"Not everybody has a tongue like yours."

Adolescence is a difficult time for any child. It does not matter where you grow up or in what era. The period between childhood and adulthood is fraught with awkwardness and insecurity. Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows" examines the life of one such child as he takes his first baby steps toward a new stage in his life.
Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) is a young man who lives with his mother (Claire Maurier) and stepfather (Albert Remy) in Paris. He has his troubles but is not really a bad child - he is just a confused boy looking for adventure, attention, and guidance. However, a serious error in judgment leads Antoine to steal a typewriter and he is sent off to a juvenile detention home. He eventually escapes his confinement and heads for the beach. While staring out at the sea, Antoine tries to make some sense out of his life.

"The 400 Blows" is a restrained version of "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955). It deals with the problem of juvenile delinquency and the confusion of adolescence from a stark and minimalist perspective. There are no drag races or switchblade fights to sensationalize the proceedings. This is a film more concerned with personal introspection and the harsh realities of the real world. Yet, while there is a richness to the film's texture, "The 400 Blows" is a trying film to watch. It is a technically-sound film that will appeal to the film student but will not appeal to the casual viewer. Truffaut captures the nuances of everyday life so well that the film mimics life's routine nature to perfection. The end result is a viewing experience that becomes too monotonous to be enjoyable.