The English title of the movie “400 Blows” is a gross misinterpretation of the original title. The original title stems from the French expression “Faire les quatre cents coups”, meaning “to live a wild life”, as the main character does. Literal translation of the expression would be “to do the 400 dirty tricks”.
What does the last scene of The 400 Blows mean?
It’s almost saying, your life is over now, you’re old enough, and you’ve learned whatever lesson you were supposed to learn. The 400 Blows is ongoing. It basically says — again more truthfully — that this is the end of this chapter.
What makes the 400 blows the work of an auteur?
The ambiguity of the style, characters, and the plot of the film highlights its status as an art narrative film. Truffaut’s debut film readied the world for the French New Wave and established him as an auteur with a stylistic signature on film.
What makes 400 blows so good?
The 400 Blows was among the first movies made without studio backing to show cinema’s potential for telling personal stories. Half a century later, it’s rarely been matched for its unsentimental and poignant view of childhood.
What did Antoine steal in the 400 blows?
As Antoine and a friend emerge from a cinema, Antoine steals one of the lobby photos of a star. In “Day for Night” (1973), which stars Truffaut himself as a film director, there is a flashback memory to the character, as a boy, stealing down a dark street to snatch a still of “Citizen Kane” from in front of a theater.
What does Antoine accidentally cause to catch on fire?
Antoine has a shrine dedicated to Balzac and lights a candle for him. During dinner Antoine accidentally sets the little cardboard shrine on fire and tries to put it out. His parents then help put out the flames, and his stepfather is furious.
Is The 400 Blows based on a true story?
Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) is one of the most intensely touching stories ever made about a young adolescent. Inspired by Truffaut’s own early life, it shows a resourceful boy growing up in Paris and apparently dashing headlong into a life of crime. Adults see him as a troublemaker.
What is the story the 400 Blows about?
The 400 Blows. Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) is one of the most intensely touching stories ever made about a young adolescent. Inspired by Truffaut’s own early life, it shows a resourceful boy growing up in Paris and apparently dashing headlong into a life of crime. Adults see him as a troublemaker.
Is the 400 Blows by Jean Truffaut worth watching?
The later films have their own merits, and “Stolen Kisses” is one of Truffaut’s best, but “The 400 Blows,” with all its simplicity and feeling, is in a class by itself. It was Truffaut’s first feature, and one of the founding films of the French New Wave.
How far does Antoine Doinel run in the 400 Blows?
Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) runs as far as he can in “The 400 Blows.” I demand that a film express either the joy of making cinema or the agony of making cinema. I am not at all interested in anything in between. Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) is one of the most intensely touching stories ever made about a young adolescent.
