SUMMER log The 400 Blows

Movie: The 400 Blows
1959, B&W, 99 mins
Director: François Truffaut
Actors: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy

Summary (IMDB):A young Parisian boy, Antoine Doinel, neglected by his derelict parents, skips school, sneaks into movies, runs away from home, steals things, and tries (disastrously) to return them. Like most kids, he gets into more trouble for things he thinks are right than for his actual trespasses. Unlike most kids, he gets whacked with the big stick. He inhabits a Paris of dingy flats, seedy arcades, abandoned factories, and workaday streets, a city that seems big and full of possibilities only to a child's eye.

Q:Discuss the significance of the film title.
A: The French translation of this film figuratively means "to raise hell." but "the 400 blows" are an expression of specific tricks one must complete in order to call oneself free or wild. Though the English translation is a direct translation of the French phrase, the true meaning is lost. In my opinon, the viewer should research the title before watching the film (as I did) for it will give one a good idea of the meaning behind the plot and the intent of several characters.


Q: What is the importance of camera angle in the film?
A: The 400 Blows opens up with several "high-angle" shots to create the mood of young, and naive experience. The opening shot parallels the child in the film-- as he starts out as an innocent boy. Images of a large city with buildings and skyscrapers are shown as dominant and large-- as if a young child is viewing them. Furthermore, a "high-angle" shot is used with the teacher in the school scene. The camera zooms in at a high angle-- giving the audience an impression that this teacher has a sense of power and dominant presence. The teacher does have this personality-- a very controlling and powerful role in the rest of the film.