The 400 Blows (1959) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

I remember first watching The 400 Blows by Francis Truffaut in film class at college and can recall having to write essays and talk about it's influence on the French New Wave movement. There have been countless historians and writers's who discuss the themes and correlations to this being an autobiography of Truffaut's own childhood, but for me it's the realistic camera movements as almost ghost-like and the antagonistic main character who as a kid, slowly learns to become a rebel and thief in his overly-controlled world. Showing the troubles that a young kid has at school and at home, the movie brings a real life perspective to the poor economy of France and shows the curiosity and imagination that they bring outside school to try and skip school, steal money from their parents, and smoke cigarrettes at the theatre in order to grow up as soon as possible. The amazing tracking shot of him running from prison at the end stands out as a classic example, yet is the simple long takes of stealing milk or overhead shots of them running through the streets that truly make this movie influential. It's cool going back and rediscovering the power of older films who use techniques that can still be seen in films today, knowing that even in B&W and with French dialogue, I could still connect with the young kid's desire to run away from his oppressive parents and a system who didn't let him follow his true desire for freedom. What a moving, timeless, and expertly constructed film that is the glue that holds all the French New wave films together.