Slug:Keith Harper,Jr,10-11-10,400 Blows,French Language Film, Released November 16,1959, the film also won best director award at the 1959 Cannes Film Fest.the Critics Award of the 1959 New York Film Critics' Circle and the Best European Film Award at 1960's Bodil Awards. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 32nd Academy Awards.
400 Blows is a powerful film Intensely touching story of a misunderstood young adolescent who left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
400 Blows , for example, seems a clear descendant of the Italian neorealism of Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini, though more personal and autobiographical in tone—other elements, potentially at odds with naturalism, combined with it. The film also shows forms of montage editeing.
400 Blows’ does have some subtle cuts and editorial techniques that are worth exploring. It is almost as if Truffaut is announcing to the world of cinema “this is my style, folks that I will employ in almost all my films to come”. This style works for ‘The 400 Blows’, a film about an twelve year old boy’s rebellion against society, and indeed for most of Truffaut’s later work. According to passionforcinema.com. Also according to nytimes.com The striking distinctions of it are the clarity and honesty with which it presents a moving story of the troubles of a 12-year-old boy. Where previous films on similar subjects have been fatted and fictionalized with all sorts of adult misconceptions and sentimentalities, this is a smashingly convincing demonstration on the level of the boy—cool, firm and realistic, without a false note or a trace of goo d.
Both articles are right about the boys rebellion agaist society. The film also use editeding to make you feel the intensity of each seen. The film is also lokked at as Truffaut's (who is the director) greatest form of work. Overall the film while watching the film one cannot turn away becuase as the viewer one wants to kno what happens next.
My opinion of the 400 Blow's film overall was very positive. This was a very interesting film that one could not turn away fom the screen. I could not help but want to follow this boys life and want to know what would happen next. The editorial techniques used also amazed me becuase of the time the film was made. I think that it is amazeing what they were able to capture in 1959 with the limited tech the had.. Overall i recommand this film to watch.
