ftw

That's all you can do, kypade? Three letters?

This was the first movie of my new French New Wave class, which will expose me to some cinema that I've had no experience with. I'm quite looking forward to it.

This one was pretty straight-forward, but I really, really liked it. It reminded me a lot of The Bicycle Thief in its realistic depiction of poverty, childhood, and crime. The form of both films is also very similar: lots of long takes, deep focus shots, and minimal editing. The way it blends some hilarious comic vignettes with its overall tragic tone is really quite amazing. The lead actor is pretty great, and Truffaut's direction - while relatively simple - is still impressive. A straight-forward but powerful film.

In the state I was in, yeah, three letters ftw! :o

What else do you get to watch in that class trix?

Next week is Breathless, which I'm really looking forward to.

Also Handsome Serge, Mad Pierrot, Jules & Jim, Paris Belongs to Us, Hiroshima My Love, Last Year at Marienbad, Cleo from 5 to 7, My Night at Maud's, Happiness, and Contempt.

I'm really excited to hear what you think about Hiroshima mon amour trxister. It's probably my favorite New Wave movie, although I think it barely qualifies as one.

Now this one is my favorite New Wave movie. Truffaut's story is so genuine, so honest, so real, that it breaks my heart just thinking about it.

Forget about the story for a second, though, what about Truffaut's camera? He places it high above the streets, observing the students mischeviously sneaking away from their class's line. The whrligig stuff. Those final shots where long, unbroken takes follow Antoine's seemingly endless dash for freedom.

Man oh man, what a film!

The initial shot is really nice too, where you could only see Eiffel Tower from outside as the grand symbol of Paris while in reality it hid all the problems beneath.

is Last Year at Marienbad yr only other exposure?

Cool. Look forward to yr thots. Breathless is pretty special.

I'm waiting for someone to call it boring.

Yeah, but like, no Larry Clark-esque underage poontang and no shocking stuff to keep people awake! These are delinquents, man!

It's very good but I didn't fall entirely for the "feel bad for Antoine" line of thinking that is pushed on the viewer. Yeah he has bad parenting and examples from those older than him but I couldn't find enough in the film to consider feeling overtly sad for him. The last shot, like Magnus said, is a bit meh and I don't know if it really speaks much in the form of Antoine's future.

Complaints aside though, this is a really well made film with a lot left to think about afterwards. It also is quite funny at times.

Do as Magnus does, not as Magnus says.