One of the hallmarks of a great filmmaker is the ability to unite style with substance. Truffaut does this in this film with amazing dexterity. One of the main themes of the film is they way in which we idealize our youth. The earlier scenes in the film are extremely light, energetic, and carefree. That is the way the narrator, Jules, remembers them. Even though there are sad moments, and moments of foreboding, he, and we, still see them through a pleasant lens. The later scenes in the film, though less flamboyant, still have a sense of optimism and joy. This is a film that was exciting to watch. Jules and Jim are the center of the film. It is their enduring friendship and the conflict that Catherine brings to it that makes the film. They both know that Catherine is not good for them. They do everything they can to convince themselves that maybe she will change, or that possibly everything will work out well for them. Like so many people in their youth, they are overly optimistic. Yet their bond never falters. We feel sorry for them, and yet we get frustrated with them, as we see Catherine is never going to change. Rather, she is not going to stop changing from each moment. She reinvents herself every moment, while Jules and Jim are trying to establish themselves. Much like The 400 Blows, the ending is very poignant without being sentimental. It was inevitable that the film would end the way it did.
Review of Jules and Jim
