The 400 Blows Page #4

Can we see the Chief?

We've tried everything. Kindness,

persuasion, punishment

But we never hit him.

- Sometimes, the old methods

Of course, but we're not like that

He had a lot of freedom.

- Too much, perhaps

Not too much. You see, both my wife

and I work, and you know how it is

I'm a father, too

I must admit it's not always easy

If only we could talk with him

But he doesn't even listen

You think he's listening now? Look

how I found him with the typewriter

God only knows what goes on

in that head

Take down his statement

Vagrancy and theft

So, what's your decision?

- In any case

if I take him home,

he'll run away again

I don't know. Maybe you

could send him some place

to the countryside, where they'd

make him work. He won't study anymore

We could put him in a house of

correction. They're well organized

He'd learn a craft.

- That sounds fine

If there's room for him, of course

But you'll have to fill out an

application for the transfer of your

parental rights to the Department

for the Juvenile Delinquents

He'll appear in the Juvenile Court

tomorrow morning

You or your wife must be present

No one saw you enter the building?

I hereby declare having broken

into the building and stole

a typewriter

Sign here

He's all yours

Take care of him.

I'm going home

What did you do?

- I ran away from home

And you?

Oh, I

Here come the girls

I saw a police station

in a movie. It was cleaner

I once saw a dirtier one.

- And I, more cheerful one

The limo has arrived, folks

Put on your jacket

Tie, belt, shoe lace.

Empty your pockets

Sign here

Maybe we could take him back

but he'd have to change drastically

If only you could scare him,

Your Honor

That's not my role.

- But we can't control him

Or perhaps you're not

doing it the right way

Tell me, is it true that he sometimes

spends his weekends home alone?

My husband has a racing club.

It's possible we left him home alone

but he hates sports. He spends

hours at the movies, ruining his eyes

What does your husband have to say?

It's his son after all

He's not. He married me when my child

was still a baby. - That's quite noble

I shouldn't have told you.

- On the contrary

I think we should place your child

under observation in a special home.

- Could it be by the sea, Your Honor?

We're not sending him

to Summer camp

But I'll do my best depending

on what's available

He'll stay there for 2 or 3 months

while I study his case

Then, we'll take a decision

Believe me, this change

will benefit him

Goodbye, Your Honor.

- Goodbye

OBSERVATION CENTER

FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS

How did you end up here?

- And you?

I made the wrong turn.

- I stole a typewriter

A typewriter? That's dumb!

No wonder you got caught

They're numbered

You see that big guy?

He stole car tires

Each time I cried

my father would imitate

me on his fiddle

just to drive me nuts.

One day, I got fed up

and I knocked him out

Good for you. If I'd been you,

I would have killed him

Who's that? They caught him.

He escaped a week ago

You know, you can escape

but you can't get caught

What are you doing here?

Line up! Quick

Show me the bread

You couldn't wait, eh?

Bring your plate and bread here

Right or left?

- Left, Sir

And no talking

- I brought you that.

I bet they'd catch you and I won

So what? I had five days of fun

I'll do it again.

- What are you doing here?

Kanayan, to the psychologist

If she drops her pen, pick it up

but don't look at her legs

Or else, it will be on your record.

- My record?

They keep a file on what everybody

thinks of you. The doctor, the judge

even your parent's neighbors

I know mine by heart

I'm an unstable psychotic

individual with perverted tendencies

What if I play dumb?

- Then, it's the funny farm

or boot camp

Why did you return the typewriter?

- Well

since I couldn't sell it or anything

I got scared. I don't know

why I returned it. Just like that

I hear you stole 10.000 francs

from your grandmother

She had invited me for her birthday

I thought she is old, and doesn't

eat much. She doesn't need the money

She was going to die soon

So, since I knew where she kept

her dough, I took some

I knew she wouldn't notice.

And she didn't

She gave me a nice book that day

But my mother, she used

to go through my pockets

That night, while I was asleep

she must have found the money in

my pocket cause next day it was gone

Later, she mentioned it and

I had to confess where I got it

And then she took the nice book away

One day I asked for it back

and I found out she'd sold it

Your parents say you're always lying

Oh, I lie, now and then, I suppose

Sometimes, if I told them the truth

they wouldn't believe me,

anyway. So I prefer to lie

Why don't you like your mother?

Well, she put me in a foster home

and then, when they had no more money

I lived with my grandmother

But then she got old and

she couldn't take care of me anymore

So, when I was 8,

I went to live with my parents

I could tell Mom didn't like me.

She was always

yelling at me for no reason

There were fights at home

and I, I overheard

that my mother had me

before she was married

And she had a fight

with my grandmother once

that's when I found out that

she had wanted to have an abortion

It's thanks to my grandmother

that I was born

Have you ever slept with a girl?

No. But some friends of mine have

They told me where

the hookers hang out

And so I went, and I tried

to pick up some girls

but they yelled at me.

So, I got scared and I left

I went back several times

Once a man asked me

what I was doing there

He was North African. So I told him

I guess he knew a lot of women.

He said he knew one

a young one, who liked guys my age

So he took me to

the hotel where she was

only she wasn't there that day

We waited an hour or two.

She didn't show up. So I left

Don't look for your father,

I came alone. Over there?

Your personal letter hurt

your father deeply

and of course he showed it to me.

Whatever you may think

we get along well

I went through a difficult time, but

you didn't need to remind him of it

He gave you his name, after all

We were willing to try again

and take you back

but the neighbors would talk.

You probably complained

to the entire neighborhood.

- I didn't say anything, Mom

I'm used to this anyway. I have

been criticized my entire life

That's all I wanted to tell you.

And don't go crying to your father

He told me to tell you

he doesn't care about you anymore

So you will be sent to a Labor Center

You wanted to work.

Well, now you'll see if you like it

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