The 400 Blows.

I feel that the film is very good in showing human relationship and also in ideas about freedom, the main character Anotoine is stuck in life where he cannot escape trouble. Although he is from a poor background the family life he experiences is always very negative, he is not treated as a son or even part of the family- his parents treat him as almost an object. He doesn't enjoy being at home and also doesn't enjoy his life outside of the home for example school life, and when he does enjoy himself it only  results in punishment and more negativity. He also cannot study at home his parents are always getting him to do house chores and he cannot do things like study or do his homework that he is required to do for school, although he doesnt help himself, he is not helped by his parents.

Anotonie is alienated from his family life and also society, he doesn't really have a good relationship with anybody. his mother and father has given up on him, his teacher dislikes him even from the beginning of the film- the only positive relationship he forms is with his friend Rene- who looks after him when in times of need but eventually nearer the end of the film even he cannot help him.

Rene and Anotonie are from very different backgrounds in terms of money and family life, Rene is from a rich background and Anotonie is from the complete opposite although the 2 seem to share the same outlook on life, society and especially the education system. The relationship between the two also help to bridge from the rich and the poor that is represented.

Anotonie has no power through out the film and is always "under" someone else being told what to do or being told off for something. Near the beginning of the he is getting into trouble for petty things such as writing on the wall and getting disciplined by his teacher- but this then results in a "downwards spiral" into crimes such as the theft of the type writer and to a stage where he is shown to have no hope for the future and have no form of escape.

There is a strong theme of conflict throughout the whole film especially shown in his relationships with his parents, he is displayed in a way where he cant do anything right. At school he always gets the blame for doing troublesome things, his teacher refers to him as a "rascal" and is always talked about his negatively by the teachers and especially his parents- they even say they didn't want him. Even when he tries to do right- when he reads the book and writes his French essay, he is pleased for himself and trying to find a way out of the negativity- it still results in him getting into trouble. From this point onwards in a sense he "gives up" on trying and just accepts that his life is negative.

Through-out all the scenes Antonoie is shown as being trapped within his struggles of trying to do right, trying to please his parents and teachers- and shown to struggle about not wanting to conform to what he has to do in school and outside of school. He is always shown to be trapped in a physical sense too, his house is very small and is trapped in his scruffy bedroom and trapped within the classroom and school gates. Then when he runs away from home and is walking the streets of Paris he is free, he is free to walk the streets and where he wants to go, he can make decisions for himself and what he's going to do. But this is cut short when he has to return to his parents house and school etc.

The ending of the film displays the freeze frame of the action and is deliberately startling, not in a sense of horror, but the fact that you were not expecting this to be the ending with no explanation. I feel that this complements the rest of the film, i think from this point it leaves the audience to some extent puzzled and not understanding what will happen to the boy but leaves it up to you to decide what happens and you can assume for yourself what will happen to the boys life.