The 400 Blows (2 Stars)

This is the first film made by the French director Francois Truffaut in 1959. It's the first in a series of five films about Antoine Doinel at different stages in his life. In this film he's a 13-year-old boy, but he's played by the same actor in the later films, up until 1979.

Antoine is a difficult boy. He misbehaves in class, when he even bothers to go to school. He's neglected by his parents, but I don't want to criticise them too hard. They're a poor family and they have to work long hours, so they don't have much time for him.

Antoine wants to run away from home, but he doesn't have the money. He steals a typewriter from his father's office, hoping to sell it, but the most he's offered is 100 Francs, much less than what it's worth. He takes it back to the office, but he's caught and taken to the police. He's locked in a cell with thieves and prostitutes. After a short stay in a prison, he's sent to a juvenile detention centre.

The treatment he receives is shocking. I doubt a child would be punished so severely in England, neither today nor in the 1950's. The fact that he was taking the typewriter back should have been a mitigating circumstance.

The film (and the others in the series) are loosely based on Francois Truffaut's own life. I knew nothing about it before watching it. I was surprised to find that it's a highly acclaimed film among critics. Many modern directors, including Martin Scorsese, consider it one of the best films ever made. I don't agree. The film is interesting, but it's directionless. That can be excused by the fact that it's an (almost) true story, but it was still difficult for me to get into. The film has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm on the side of the 1%.

As always, I welcome comments from anyone who disagrees with my rating.

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