French New Wave director François Truffaut sharply criticized "French 'quality' film, defined as well-shot and well-acted with scintillating dialogue, but far removed from authentic personal experience" (McCreary 65). The 400 Blows, Truffaut's autobiographical film from 1959, is characteristic of that new cinematic movement in many respects, but today I'll shine the spotlight on its use of location shooting in black and white to create an aesthetic that evokes nostalgia and thus helps fulfill the director's desire to convey an authentic and personal story.
The narrative centers around a young boy named Antoine and his coming of age in Paris during the 1950s. It deals heavily with childhood (and childhood in contrast with adulthood), and the fact that the film was shot in black and white invites us as viewers to connect with the setting and the main character as if we, too, had experienced that specific place in that specific time. Especially from a twenty-first century perspective, seeing the streets of Paris in grayscale as opposed to full color accentuated the feeling that I could have grown up there, as if I were looking back on past experiences that I never actually lived through. The result of my nostalgic attitude towards the setting was a heightened sympathy for Antoine as he navigated his troubles with his parents, teachers, and the other adults he encountered through the course of the picture. The 400 Blows may have been based on Truffaut's own boyhood, yet the way he presents the film aesthetically using black and white causes viewers to identify with the main character's struggle or at least reflect on their own childhood and the kids they likely knew who were similar to Antoine.
Before I end, I'd like to briefly contrast the black and white aesthetic of The 400 Blows with that of Raging Bull. Like the former, the latter film is also firmly rooted in a particular place, in this case the Bronx. In contrast to Truffaut's version of Paris, though, Scorsese's Raging Bull does not paint a particularly flattering portrait of the New York neighborhood or its inhabitants, and this cynical take is evident in the lack of wide shots romanticizing the location. Instead, the effect of black and white is that it keeps us focused on the action, whether we're watching Jake argue with his wife without the distraction of color or if we're in the boxing ring along with him as the black shadows in the background keep our eyes trained on him and his opponent. Regardless, both films tell personal stories that bring us into the worlds of their characters through a black and white aesthetic.
It is all connected. I didn't think too much about a comparison between the films thus far. But I definitely think you bring a new light to the connections you've made here. I really think they are giving us two similar aesthetics of of black and white film, both with stories of males but we do not cater to Jake's behavior as much as we do to Antoine's. Perhaps because he is only a boy?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the use of black and white does help us stay focused on what is happening in this film. I feel like if there were color, I'd probably get distracted. I guess that's why they also decided to show less of the common attractions of France (i.e. the Eiffel Tower) and more of the life of Antoine.
ReplyDeleteThe black and white does seem to evoke nostalgia, and it does help to keep you from getting distracted. This could be another reason not much of Paris is shown. Your comparison of the films is really interesting because they are such vastly different portrayals of men/boys who have emotional problems.
ReplyDeleteI really like your comparison of the two films. They both use black and white, but in such different ways. I totally agree that with The 400 Blows, black and white gives the film a nostalgic feel. It's so interesting how the film, and many others as well, have that sort of power to make you feel like you're right at home when in reality I've never even been to France!
ReplyDeleteI like the way that you worded: "the fact that the film was shot in black and white invites us as viewers to connect with the setting and the main character as if we, too, had experienced that specific place in that specific time". This is part of why I had related to the film in the past, and I think Paris feels like a warm and romantic setting with this nostalgic aesthetic.
ReplyDeleteI love that you mention the effect the black and white aesthetic has on evoking nostalgia too highlight the essence of childhood in the film. I also like how you compared the usage of black and white in The 400 Blows to the usage of black and white in Raging Bull and commented on the effects it has on the viewer.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment that the black-and-white technique didn't let you experience the movie like you would experience a Hollywood movie it; it's a totally different life that you don't have a relation to. I actually never thought about it that way, and I feel like it adds a lot to the meaning behind the color choice.
ReplyDeleteI think that you make a really interesting point on nostalgia and location being linked to sympathy and one's personal situation. Your post brings out the connection between Antoine's location, as well as the French New Waves relationship to location shooting, and the internal world of a young person in postwar France.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really smart to connect these two films because they really both rotate so heavily around a sense of place. The Bronx and Paris become almost another character in the movie. I also think the use of black and white is revealing for wht sort of character each of these cities is for the film. Scorsese heightens the differences between black and whites while Truffaut makes much more use of the gray.
ReplyDelete