Dear Quentin Tarantino… No, Francois Truffaut is not a “feather lover”!

Make no mistake, Rédac’ AlloCiné loves the cinema of Quentin Tarantino very much. His lyrical flights fill us with joy, and we often follow his recommendations when he recommends some forgotten tidbits. And then, there were these few lines in Sight & Sound… QT destroys François Truffaut, calling him a “dumbed down lover.”

We will never criticize Tarantino, but we must remember what cinema owes to Francois Truffaut and how much we love the films of this director who died almost forty years ago. A tribute is therefore in order. A tribute to Tarantino’s response to fire: we’ve chosen to tell you about six films in the master’s high-flying filmography. Six films that changed the way we see cinema.

four hundred strokes

With the reputation of a merciless critic, destroyer of French tradition, Truffaut entered the cinema. And to fulfill the demands it has on other directors, the applicant must revolutionize French cinema. at least And the young man – he was only 27 years old then – was there. Her film is remarkably free and offers a portrait of a child that defies the beauty often associated with that age.

If it is not autobiographical, Les Quatre-Cents Coups is nevertheless inspired by the painful experiences of its creator, an unloved and rebellious child. In terms of distribution, he finds in Jean-Pierre Léo the ideal interpreter of this Antoine Doinel quest for love and emotional stability. The film presented at Cannes was awarded the best director prize. Ironically for Truffaut, Persona non grata was screened at the festival a year earlier for being too harsh on the films in competition. (Vincent Garner)

Jules and Jimmy

Two Boys, A Girl… and a flagship new wave film on its way. Perhaps not as iconic as Les 400 Coups, one of the founding opuses of the movement. But much more romantic. Adapted from the book of the same name by Henri-Pierre Roche, it therefore features Jules (Henri Serre) and Jimmy (Oscar Werner). and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), a woman both French and German fall in love with at the dawn of World War I, which separates them.

The banter and brutality of the first scenes (where we impromptu shoot, jump and draw mustaches) served as a symbol of the tragedy of returning from war, the end of recklessness. Moving easily from one register to another, Francois Truffaut establishes a style that would later be his. Not content with offering the sublime role of Jeanne Moreau, she takes us through the whirlwind of a life of laughter and tears, whose images and emotions will mark us forever. Jules et Jim undoubtedly remains his most beautiful film. (Maximilien Pierret)

Fahrenheit 451

After defying the Hollywood sirens several times, notably turning down the directorial role of Bonnie and Clyde (to be directed by Arthur Penn), Francois Truffaut Aim for 451 Fahrenheit. This feature film will be his only film made in English. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by Ray Bradbury. Note that the title also refers to the burning temperature of the paper. Although the special effects and sets are a bit dated, Truffaut’s exploration of the theme of totalitarianism remains the pinnacle of the genre.

The story takes place in an undefined country, in an undefined time, where reading is strictly forbidden. This activity prevents people from being happy. The only mission of the fire brigade is to kill the people who own the books and turn these objects into ashes. Guy Montag (Oscar Werner), a diligent fireman and citizen who respects institutions, meets Clarisse (Julie Christie), a young teacher who challenges him about his position. Little by little, his love for books won him over. (Vincent Formica)

The bride was in black

Does Quentin Tarantino have a short memory? The American filmmaker seems to have forgotten how much The Black Bride (1967) inspired his diptych Kill Bill! Adapted from a novel by William Iris (also author of Mississippi Mermaid), Truffaut’s film also follows a revenge plot hatched by a young widow whose husband is murdered on their wedding day.

In Truffaut’s version, there is no initiative trip to China, no yakuza and no bloodshed, but the cream of French cinema: Jeanne Moreau in the main role, and her victims are played by the legendary Claude Rich, Michael Lonsdale, Michel Bouquet and Charles Denner. . An important film noir in Truffaut’s filmography, it also benefited from an original soundtrack composed by another legend of the 7th art: Bernard Herrmann (Psychosis). (Clement Cusot)

american night

Thirteenth movie Francois Truffaut, an American night dedicated to cinema and creativity. A film crew gathers at Quizon Studios in Nice to film a feature film. It is the human adventure represented by the filmmaking that is the heart of the film.

Besides the fascinating behind-the-scenes aspect of the shoot, La Nuit Américaine has the intelligence to rely on collective adventure to tell the story of loneliness. The relationship between men and women in the film is often superficial, despite appearances. Truffaut tries to describe the isolation of the director during these reports, his creation and the management of everything related to his feature film. (French) Cinema classics to watch or re-watch. (Corentine Palanchini)

The woman next door

He saw them side by side during the César ceremony and quickly realized: there is this famous and intangible alchemy between Fanny Ardan and Gerard Depardieu. So for them he wrote The Woman Neighbor, the passionate story of Matilda and Bernard, two ex-lovers who once lived in a tormented idyll and who happen to be neighbors. They are both married, but their old flame, who is absorbed, is reborn years later.

The romantic drama, the last film of the great Truffaut, is undoubtedly the one that screams and best describes the psychological and physical torment of love passion and… the desire that is present in every gesture, exchange or brush. Coal-colored eyes, soaring voice, incandescent gait, masterful and still little-known Fani Ardan reveals herself in the eyes of the filmmaker, whose last companion she will be. Next to him, Depardieu, straight from his last Metro, offers a more intimate score, both wild and elegant.

These two great seducers of their time epitomize the urgency of feeling, the almost animal imperial embrace, destructive attachment and its impossible equation (the ultimate “neither with you nor without you”). Although he knows how to keep a safe distance from his nevertheless burning subject, Truffaut also manages, through his mastery of words, to emphasize the extent to which love disorder can create social disorder. This masterpiece, which inspired the greatest “toxic” romance films in France and elsewhere, is a must. (Laetitia Ratane)