400 Blows Movie Essay

The 400 Blows by: François Truffaut

I have loved film ever since I was a little girl. Though, like many American film lovers, I have yet to explore many foreign films. The foreign films that I have watched I have enjoyed, but I have been fortunate to travel to many countries in my youth, so I have an understanding of European lifestyles. European life is much different than American life thus we see examples in film. Life is much slower paced in Europe than in America. American’s expect to be dazzled by effects and extraordinary, mind-altering concepts while watching films, which isn’t a bad thing. On the other hand you have foreign expectations for films, which may not have many extravagant mind-altering concepts, but they do explore concepts we see everyday that
It shows the repercussions of Antoine’s actions as real as the director could make it. He lies and he gets punished, he steals and he gets punished. There is a clear misunderstanding of Antoine that the audience can see. Though this misunderstanding is not shoved in your face. It’s constantly shown throughout the piece that Antoine is just a naive boy growing up. Though, like many children of his age, he finds his way through with trial and error. However, like so many disobedient children, he tried what is easy. Instead of going to mom and dad for rescuing, his pride has him run away. Finding himself in more and more trouble, as he tries to be independent. This is one misunderstanding the audience sees very clearly. It is so common that with children who run away, to have poor communication at home. The communication between parents and children is so crucial. Antoine, feeling that his mother is annoyed with him all the time, and his mother controlling his father, he turned to his own survival instincts. His survival instincts tell him to steal for food which, in turn, has even further repercussions when he is