Yeah, I agree. It’s definitely the worst of the series. And it really started to go downhill with Bed and Board—I don’t even get what Antoine saw in that traditional Japanese girl.
I really liked Stolen Kisses, though.
hmm. i can’t remember if i saw “love on the run”. i certainly saw the other ones, and really liked them. “bed and board” was great. i love that moment when doinel comes home, and finds his wife dressed in japanese robes. then the quick zoom into her face. that was a powerful scene.
Hnoestly i loved all four films, although my favorite is the 400 blows. Though you pointing out it is the weakest is very true. I saw absolutely no reason for some of the storylines in that film!
Truffaut on his worst day is still better than 99.99999999% of others on their best.
That said, I’m still a fan of LOTR (hmmm, interesting way that breaks down, no?)
I liked it, it’s certainly the worst in the series, but it does still have some great, somewhat powerful moments- the stand-out being the part with Antoine meeting his mother’s lover, and visting her grave. It was almost as if Truffaut himself was coming to terms with his past.
it can’t compare with the others, but it’s still fun to watch after being so invested in antoine. It’s more of an indulgence flick for me.
Truffaut was not ashamed to make an occasional film that was a bit more of a crowd pleaser in order to pay for some of his more personal projects. Nothing wrong with that considering LOTR was preceded by his most underrated film. the Green Room. LOTR is no masterpiece, but still a charmer. Considering the pace at which he worked and his early demise, we should be grateful for every Truffaut film.
Isn’t “Love on the Run” pretty much a clip movie?
I like it – I can see its shortcomings (yep, Irvin, it’s pretty much a clip movie), and I can remember seeing it and thinking this was the first time that Truffaut hadn’t really tried his best – it all felt a bit sloppy, possibly even lazy, given the huge amount of re-used material. But it’s still fun and holds a bit of a special place for me as it has that end-of-an-era feel to it; the closing sequence when the Souchon song kicks in and we see young Antoine having a great time on the carnival ride is something I find to be very moving.
My head knows that “Love on the Run” isn’t a great film, but my heart tells me something rather different.
dorthee is pretty much worth the price of admission by herself as she is absolutely gorgeous/photogenic.
i have to agree with christopher sepesy on this one. love on the run is obviously the worst doinel film, but really what is that saying considering the awesomeness of the others?
my personal fave is antoine and collette, although i’m not sure if that is just because i have a short attention span.
I like it, I enjoy the others more, but I like it. I like the structure and concept, but no doubt Truffaut could have done a better job of it had he not been at the low point of his career. It’s a shame he didn’t live past it, I’m sure he’d have come back strong if he had lived longer. And, if he had lived longer, it probably wouldn’t have been the last Doinel film, regardless of its content. He surely would have mined his alter ego for more as he got older, sort of a Doinel Up series almost. Pity.
I also really enjoy ANTOINE ET COLETTE. My film professor in college and I used to stay after class and run movies for each other, I showed him ANTOINE ET COLETTE and he was like “It’s ok, but what the fuck is with you and movies about French adolescence?” It was a fair call. His picks fell along the lines of CRISS CROSS and RAW DEAL; I screened LES MISTONS, BLACK NARCISSUS, MURMUR OF THE HEART, and THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. He only liked LES MISTONS and TENENBAUMS. I think his comment was fair, in retrospect. But still, at 22, what could have been better than the Doinel films?
The worst choice ever was made when they decided to do a theme song! Come On! the guy who did the 400 Blows is going to use a theme song, COME ON!!!!
Theme song didn’t really bother me, now that I think of it.
The credit sequence is the best part of the whole movie. It was actually kind of moving to me.
@skeleton- i think your film prof was wrong about antoine et collette as it is simply incredible for the way it uses a million techniques in the way that it tells its story. you want flashback, it has it. you want montage, you got it. you want person to person communication sans image to back it up, it’s yours. truffaut was really showing of his mastery of the methods off filmmaking with this one. a masterpiece, plain and simple.
I’ll back Troy up. Antoine et Collette is a stealth ‘reel’. The icing is that it’s so pleasant. Prof only tasted the icing.
@Skeleton – when you say “he didn’t live past it”, there were three movies between this one and his death, and I really like “The Last Metro” and “The Woman Next Door”, both of which are far better, more assured films than the final Doinel one. I like both of these – esp. “Metro” – although I think “Finally, Sunday” is really not that good, and is a poor film for him to have signed off with
If anyone here has read the Truffaut biography “Truffaut” (Serge Toubiana/Antoine de Bacque) re: Love On The Run, Truffaut on some level had to do away with Antoine Doinel, in particular since he was/had reaching/ed the age of 40 – and to have continued Antoine in his eternal adolescent state would have been unthinkable and not realistic to Francois or his audience.
I’m resurrecting and old thread because I’ve finally seen this film and I want to talk about it. I really enjoyed it. I thought I may find it a little on the sad side since the back of the dvd case was talking about finalizing his divorce and all that but I found the entire film to be a joyous experience.
I didn’t mind the theme song either. When the picture ended I sat there and listened to the entire thing. I think this film was a great way to wrap up the Doinel series. Watching it just makes me want to go back to the beginning and see the whole story over.
Things I enjoyed: -seeing Antoine and Alphonse together. I’m glad they seem to have a good relationship and that he cares for his son.
-That he is not perpetually unemployed.
-That he makes peace with his mother
-That Christine and him are not bitter
…I could go one for a long time.
Also resurrecting because I just saw.
I loved the credits scenes, with the theme song and the strange shots. They both worked very well, and it made the movie worthwhile.
Even with all the clips, the story of him finding a picture and piecing it together and then finding the girl? I mean, that’s what I want from a movie. Beauty that could NEVER happen but sounds like it has the chance.
I liked the movie a lot, that’s about all I can say. Pretty much anything by Truffault works for me.
Hans Lucas
I mean its not that it was bad but i feel as in comparison to the other films in the series it can’t even compare. I feel as if all it did was serve as a closing to almost wrap everything up. But even Francois Truffaut admitted to being somewhat ashamed of the last film.