Hawaii Pacific University screened French movie “The 400 Blows” on Nov 15 at the historic Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu.
“The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups)” is a coming-of-age drama filmed in black and white about a boy, Antoine Doinel, growing up in Paris.
Director François Truffaut created the film in 1959 as his autobiographical and directorial debut. It is a defining film of the French “New Wave” art film movement.
HPU Professor Pete Britos spoke about the work of Truffaut and his contemporary, Jean-Luc Godard, before the screening started.
New Wave filmmakers explored new approaches to editing, visual style, and narrative, as well as engagement with the social and political upheavals of the era, often making use of irony or exploring existential themes. The New Wave is often considered one of the most influential movements in the history of cinema.
To honor Truffaut’s work, Professor Britos’ Cinematography classes shot homage movie scenes outside the theatre as well as during the screening, which was for free for all HPU students.
