MovieChat Forums > Les quatre cents coups (1959) Discussion > The jacket?

The jacket?

posted 15 years ago by Hypatia42
10 replies | jump to latest

The checkered jacket that Antoine Doinel wears throughout the film was so visually stricking that I thought it must be a cinematic echo. Then I realized that it is a child's version of the one worn by Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront. While this could certainly be a coincidence (and a sign I've watched too many movies this weekend), I wondered if there was any evidence that this was done intentionally, or, indeed, if the boy's appearance here is symbolically meant to 'be' anything one way or the other. Though, On The Waterfront would certainly have been familiar to a critic like Truffaut.

Anyone know?

[–] UrbanJedi 15 years ago

If you watch the screen test/interviews in the Criterion edition , Leaud is wearing his coat...he said in the interview he skipped school to come for the audition that day...so it's probably his coat.

[–] schumithecat 12 years ago

do you mean the screen test that was used in the film (interview with the shrink at the reform school)? that was not a checkered jacket.

[–] IAmSaba 15 years ago

LOL, I noticed the jacket too from On The Waterfront.

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[–] frizbanger 15 years ago

aha! i thought i must be mad for thinking this! but im not alone!
i would love to know if theres any truth to it...

[–] Hypatia42 15 years ago

We're not mad, we're perceptive. But I still cannot find any confirmation of it. We need a Truffaut expert.

[–] Monkey_Stew 14 years ago

I thought that too, especially because he wore the collar the same way that Brando did in On the Waterfront.

youtube.com/grapejuicepictures

[–] woowoo-6 14 years ago

Another possibility is this was a popular jacket for the common man/boy to wear back in the 50's. I remember many people wearing this type of jacket back then. I wore one too.

[–] MisterGumby 14 years ago

I had the exact same thought when I watched this for the first time!

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[–] DracTarashV 12 years ago

Funny, while watching the film I thought it looked so much like Terry Malloy's, too.

Nice jacket.

Feel a bit like Beethoven...

[–] onheadphones (20) 7 years ago

It was a very striking jacket indeed! Maybe it was intentional to make him stand out more easily to the viewer, it certainly had that effect for me.