught and returned to the facility shout out that at least he was free for five days [and would gladly do it again.] This, I believe, is when that second eureka moment occurs in Antoine. He knows that to experience freedom, its going to be up to him to break away and be free.

This opportunity occurs later during the soccer game and consists of the long shot to the sea. At first, the concern of the viewer is whether or not he will also be caught and returned. But as the shot progresses, Antoine passes through a gate of sorts, and it is at this point that I sense Antoine is looking for more than just escaping. He finally sees the ocean and finally knows what it is to be free. Armed with this new found knowledge, he turns and sees his world anew. He may not know exactly what path he will take, but knows if nothing else it will be one of his choosing.