Les Quatre Cents Coups (aka The 400 Blows) (1959)

A young boy (Jean Pierre Leaud) growing up in Paris is misunderstood by his detached parents (Claire Maurier, Albert Remy) and dictatorial teachers. Directed by Francois Truffaut (JULES AND JIM) in his feature film directorial debut. Is there a greater movie about adolescence than Truffaut's insightful semi autobiographical film? It must have seemed a startling revelation to U.S.. audiences raised with cute Margaret O'Brien MGM movies and Walt Disney moppets. In one of the very best child performances captured on screen, the subtly expressive Leaud seems authentic in a way that the artificiality of most Hollywood child performers doesn't. There's no "plot" to speak of, just a glance at the difficulty of growing up in a regimented world that doesn't allow for a child's individuality. My favorite moment in the film might be the brief respite when the boy and his parents go to the movies and he gets his first taste of strawberry ice cream. Everyone seems happy before the discouragement sets in again. The film's final freeze frame always tears me up. With Jeanne Moreau, Jean Claude Brialy, Patrick Auffay and Guy Decomble.