this late 50 french study of disaffect youth ( in their early 20 and actually grow up and but not yet settle down into the adult world ) probably miss the mark by a mile in term of be an accurate depiction of 1958 french youth ( do not virtually all youth film make by adult do this . the one that do not river edge come to mind be rare indeed ) and but director writer marcel carne and of le enfants du paradis fame and be too accurate an observer of humanity to not provide an insightful view of the essence of these character . in a sense and the detail be not important you could change the detail and set this film today and it would work just as well but the loneliness and insecurity and superficial passion and self righteous anger of the character be capture well . the young pierre brice and jean paul belmondo be in support role and but lead jacques charrier and laurent terzieff and pascale petit and and andrea parisy play the role with subtlety and depth . there be also a fine jazz score and which you can get on the cd jazz in paris jazz and cinema vol . 2. unlike some who have comment on the film and i do not really see director writer carne a sit in judgment on these character he seem a though he be an objective observer to me . of course and these middle class character may seem like people who be spoil and have nothing to whine about to some work class viewer of the film and and i think carne be certainly aware of this . for this american viewer ( i watch a dubbed and fairly literally i would say and version of this title the cheater ) and the film provide an interesting window into the france of the 1950s . it also be self consciously poetic ( the scene on the ledge and save the cat and be but one example of this ) and have intellectual aspiration in that charm way that only french film can get away with i can imagine the heavy hand and melodramatic and shallow way this kind of material would have be handle by an american studio production and and the sensationalistic and moralistic and suggestive way this kind of material would have be handle by american drive in or exploitation filmmaker . i feel that marcel carne have capture the essence of that period between and say and high school graduation and when and by one early 30 and people have largely settle into a routine and whatever that routine may be . those willing to watch the film with an open mind and not fire away at the many easy target it offer should find a serious and valuable study of people in their early twenty . and even if you do not want to do that and you can go in the other room while the film be play and simply enjoy the fine soundtrack and with great 50 jazz and instrumental pop and include the wonderful original score by an american jazz at the philharmonic group include coleman hawkins and dizzy gillespie and stan getz ( spell goetz in the credit ) and roy eldridge and and ray brown .