A definitive work of the French New Wave, and undeniably a hallmark across cinema's expansive history, François Truffaut's debut remains culturally relevant to this very day. Antoine's (Jean-Pierre Léaud) parents and teachers believe him to be nothing more than a troublemaker, so he decides to flee both home and school, stealing a typewriter to fund his exit. Unfortunately he proves an inept thief who winds up incarcerated. A semi-autobiographical film which reflects events of Truffaut's and his friends' lives, The 400 Blows is a beauty to behold. A monochrome-coloured and immediate depiction of lost youth that magically showcases the desire for change. A former critic himself, Truffaut's nose was forever buried in a book, but when the time felt right for his story to reach the page and screen, we crumbled at its mercy. The famous last shot a zoom to a freeze frame as Antoine flees reform school, truanting again but with better reason is also a perfect depiction of Truffaut then; en route from a nasty past to a prosperous, promising future.
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Film Studies degree graduate from the University of Brighton.