Antoine Doinel, 400 Blows (1959)
This Francois Truffaut film was one
of the founding films of the French new-wave movement in cinema and is a
landmark in the history of world cinema. Starring Jean-Pierre Leaud as
Antoine Doinel, 400 Blows tells the story of a misunderstood adolescent,
who is labeled as a problem child by his parents and teachers. Truffaut
realistically captures a troubled childhood in a narrative so elegant
that has inspired generations of filmmakers that followed. The
unassuming treatment and the new-wave style of performance is what makes
the boy’s story different from other mundane struggles. Leaud’s
portrayal of the disturbed boy in his early teens received laurels and
praises wherever the film went.
The Kid, The Kid (1921)
One of
Charlie Chaplin’s finest films, The Kid was described in the opening
titles as ‘A comedy with a smile – and perhaps a tear’. The film tells a
complex story of human relationship when a street urchin finds an
abandoned child and cares for him. The kid, too, grows fond of the man
and they form a great bond but the situations that arise jeopardizes
their relationship. Jackie Coogan, who played the child in the film,
soon became a household name and the silent film sent out a message
which was received all over the world. Charlie Chaplin’s classic has
immortalised the little boy in our minds forever.
Apu, Apu Trilogy (1955-1959)
Indian
cinema’s first franchise based on Bhibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s
stories were appreciated globally for being so deeply rooted in Indian
culture. The films, Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur
Sansar (1959) traced the journey of a boy, Apu, from being a small
innocent boy in rural Bengal to becoming a man who has experienced life
and all its tragedies. Visually stimulating and simplistic in its
approach, Apu represents a set of images that define a culture, a
setting and a way of life. Subir Bannerjee plays the little boy in the
first two films and is perhaps Indian cinema’s first internationally
renowned icon, created by perhaps India’s greatest filmmaker.
Bruno Ricci, The Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Set
in post-war Italy, Vittorio De Sica’s Ladri di Biciclette (original
title) is a landmark film of the neo-realist genre. The stark poverty,
the desperation and the sheer despair that was shared by an entire
nation is portrayed through a simple story of a father-son who are
looking for their stolen bicycle in the city. One of the finest films
ever made, The Bicycle Thieves explores the angst of a poor man, Antonio
Ricci, who looks for something lost along with his kid, Bruno. The kid,
played by Enzo Staiola, has rendered the film an added class with his
expressions and controlled silences. The boy takes us through being
curious, anxious to downright disillusioned while still holding on to
his innocence.
Ali and Zahra, Children of Heaven (1997)
Majid
Majidi’s most renowned film, Children of Heaven is the best prototype of
modern Iranian cinema. It tells a subtle tale of a brother and sister
who enter an agreement of sharing a pair of shoes since one of them
loses the other one’s shoes. The scenarios follow a usual course of
events where life itself provides all the drama that is required in the
narrative. The kids, Ali and Zahra, played by Amer Hashemian and Bahare
Seddiqi are a genuine epitome of cuteness and innocence. Their on-screen
brother-sister bond will bring back memories of your childhood if you
had a sibling.
Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on November 16, 2012
