Childhood and school was a horrible place in The 400 Blows but Truffaut offers a warmer, more optimistic view in this ensemble piece. It's set in a small town in France and consists of a series of vignettes and moments.
There's a memorable scene where a kid climbs out a window and falls to the ground. It's a real heart stopper although you wonder why at least some of the adults just staring at the kid don't yell or something, they just stand there. (The doll standing in for the kid isn't very realistic either).
Other key "storylines" include: a boy gets a crush on an older woman (there is a fair bit of boys perving on women), the reveal that one of the boys is being physically abused, a girl is stuck at home without any food, a boy and a girl have their first kiss.
Sometimes the scenes are too on the nose eg two adults talking about how kids are more resilient than you think, the teacher talking to his students at the end how important kids are and how Abuse Is Bad. But generally the touch is light and warm and the film has a good soul. It is very male orientated.
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