Stolen Kisses is a film unlike any other, perhaps because it combines so many elements into such a breezy film experience. Though Francois Truffaut broke into the film industry with his debut The 400 Blows depicting the young, misplaced Antoine Doinel as a youth attempting to find his way amidst the chaos of Paris, Stolen Kisses might be a more mature and understanding film to its protagonist. Like Antoine, Truffaut has grown up.
This adventure follows Antoine's departure from the army and his attempt to find steady work in Paris, that gorgeous and timeless city with the ethereal Sacre Coeur looming in the background. He goes through a number of professions, all of which are completely captivating in their interest to us the audience and Antoine himself. Tying all this together is his constant affection for the girl he left for the army, Christine, who very well may hold the key to his heart.
What is so endlessly fascinating about this film is the stark simplicity Truffaut films it in. Like his previous work, this film has remarkable fluid camera movements as he gives us a breathtaking view of the eternal city and the journey Antoine is on in hopes of discovering his place. We are dropped into various situations such as a small hotel, a private detective agency and a TV repair truck, all of which are Antoine's attempts to find stability in a most unstable of times: Paris, 1968.
What must be said about this remarkable film is that it is at its core a most personal story. Clearly, Antoine represented Truffaut in The 400 Blows and he does here. From adolescence to teen angst to young adulthood, Truffaut has shown us in three examples an everyman many of us can relate to. He is self-conscious, anxious, awkward around women yet tries to do the best he can. In Truffaut's eyes, and ours, this is the source of his innocence and charm.
This adventure follows Antoine's departure from the army and his attempt to find steady work in Paris, that gorgeous and timeless city with the ethereal Sacre Coeur looming in the background. He goes through a number of professions, all of which are completely captivating in their interest to us the audience and Antoine himself. Tying all this together is his constant affection for the girl he left for the army, Christine, who very well may hold the key to his heart.
What is so endlessly fascinating about this film is the stark simplicity Truffaut films it in. Like his previous work, this film has remarkable fluid camera movements as he gives us a breathtaking view of the eternal city and the journey Antoine is on in hopes of discovering his place. We are dropped into various situations such as a small hotel, a private detective agency and a TV repair truck, all of which are Antoine's attempts to find stability in a most unstable of times: Paris, 1968.
What must be said about this remarkable film is that it is at its core a most personal story. Clearly, Antoine represented Truffaut in The 400 Blows and he does here. From adolescence to teen angst to young adulthood, Truffaut has shown us in three examples an everyman many of us can relate to. He is self-conscious, anxious, awkward around women yet tries to do the best he can. In Truffaut's eyes, and ours, this is the source of his innocence and charm.