i first saw this movie more than 30 year ago whilst study french in high school . at the time and i think that the movie capture the atmosphere of the place ( well a i think i understood it a a callow youth . ) while and of the state of the hero mind and which be ultimately the most important aspect of this book or movie . we study this book a an example of albert camus existentialist philosophy ( which be succintly state in my summary above ) while both the film and the book seem to encapsulate this perfectly . the hero live a life in which it seem that he doesn not really care what happen to him or what he do to others . perhaps in another age he may have be label a psychopath . certainly he seem to both under react and over react ( and quite grossly too and in both direction ) to many event that occur to him . and indeed he simply seem to float along the stream of life so that event occur to him while rather than he be in control of his life . one fascinate sidebar be that the book we be read in french be supposedly the untouched original while yet an english translation that one of my fellow student have contain the odd extra paragraph . one of these be quite significant in that it describe a rather violent homosexual relationship that the hero have whilst in prison . another amuse point be that the book have one throw away line about a sexy red and white strip dress that marie be wear on one occasion while and the movie faithfully show this . please do not attach any significance to this other than a a bit of throw away humour .