Visual Style: 400 Blows

400 Blows was packed with numerous examples of visual style. I loved the aspect of deep focus in this film. It did not force the viewer to look at a specific character, but rather the picture as a whole, and all the characters in the scene. The view of children in this movie is complex. They are presented as vulnerable, yet strong. In many of the close-up shots we see the boy's vulnerability, but in other scenes we can see the determination and strength on his face. A sad, but critical close-up shot is when the boys parents are arguing. He is seen in his bed, and this close-up makes the viewer feel empathetic for the boy's unstable home life. The opening scene had great visual style, with the high-angle as we go through the streets. It is tracking and it feels like we the viewer is on a walk or drive. As we continue to the Eiffel Tower in the opening scene we are presented extreme long shots, that eventually become long shots. This is to indicate we are also headed to a destination. I picked up on many medium shots in the film as well. Like the example pictured above, medium shots were important in this film to display the expressions between the family. The mom usually had an annoyed expression, while the father was either goofing around or upset. Usually while this interaction was occurring the boy seemed emotionless. It conveyed the feeling that he really was not clear how he felt about his parents.  I also noticed some distinct scene changes, with dissolves and fades. I loved the tracking as the boys move within the streets, along with the upbeat music. It conveys the trouble to the viewer that the boys are about to cause. My favorite scene in the movie is the high-angle tracking shot of the school boys running behind the teacher. The angle makes the scene, and we feel like we are in on the joke. It is comedic watching from above. It was great to not have the angle of the street goers in the scene as we watch the schoolboys dart off.