Francois Truffaut’s 1959 film Les Quatre Cents Coups is considered a milestone of cinematic achievement by critics and moviegoers alike. Set in Paris, it charts the semi-autobiographical childhood tribulations of Antoine Doinel, Truffaut’s onscreen counterpart. Emotionally neglected by his parents, who are too busy having affairs and bickering with each other, Antoine begins to experiment with cigars, truancy and petty crime with his best friend René as they scamper about the city. This film provides a detailed, delicate depiction of the world of the child, so far removed from ours and with its own values, secrets and codes of conduct.

Devoid of cheap gimmicks, fancy camera work and the nauseating sheen of ‘unreality’ that most films seem to be tainted with these days, The 400 Blows is frighteningly close to real life, which is a bizarre notion because it is, after all, just a film. French New Wave directors such as Truffaut had begun to treat cinematography differently, especially in terms of the actual film-making process. For example, he insisted that all the outdoor scenes, where Antoine and René run free through the streets of Paris, be filmed ‘au naturel’- that is to say without resorting to armies of extras to play ordinary Parisians in the background. The city is entirely herself- the only difference is the camera that trails behind our two young protagonists giving a raw fly-on-the-wall effect.

Forget the Champs Elysees, Notre Dame or even the Eiffel Tower- this film brings you the real Parisian experience; the narrow staircases of teetering apartments, 5am milkrounds, funfairs, bleak yet atmospheric cafes, and all through the eyes of Antoine. The simplicity of the dialogue and camerawork is admirable, and brings about a sort of nostalgia for a city that does not exist anymore. However, if you go to Paris armed with the right kind of eyes, and manage to avoid falling into established tourist patterns of museum/café/museum/café, you might just catch a glimpse of what Truffaut so masterfully captured.