TCF340/French New Wave II: François Truffaut (Discussion)
Discussion Group 1 According to Monaco, what fascinates Truffaut about the world of children? Truffaut has said, "Morally, the child is like a wolf..." What do you think he means by this and is it evident in The 400 Blows?
Monaco argues in reference to the white frames cut into Day for Night just before Julie arrives that "...it is the structure of the film that speaks, not the content." What do you think he means by that?
Discussion Group 2 Monaco sees Truffaut's films as being like "mosaics." What does he mean by this and is it evident in The 400 Blows and/or Day for Night?
What does Monaco mean by the "considered pan"? How does he interpret the final shot of The 400 Blows? http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/400B-03.jpg http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/400B-10.jpg http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/400B-11.jpg
Discussion Group 3 Monaco sees two key questions recurring in Truffaut's films, one of which is "Are women magic?" What does Monaco think the answer is? Explain.
Truffaut was a known admirer of Jean Vigo's films. What similarities do you see between The 400 Blows and Vigo's Zero for Conduct?
Discussion Group 4 Monaco refers to Alphonse and Ferrand, in Day for Night, as homo cinematicus. What do you think he means by that? It leads into Alphonse's question, "Are films more important that life?" What does Monaco think the answer is? Explain.
The characters Jean-Pierre Léaud plays in The 400 Blows and Day for Night have different names (Antoine and Alphonse, respectively), but one could still connect the two. That is, what elements of the two films suggest that Antoine might have grown up to become Alphonse?
Bibliography
- James Monaco, The New Wave (NY: Oxford University, 1976), 13-36, 87-97.
