In the 1950s, after the victory over fascism, people all over the world were in a state of reflection. In the east, the movement represented by China was initiated by the government. In order to allow the people to eat the same food at the same table, they were allowed to eat the same amount. The west, represented by Western Europe, set off the so-called violent storm movement. Because of the different social systems, this movement was triggered by a group of young people, whose purpose was to go out of their homes and find their own jobs.
There has always been a confrontation between two major factions in world cinema, namely, the American film of obedience and the European film of resistance. This situation was extremely prominent in the period mentioned above. Due to the rebellious spirit of young students in Western Europe, many excellent films were produced in that period. These films are iconoclastic and reflect very personal themes that we consider representative of new wave art. Among them, the significance of the opening of the film is France in 1959 produced “four hundred”.
The 400 Blows leaves me a great impression, because I have no idea what the film is about, which is why I did not choose this movie at the first time.
This is a youth movie, which tells the youth life of a young boy. Confusion, betrayal, disappointment and other senses are all together which can be called the period of youthhood.
“Les quatres coups”, also translated as “Hu Zuofei” in Chinese, “400”. It’s a French film directed by Telvfu. The French proverb says that a naughty and naughty child must be beaten four hundred times to eliminate the disaster, fear the devil, and become a healthy and obedient child. Telvfu shot this autobiographical film according to his difficult experience in his youth.
The first feature film “The 400 Blows” shot by French film master Fulangsuowa•telvfu won many awards such as the Cannes Best Director Award. The film is known as the opening of the New Wave Film School. It is an important monument in the history of art films and is worshipped by many fans and followers. The film tells the story of a boy named Antoine struggling to grow up in a dysfunctional family and society in search of freedom. Lvfu projected his childhood experience and mentality on the boy, so the film has a strong “semi-autobiographical” style.
The main character of the film is a young boy which was chose by the audition and picked by the director from 60 boys. The film had no stars, and a scandalous topic, and yet it was widely embraced by critics and the public. After I watched the film the most impressed plot was the end of the film. Three long shots in groups, clean and memory. Parisian Street View. The child is copying, the wrong writing tore up a page, the ink soiled and then tore off, the more anxious the more wrong. Stand, lie, skip school, steal, Antoine. Alone or lost. A deadly long run, get rid of his pursuers, run all the way to the sea. The waves hit, there was nothing else but the sea. Perhaps the price of freedom is the loss of freedom. Lvfu was 13 years old and had to survive a hard time. In the end, a look back at the Great Seaside opened the era of the new wave of French cinema. It has been a long time since I saw such a tearful work. It is like a sharp needle that sticks out a growing pain.
The film reminds me of my youth time when I was in middle school. Youth is the time to spend and waste and remember. It was unprecedented loneliness, I really wanted to find someone I could trust to hold him, crying out loud, may be all the pressure ran out. Several years ago, I came to this strange city, this strange school, and I started to live alone. Slowly, I made new friends. I thought these friends were people I could rely on when I encountered difficulties. You can really trust someone when you’re in trouble, but after a while, I realize that it’s not. They are just a group of friends who can eat, drink and play. They are good friends, but they are not my close friends who I can deeply talked to. Everyone is busy with their own affairs. Who will have time to worry about others ‘ affairs. Everyone is busy. We were limited to the most superficial relationship, so slowly I felt that this person from the bone to protect themselves too well, not my easy access to people. And the other two people in the dormitory are not people I can talk to each other. It is the first time in my life that I feel what loneliness is. And … And … So slowly, I do not like in the dormitory, because the dormitory is really cold, I began to be outside every day, very late back, early in the morning, I actually adapted to the kind of daily study and eating life, I suddenly felt very comfortable in this life. Perhaps once I get used of this sense of loneliness, it’s time for me to be mature.
The character imitate the movements of his mother’s make-up in front of the mirror, the centrifugal axis playground, the ever-shorter team in physical education. Balzac, the father who had clearly noticed his feet, the laughter of Little Red Riding Hood and Big Gray Wolf, and the laughter of young children. Cage, tears, self-cigarette, imprisoned children, the long shot of running, the sea …
This emotionally charged film is a stark departure from the “flawless” quality films of the past, which relied on elaborate sets and craftsmanship. Many of the scenes are straight out of truffer’s memory, like stealing a typewriter to pay for a paragraph that was caught, so it’s not hard to understand the lingering smell of individual memories throughout the image. It is also through this film that truffaut further utters the slogan of “authorism” to the world: the director is the soul of a film, not the producer, not the actor and not the writer.
Past reviews of the film have tended to focus on its underlying critique of social realities and its praise of rigid educational thinking. The school in Antoine’s eyes, in particular, truly reflected the educational situation in France and even the whole Europe at that time: dogmatic, rigid, rigid and stuffy without proper academic passion and fun of education — just like China today. As we know, this was reflected in many French films at that time, such as the red balloon. In the end, discontent with education became a flashpoint for the French may storm. European education today is so humane that it is indeed born of the dead bodies of the past. Bergman’s contemporaries had equally distinguished performances in his “frenzy” and in the British masterpiece “blanning’s version”.
What makes this film more touching is the world in Antoine’s eyes — not only cold and ugly, but also sweet and beautiful.
Hello, ZHEN, I’m happy to read your post about the movie The 400 Blows. I think the common thing between you and me is that I also find the movie deserve watching after reading your post. You’ve done an excellent job in writing this post. You analyzed the characters, plots, your opinions and other reviewers’ opinions about this film, and so on. All of which you have done has made the post a good one. I’ve learned from your post that you had an unhappy middle school experience. I can feel your solitude in your words, but I feel happy when you adjust to daily life. I admire the way you write the post, and it seems that you are talking with me in a friendly voice. In particular, the paragraph in which you wrote about your loneliness touches me most. I want to relate my life experience to the movie next time to compose better writing.
Thank you for adapting this film’s plot to your life. I think you did a good job writing a description of the ending scene, and I love the phrase you wrote, “Perhaps the price of freedom is the loss of freedom,” That really made me think a lot about my own life. I also never knew about the French proverb about handling naughty children by giving them 400 blows. That’s a way of parenting that is not really stood for anymore.
I picked this movie as well, and like you it seemed to fit in a little more with my life as a teenager as well. Having that connection to my childhood made this movie all the more interesting to me as it made it possible that throughout the world we really are all faced with the same problems growing up. and to hear you say that you had similar issues and things happen really drove that point home for me so thank you for that
After reading your take on 400 blows and another students I definitely think it is a movie worth watching. I did not know it was the film-makers first film which is a great achievement that it ended up winning all of those awards! I like how your sources are nicely organized and specific to what the source is talking about.