Image courtesy of Criterion.com. Scene from 400 Blows.
I am very excited to report that I will have the privilege to visit Paris' Cinémathèque Française for the exhibition of the Mister François Truffaut, this month. To add to the occasion, I have just discovered that Truffaut's grave sits in Montmartre cemetery, nearby.
Admittedly, I have only seen a couple of Truffaut's works, thus far. However, I think it a rare and memorable feat when a single film can challenge everything you think you know about cinema. For me, that film was 400 Blows. Despite having watched various French New Wave movies, never quite grasping either their concept or their significance, I felt that finally I was beginning to understand, as I was watching 400 Blows. For me, it was during the scene in which Antoine prays to his Balzac altar that re-ignited (no pun intended) my interest in French New Wave.
What a beautiful thing to be able to pinpoint the exact scene in which a film grabs you and won't let go. I have several such memories of specific films that I will cherish every time I watch them. I find that when this happens (on the unique occasion), that film ends up becoming one of my favorites.
While I'm still just skimming the surface of all things cinema, I am absolutely looking forward to seeing what the Cinémathèque Française can teach me.