The 400 Blows [Blu-ray] The knowing yet innocent face of Jean-Pierre Leaud, the 14-year-old star of The 400 Blows, is the heartbreaking core of Francois Truffaut’s most intimate film. As Antoine Doinel, Leaud begins his career as director Truffaut’s alter-ego, a young boy neglected by his mother and stepfather who, to cover his absence at school, tells a lie that leads him to run away from home and end up in reform school. There’s nothing remarkable or surprising about the plot; the power of this film comes from how completely it draws you into Antoine’s life. Antoine is a vivid, natural presence, one of the most compelling collaborations between a writer/director and an actor. The movie seems to capture him as he lives. Antoine endures his parent’s indifference, humiliations at school, deprivation and juvenile delinquency–yet the movie never feels pitying or condescending, as if it were trying to rub your nose in Antoine’s suffering. On the contrary: His resilience is what grabs you, his refusal to be broken down as he struggles towards a more adult understanding of the world. Truffaut and Leaud made many excellent films together (Day for Night, Two English Girls), including further chapters in Antoine’s life (Bed and Board, Stolen Kisses), but none were quite as simple, rich, and devastatingly potent as The 400 Blows. (The title, incidentally, refers not to abuse or anything sexual, but is a French idiom for a wild and unruly youth or “raising hell.”) –Bret Fetzer
Customer Review: A film that will literally blow you away…
In all my movie watching and movie reviewing I tend to praise a lot of work. As you glance over my past reviews (if you so chose to ever do so) you will see a lot of `five-star’ or `Grade A’ reviews, yet in all honesty there are rarely times when I am so enamored by a film I am moved to claim it a masterpiece. Sure, I may say that a film is a genre masterpiece (I think I made that claim when speaking of `The Dark Knight’) but for a film to transcend genre and become a clear and present masterpiece of film it has to have that extra something that is rarely found in films; that extra connective tissue that links its importance, its soul to our soul and thus becomes a part of us.
`Scenes from a Marriage’, `8 ½’, `4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’; these are those type of films.
You can add `Les Quatre Cents Coups’ (The 400 Blows) to that list. This film is a staggering look at the power of neglect and the affect that it has on those receiving the brunt of its affliction. Francois Truffaut’s visionary debut film rests high on my list of cinematic achievements for it captures the very essence of this tragic life and this young boy’s desperate search for love, peace and eventual freedom.
The film tells us of young Antoine Doinel. His mother seems almost irritated with his existence and his step-father, as caring as he may seem, is still merely a step-father. His behavior in school seems to mirror his unhappiness at home, for he often finds himself acting out for attention as apposed to sitting quietly and paying attention. Instead of seeking out answers to Antoine’s issues, his teacher and his parents only seem concerned with immediate action; discipline. Even Antoine’s seemingly earnest attempts at improvement are degraded and slighted and eventually he finds himself in a reform school after a series of serious lapses in good judgment.
What is so moving about `Les Quatre Cents Coups’ is the way in which the film is delivered. This is not an abrasive and deeply emotional film, at least not in the obvious sense. It is a rather relaxed and almost passive film, a film that simply states the facts without overly dramatic embellishment. It thus has a lightness that makes the overall impact a little more acceptable. It’s not harsh, as it certainly could have been considering the poignant subject, and it has a very easy and fluid pace that makes the film both engaging and moving. When you strip away the Hollywood dramatization you find a raw and realistic approach to filmmaking, which is in full effect here.
When you take a richly realized script, very delicate and focused direction and a superb performance given by an astonishing young actor (in this case Jean-Pierre Leaud, who was merely fourteen when he landed this amazing role) you are left with a brilliant look at the most intimate aspects of life itself.
Yes, `Les Quatre Cents Coups’ is a masterpiece.
Customer Review: 4 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
One of those movies that’s every bit as good as everyone says it is, The 400 Blows is a powerful and engaging coming of age story with a wonderful performance by Jean-Pierre Léaud in the lead and the only worthy freeze-frame ending in cinema: go out and rent it.
Wall-E (Three-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]
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