(1957; French, b/w) The English translation of the title to François Truffaut's early, short film is The Mischief Makers, an exploration of sexual awakenings, from which he would go on to create The 400 Blows.

Away from home for the summer holidays, five pubescent boys in shorts after seeing Bernadette (Bernadette Lafont) on her bicycle, her skirt flying without a petticoat beneath, hound and tease her and her sweetheart Gérard (Gérard Blain). Too young and inexperienced to understand their rising hormonal hunger, but feeling an impotent rage while watching her play tennis in a white jersey in her bare legs, they hate her, trying to sabotage her pleasure of being with Gérard by harassing the couple at the movie theater and scribbling about them on walls.

For the most part the children hardly make an impression on the lovers until they are followed into the woods. At summer's end at the train station Gérard promises upon his return in three months, following his mountain-climbing adventure, to wed Bernadette. The man narrating says he felt more pity than shame for his and his pals' conduct when Gérard failed to come back, but the memory of Bernadette on her bicycle remained indelibly with him.

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Copyright © 2008 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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