In 1959 François Truffaut made his mark on not just the French New Wave, but the world of film itself with The 400 Blows, a semi-autobiographical work starring 14-year-old Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, Truffaut’s onscreen alter ego. It seems more than unlikely that it occurred to Truffaut at the time that he would still be dealing with the character and star — in some cases characters and stars — 20 years later when he closed the cycle with Love on the Run. It was the fifth film in the set (counting the 1962 shot Antoine and Colette, which comes heavily into play here) and leaves the now 30-something Antoine as a proof-reader and not-very-successful writer on a note of optimism that suggests at least that Antoine may have possibly gotten his act together. It is a warm, affectionate, nostalgic portrait of a character Truffaut had lived with all those years. In terms of autobiography, it’s possible to feel that Truffaut had in fact always lived with him, but by 1979 the line between Antoine and Truffaut — and for that matter between Antoine and Léaud — had become blurred to a point where such an easy reading really isn’t possible.
This last film was not especially well received in 1979, but it is perhaps the best — certainly the most even-handed — of the series since Antoine and Colette. Its most obvious problem — if it is a problem — lies in whether or not it works as a stand-alone film. My guess is that it does, but since I know the films that precede it, I am not able to come to it cold. The constant flashbacks to earlier films (there may be nearly as much old footage as new) as reference points — supposedly being drawn from Antoine’s not-very-fictionalized novel of his life — seem to me to mostly tell the viewer what needs to be known to get it. But even with my knowledge of the earlier entries, I was not immediately clear on the identity of Antoine’s late mother’s lover. (And I’m still not clear what the man put in his pocket at the print shop.) Overall, though, it struck me as sufficiently comprehensible to the uninitiated to work. At worst, it might send a viewer in search of the films that brought us to this point. That is not a bad thing in itself.
Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Love on the Run Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.