Oppressive Education System and Truffaut’s Critique François Truffaut ’s Les Quatre Cents Coups is a film inspired by the director’s own childhood memories, revealing the mentality of 1950s France and, in particular, the rigid structure of its education system. The film shows how the military discipline that lingered in post-war France penetrated every layer of society, especially the schools. The education system operates within an order that denies children the freedom to become individuals, instead emphasizing obedience to authority. As a result, school becomes less of a place for learning and more of a kind of “ prison ” for children. The character Antoine Doinel represents a child struggling to find his identity within this oppressive system. At home, he is guided by the expectations of his parents; at school, by the demands of his teacher. Yet no matter how hard he tries, he can never become what they want him to be. Truffaut presents Antoine’s efforts as a critique of the ...
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