The 400 Blows Directed by Francois Truffaut Brief Plot Summary: The first of Truffaut's autobiographical-Antoine films, this is the story of Antoine's youth as a juvenile delinquent. His pranks slowly increase until he is sent to a youth penitentiary.

Review:
After having seen The 400 Blows I became rather obsessed with Truffaut. The film is wonderful and is very well shot even though there is a sense that there is not close adherence to the general laws of editing… of course that's all a part of the French-New-Wave Style.

There are wonderfully comic moments throughout the film and the parallels between the works of Truffaut and those of Louis Malle were apparent only moments into the film. God Bless you Louis Malle.

Two Shorts by Francois Truffaut Directed by Francois Truffaut Brief Plot Summary: The first of these two shorts Les Mistons is the first film made by the legendary director Francois Truffaut. The Brats as it translates into English, this film is about a group of young French ne'er-do-wells who are "in love" with a young woman. They follow the young woman and her boyfriend around the city, praying for his demise and her heart.

The second of the two shorts Antoine & Collette is the second of Truffaut's many autobiographical films with Jeanne Pierre Leaud. A part of a an international collection of shorts called Love at Twenty this film follows Antoine through his first crush, his first love, and his first broken heart.

Review:
The problem with this collection of shorts is that they are just that: short. The entire dvd is roughly 45 minutes long.

However, the genius of Truffaut makes it all worth while.

Les Mistons came before The 400 Blows and already many of Truffaut's stylistic techniques are present. It is a strong short making use of great dialogue between the boys as well as simply filming some great anecdotes between them which help to better characterize them and the film as well as the type of films the world can expect from Truffaut in the future.

Antoine & Collette was not as charming as Les Mistons. This short was Truffaut's fourth film, and seems to lose a bit of the humorous charm found in both The 400 Blows and Les Mistons. While there is a certain quirkiness to it and the moments of awkwardness prove humorous it carries with it a certain weight that is not mocked or off-set by the humor Truffaut seems so capable of writing.