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"But the cinephile is a...neurotic! The Bronte sisters were neurotic and it's because they were neurotic that they read all those books and became writers. The famous French advertising slogan that says, "When you love life you go to the movies," it's false! It's exactly the opposite: when you don't love life, or when life doesn't give you satisfaction, you go to the movies."
-Francois Truffaut, director, The 400 Blows
Looking at Francois Truffaut's youth, it's not surprising he needed to escape. He was passed from relative to relative and as he grew older, he stayed out all day and night, avoiding the dysfunction at home. He was expelled from several schools; not that he went when given a choice, often skipping school and by 14, he dropped out. During the days he skipped school, Truffaut stole his way into movie theaters and frequented the Cinematheque Francaise, where he watched movies from all over the world. At first, watching movies were his escape but soon, the cinema became his teacher, his school, his reason to live, the true love of his life.
Rejection by peers and being a loner growing up made me all too familiar with the feelings of alienation and loneliness Truffaut must have felt. In high school, I was self aware enough to know I would not attend the latest party or have a date on Friday or Saturday night. Every weekend I waited in line and purchased my solace. I escaped to the cinema and gave myself away to the dimly lit theater; to the projector, illuminated screen, and surround sound. I shared a more imitate experience with strangers than most of my "friends". It didn't take long for my taste to evolve; from Spider-Man and X-Men to A History of Violence and Requiem of a Dream. It was like being a explorer, discovering and claiming this new richness and complexity in films as my own. Cinema sprouted from a fling and blossomed into fiery passion. Though I'm still learning how to handle this fire, Truffaut has long taken it and blazed a path.
As a film critic, Truffaut developed the auteur theory: it states that the director is also the author of the movie and their entire body of work adheres to certain themes and stylistic choices. Nowadays we refer to this as a brand, its what makes directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino stand out from guys like Chris Columbus and Simon West. He believed a director should make a film from his or her personal viewpoint. The 400 Blows was Truffaut's worldview, an act of love. Learning from Truffaut, I cannot go back to escaping. Escape is too easy, too fleeting; a pleasant distraction. I now understand what love requires, it demands total devotion to stay and absolute patience to endure. I'll be blessed to create something personal and be passionate about it, something more than a simple escape. I can't say it any better than Truffaut:
"The film of tomorrow appears to me as even more personal than an individual and autobiographical novel, like a confession or a diary. The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera but by artists for when shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure. The film of tomorrow will be an act of love."
As a film critic, Truffaut developed the auteur theory: it states that the director is also the author of the movie and their entire body of work adheres to certain themes and stylistic choices. Nowadays we refer to this as a brand, its what makes directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino stand out from guys like Chris Columbus and Simon West. He believed a director should make a film from his or her personal viewpoint. The 400 Blows was Truffaut's worldview, an act of love. Learning from Truffaut, I cannot go back to escaping. Escape is too easy, too fleeting; a pleasant distraction. I now understand what love requires, it demands total devotion to stay and absolute patience to endure. I'll be blessed to create something personal and be passionate about it, something more than a simple escape. I can't say it any better than Truffaut:
"The film of tomorrow appears to me as even more personal than an individual and autobiographical novel, like a confession or a diary. The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera but by artists for when shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure. The film of tomorrow will be an act of love."
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