Truffauts 400 Blows

Truffaut's film, Les Quatre Cents Coups, translated as The 400 Blows, depicts a semi-autobiographical story of a young mischevious boy who is regarded as a trouble maker by both his parents as well as the teachers at his school. Truffaut's first film is often regarded as one of the best French New Wave works of art. Truffaut is praised for his innovative use of camera angles as well as his ability to develop his characters with a believable, natural presence. The 400 Blows portrays the life of a young French boy, Antoine Doinel, who is trapped in the middle of an unstable family while being labeled in society as a juvenile delinquent. Antoine continually looks for trouble, whether it's stealing, plagairizing, starting fires, or skipping school, his actions are constantly destroying his reputation. Antoine acts as if his behaviors are non-consequential, he seems to accept his bad luck. Truffaut rarely shows a genuine expression of emotions through the character Antoine. One moment where the audience can grasp a sense of what the boy is experiencing is when Antoine is at the carnival with his friend the day he skipped school and he seems happy for the first time in the film as he spins around and soaks up the experience. Truffaut does not dwell on Antoine's emotion towards his family. He is aware of his mother's affair, yet he seems to accept it and stay out of her business. He is constantly reminded of her lack of interest in being a good mother. Antoine is left to himself to figure out how to get by in life, even if he finds out the hard way.