François Truffaut's very first film, 1959's The 400 Blows, was a film on an astute and happy schoolboy who looks for the delights of cinema, companionship, and freedom while endeavoring to have a typical life with his careless parents and wanton teacher. In this film, the camera does not attempt to keep the watcher out of the constructed reality of the film nor do they endeavor to disguise the activities of the camera. For instance, take the scene from The 400 Blows in which the camera follows a few students led by their gym instructor through the avenues of the city. While following the parade, the camera clears high into the air. We see small groups of students leave the line vanishing into back roads and little shops. The teacher stays oblivious and sums to just two students towards the end. The camera gives us a view that cant be seen by an easygoing bystander however the artifice of the shot does not part us from the scene. Rather, the view from above turns out to be part of the joke that we too take part in, hoodwinking the teacher alongside the students by the unmistakable control of the tracking shot. Another scene is the genuine emotion when the jail van heads out from the camera. The primary motivation behind this movement is that it goes from wide to a more tightly shot to get us nearer to Antoine to show …show more content…
One major prop that is used in “The 400 Blows” is the typewriter than Antoine steals from his father’s place and tries to sell. The fact that there was still a typewriter fulfilled its basic duty of helping to establish the period the film was taking place in. It also serves as a symbol for Antoine’s longing for understanding and freedom. The purpose of Antoine trying to sell the typewriter is so that he can kickstart his plans to change his life from the one that is suffocating him to one that he feels he will be happier