It is apparent that the director Truffaut based much of this movie on his own childhood. Do you think Antione's relationship with his mother reflects Truffaut's relationship with his own mother or more of what he wished his relationship had been? Or maybe a combination of both?

This week, I decided to focus on the close-up. I find it a very interesting camera angle because its purpose, oftentimes, is to emphasize emotion. Most films have close ups of a character displaying a strong emotion whether it be joy, anger, sadness, etc. The first movie that came to mind with a great series of close-ups is The Graduate. The close ups take place during the final scene when Dustin Hoffman’s character comes to break up the wedding of the girl he’s in love with; the bride looks over to her parents and fiancé, and the viewers get a close shot of each of them displaying anger and frustration complete with furrowed brows and teeth clenching. Because this is truly an extreme close up, the viewers become forced to experience the feelings of these three characters, the agonizing frustration of these characters is seen, quite humorously, by this crazy eyed, lip quivering, forehead-vein-popping facial expressions. It’s my favorite part of the film!

I was fascinated by the diverse camera angles used in The 400 Blows. I loved that the credits were held by a somewhat "shaky camera" that kept the Eiffel Tower in the camera shot at all times as it spanned through the streets. The shakiness made it feel as though you were really there, walking the streets of Paris. I also like the intimate feel of the camera inside the cramped household; the metaphor for how cramped Antione was emotionally was wonderfully presented through this physical smallness of their home. The street level camera shots that occupy most of the film made me feel like I was there right alongside Antione and Rene. By being on their level and following them through their many adventures made them more relatable. What struck me was the arial shot when the teacher is taking the students out on the streets and the viewers can spot students straying from the line, one after the other.

Hey there! My name is Jackie, and I am a junior nursing student at Alverno College in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I am thrilled to be taking the course "Films Around the World" because I love movies!