Revisiting 400 Blows — A Timeless French Classic
Within the walls of institutions, lie the corpses of free souls. It isn’t news to anyone who is aware of the contemporary world that institutions, educational or societal, regardless of nature have had a negative impact on those who wish to think freely or those not fortunate enough to be blessed with the most beautiful circumstances, to put it mildly.
“400 Blows” is a 1959 French Film by Francois Truffaut, one of the most influential filmmakers of French film history. He was a critic later turned filmmaker, he was also a key figure in the French New Wave.
“400 Blows” is considered semi-autobiographical, It tells the story of Antoine Doinel, a young boy growing up in Paris, who faces a series of challenges and struggles in his life. The movie is notable for its realistic portrayal of Antoine’s life and its departure from traditional cinematic conventions. Truffaut uses a handheld camera to capture intimate moments, giving the film a documentary-like quality. This technique, combined with unscripted dialogue and naturalistic performances, contributes to the overall authenticity of the film.
The entire movie is filled with themes of institutionalized oppression, it deals with a young man yearning for Freedom in a societal structure that is hell-bent on making him the most efficient worker possible. It deals with the complexities of childhood and adolescence through Antoine’s character. He presents a raw and honest depiction of a young boy dealing with neglectful parents, a troubled school life, and a lack of guidance. The film captures the confusion, rebelliousness, and longing for independence that often accompany adolescence, resonating with audiences of different generations.
Antoine’s troubled relationships with his parents and his strained interactions at school add to the complexity of his character. His parents are neglectful and distant, with his mother portrayed as preoccupied and his stepfather disapproving. These strained family dynamics contribute to Antoine’s feelings of isolation and fuel his desire to escape his current circumstances. Truffaut also explores the theme of the loss of innocence. Antoine’s experiences expose him to the harsh realities of the world, challenging his youthful idealism. As he faces various disappointments and encounters with authority figures, his innocence gradually erodes, leading him to act out and rebel against societal expectations. This loss of innocence is symbolized in the film’s final freeze-frame, where Antoine’s expression reveals a mixture of vulnerability, defiance, and resignation
Sea has often in fiction been used as a symbol for utter freedom, Antoine seeing the vast ocean for the first time, coupled with the framing of the entire shot in contrast to how different it is from the previous shots in the rest of the movie makes it clear that Truffaut intends to show the final scene as Antoine discovering Freedom for the very first time but feeling all the more agonized with his internal restlessness, it displays the end-point all adolescents reach.
Misery of Freedom.
Fin.
