the four hundred blows

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= best movie ever?

― fritz, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yes, it is.

― fritz, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No. Although, I haven't seen it so I shouldn't really be allowed to proffer judgement.

― Jonnie, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's bollocks.

― Ally, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

bollocks? you're out of your tree.

― fritz, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

'Antoine et Colette' is better. 'Baisers volées' is better still.

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It lies somewhere between watching VH-1 and poking yourself with a sharp stick on the fun scale.

― geeta, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It is bollocks. Self-pitying, self-glorifying, ooh ooh ooh bollocks. It's dull and self-concious, and anyone reading this can probably name about 50 nouvelle vague films that are better. The 400 Blows is the sort of movie people like my ex-boyfriend short list as "a masterpiece". It's way too "I just started film school, ooer" for me, and quite frankly no film pisses me off as much as The 400 Blows, besides Titanic. Oh, and Waking Life, that really pissed me off.

― Ally, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think I saw a different 400 Blows.

I just liked watching two 14 year olds in cool suits running around Paris in 1959. It looked good, the kid actor was great. I guess I liked it so much because I was expecting it to be the boring 1st year film school thing you described, but ended up seeing a really straight forward story with great atmosphere and good performances. I can see how you might find it boring if you weren't in the mood for it.

― fritz, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I watched 'jules et jim' this morning. I have never found 'the four hundred blows' playing at any cinema or on any television channel or a copy on any recorded format. but I'd like to.

― richard john gillanders, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't name 50 nouvelle vague films better than 400 Blows. I couldn't even NAME 50 of them. I think I've only ever seen two - this one and Breathless. I keep planning to rent Jules and Jim but I never get around to it.

Anyway, I didn't think it was a masterpiece, or the best movie ever made (that would be The Apartment, Taxi Driver, or 8 1/2...or maybe Heathers, hell, I don't know, it's stupid to try to pick a 'best movie ever' anyway), or even the best movie about adolescents, but it was good. On the other hand, Breathless had a better ending.

― Justyn Dillingham, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it's stupid to try to pick a 'best movie ever'

You were doing a pretty good job at picking one actually, Justyn

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I prefer 'shoot the pianist' over other truffauts mentioned.

'une femme est une femme' is another good godard.

― richard john gillanders, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You should see far more films than those two, Justyn, damn. I mean, a lot of them are complete rubbish but a lot of them are very good.

― Ally, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I didn't get it: I just thought that self-pitying kid needed a slap. Definitely my least favourite nouvelle vague film.

― Mark Morris, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But it might be the only new wave movie to have a good ending.

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

really i thought we decided the best film ever made in france was umbrellas of cherbourg,

― anthony, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's self pitying, definetly. But thats part of the point. I think part of what Truffaut was trying to do was show a young man destroying his own life. The cages he find himself in throughout the movie can be seen as self-made.

― Ryan, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, and come on people that final "whoa, I'm fucked" shot at the end is totally priceless.

― Ryan, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Four words: The Bride Wore Black.

― Joe, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Godard must've made 20 movies better than "The 400 Blows". I'm not certain whether "Breathless" is one of them.

― Kris, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

He wasn't self-pitying, he was a fuck-up.

― fritz, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ally - well, which ones are any good, then? I'd watch more if they ever came on AMC or whatever, but the only good video store in this town is rather far from where I live.

― Justyn Dillingham, Thursday, 21 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Breathless is Godard (who made at least 3 movies that were better than Truffaut :) ).

― Joe, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

eleven months pass...

antoine wasn't self pitying at all. he played the cards that were delt to him like a champ. it was his mother that was the self pitying one.

― chaki (chaki), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Criterion are re-releasing The 400 Blows on DVD sometime this year, I believe.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:42 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

what an ending.

it's hilarious too.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

OVERRATED

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I can tell you like it though.

and it's hilarious.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Hilariously boring?

― Leee O'Gaddy (Leee), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe the second half. but the first half is dead funny.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

does it get any dudder than reacting to a film's reputation more than the film itself?

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

haha! it is an absolute classic btw

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

does it get any dudder than reacting to a film's reputation more than the film itself?

Do you want a fight?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll give you four hundred blows

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

pay per view fellatio?

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:41 (twenty-two years ago)

haha i was actually more talking about people upthread

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

but if you think you're man enough then BRING IT, SON

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 05:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't get the truffaut-hate on this thread.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe people just hate kids.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

twenty-one years pass...

Got Doinel if you want it:

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/346-the-adventures-of-antoine-doinel

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 April 2025 16:20 (one year ago)

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