A response to The 400 Blows

Literary Elements and Visual Style

The film, The 400 Blows, follows the events in the life of an adolescent boy. The panning of the buildings, the tracking of the boy and others, and high angles used in many of the outdoor city scenes of Paris, emphasize how large the city is in comparison to the boy who seems to not matter to most. The film is in black and white, but there is contrast and visual symbolism in different scenes. This movie deals with time and space. Dialogue is not the most important aspect of the film, the viewer becomes more engaged with following the actions and movements of the boy.