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Les Mistons:
Truffaut's acclaimed first film, is the touching story of the sexual awakening of a group of adolescent boys who idolise and become the tormentors of an older girl (Bernadette Lafont), and her boyfriend (Gerard Blain).
'Les Quatre Cents Coups', Truffaut's first feature, launched the New Wave with a bang when it swept onto the scene at the 1959 Cannes Festival and Truffaut won the Best Director prize. The film went on to win Best Foreign Film (New York Film Critics 1959) and was nominated for an Oscar for the Best Original Screenplay. 'Les Quatre Cents Coups' (meaning 'to raise merry hell') is Truffaut's own autobiographical story of his troubled childhood and adolescence and features a startlingly natural performance by the young Jean-Pierre Leaud as the twelve year old rebel, Antoine.
Antoine and Colette:
Truffaut made his grand entry into full length cinema at the young age of 28 with the classic masterpiece 400 Blows which is a semi-autobiographical tale of his childhood. Then, he went on to make three other movies in which he experimented with some humour(Tire-au-flanc 62 and Tirez sur le pianist) and then with crazy love (in Jules & Jim).
But all the while, he felt like he hadnt said enough about the story of Antoine in 400 Blows - that film ends quite enigmatically, leaving the viewer wondering how that kid turned out. So, Truffaut decides to make the short-film 'Anotine & Collette' to pacify the eager fans with news of Antoine, that he's OK, he's alive, he's now a young adult, independent, working at Phillips making records to earn his living and not stealing typewriters and the like. Maybe he had always this concept in mind - to use the same actor for the role of the same character which is why he had to patiently wait for Jean-Pierre Leaud to age, to play the role of Antoine.
And if you've loved/liked the 400 Blows, then you must also surely remember his best-friend René, the guy who Antoine stays with after being expelled from school, to play poker, drink wine and smoke cigars. He has a small role to play in this film too - they're still good friends, talking about the good old times (scenes from the 400 Blows) And, he is still played by the same actor, Patrick Auffay, which shows a kind of progression, a continuation. Well, René was always the more confident and self-assured person, with loads of money to help, so he gets along well in life, has a good relationship going with a girl, which is expressed in those few scenes where they compare their 'amours' and René gives advice to Antoine to progress from 'the chase' to 'the attack' and get the girl.
But Collette does not have any interest in Antoine despite all his attempts to woo her with regular visits, concert-dates, and other 'moves' which i wont disclose. Antoine even follows René's strategy of writing letters, but that doesn't seem to work either. Now, once again the viewer is left in the middle of a stage in Antoine's life. What will become of Antoine, will he get to be with Collette, or will he get over her, will he find somebody new and will he actually succeed with this somebody new??? Stay tuned to the same Truffaut-channel, Antoine Doinel-time, for, about six years hence, will come Baisers Volés!
Lastly, the song, 'Love at Twenty' played at the end with those scenes in different parts of Paris, along the Seine, in the parks, and on the streets, is just beautiful!!
"It could end badly, or it could end well... ...but thats Love at the age of Twenty!"
French dialogue with English subtitles.
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