Jules and Jim

It's fitting that the poster for Jules and Jim, directed in 1962 by François Truffaut, does not feature neither Jules nor Jim. It shows Catherine, a woman that they are both in love with. It is another one of those movies that did a lot of revolutionary things that are a little hard to understand now. It's a lot to summarize what was new about this movie, and some of it I didn't pick up on right away. Ebert mentions that the movie was made with joy, and I can feel that as well. It still comes across and makes the movie feel really fresh and not dated in any way.

I really liked the story, first and foremost. It can be tough to figure out what exactly was so new in a film like this, where so many of our movie have been influenced by this style. I put that sort of analysis on a back-burner, and just watched the movie focusing on the story, the message, and the acting. I really enjoyed all of those parts together. I loved that I got to know all of the characters so well, and I was really drawn into the plot. It was  a great, relaxing way to spend my afternoon.

The 400 Blows

The film I watched today was François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959). I've seen it before in just about every film class that I have ever taken. I wasn't a huge fan of it the first time I saw it in some history of film class. I found it sort of plodding and tedious, and I was too busy trying to look at why it was important to film history to focus on the characters or the plot. The more I see this film, the more I grow to love it. I feel such a tenderness for the characters, and watching it again comfortable in my own house, no pressures of essays or debates, I was able to really enjoy the film again. There were so many moments I was so happy to see again - the charming scene where some P.E. teacher is out forcing the kids to jog and they all escape while his back is turned. It makes me smile, and it makes me sort of nostalgic, as well (maybe because I have many fond memories of causing ruckus in PE in high school).  I was able to feel more personal emotions about this film, watching it outside of the classroom.