FILMED IN FIVE COUNTRIES
LOVE AT TWENTY (C) 1962 Ulysse Production
Mornings I wake up singing
At night I dance into bed
Mornings I wake up singing
At night I dance into bed
I never care
About the bombs in the air
That one day'll kill us all dead
Why don't they make peace instead
Antoine Doinel is now 17 years old.
His mischief as an adolescent landed him in juvenile court.
Having escaped from an observation center for delinquent youth,
he was caught and placed in another center under stricter surveillance.
A young psychologist at the center took an interest in his case,
and he was finally released on probation.
Antoine has carefully organized a solitary, independent life.
His love of music led him to a job in a record company.
He's finally realized his adolescent dream:
to live on his own, earn his own keep,
and depend only on himself.
Antoine never misses a performance of the Youth Concert series,
and he often gets free concert tickets through work as well,
to which he invites René, his friend from the bad old days,
who now works at the stock market.
- How's the stock market? - I'll be a broker soon. You?
I'm transferring into production at work.
Wanna come to the Shapiro concert tonight?
Reminds me of the time you hid at my place. All that smoke!
My old man!
Help me shake the blankets to get rid of this smoke.
That's enough.
What's this? It's a smokehouse in here!
It's like a gambling joint!
I'm taking the cost of three cigars out of your allowance.
What's this? Bucephalus is not a coatrack.
He's worth a million at least. A real work of art.
I'll only get rid of him if I'm forced to.
Now put the lights out and go to sleep.
Good night, Dad.
Any closer and he'd have seen me.
I'm sure he saw your feet and just didn't say anything.
We better get going.
I'm surprised I never noticed her before. I really like her!
I really do. What do you think of her friend?
That'd be convenient.
I'm in love with my cousin. She's got beautiful long hair.
But the idiot's gonna cut it next week. I might not like her with short hair.
- Does she love you? - I don't know. I've never said a word.
I'm waiting to see her haircut.
If I still like her, I'll send her a love letter.
EIGHT DAYS LATER
I saw her three more times this week.
I didn't speak to her, but I caught her eye.
The first time was Tuesday at the Eroica Symphony.
I was sitting right behind her.
She took off her scarf, and I stared at her hair and neck the whole concert.
I couldn't take my eyes off her.
I decided I'd speak to her that night after the concert,
but she ran into a girlfriend.
I followed them for five minutes and then went home.
Thursday I got there half an hour early to sit next to her.
There was no one there yet,
so I stepped outside to smoke while the hall filled up.
I didn't see her right away when I went back in.
She was talking to a girlfriend.
I sat down next to her,
and she nodded to me like she vaguely recognized me.
Unfortunately she took her seat where she had left her coat.
It would have been too obvious to follow her.
The third time was yesterday.
She was walking around my neighborhood with a shopping bag.
She must live in my neighborhood.
Preliminaries are over. Time to attack.
What has Pierre Schaeffer taught us?
A lot.
He's dealt musicology a staggering blow by pointing out...
Clichy's my stop. Funny I haven't seen you at the concerts before.
Do you go often?
I've gone to all the Russian concerts on Sunday mornings.
No wonder.
It's really too bad, but we'd have met sooner or later.
Don't we live in the same neighborhood? I saw you out shopping one day.
- Could be. I live on Lécluse. - Then we do.
What do you do?
I'm a student. What about you?
- I work in a record company. - You work?
Yes, at Philips.
I don't live with my parents, so I have to earn a living.
It must feel great to be on your own.
That depends...
Hey, that's my stepfather's car.
Are you going to the lecture on Thursday?
Definitely.
But if I miss it, I'll be at the one after that.
Okay, but give me your phone number so we can keep in touch.
Okay, but call at night. I'm not always in.
It's Carnot 08.32.
I better go. I've got homework to do.
See you soon.
Antoine and Colette met often and traded books and records.
They discussed hi-fi over coffee and lemonade
and walked each other home,
talking for hours on end in their doorways.
Colette treats Antoine like a friend.
He either doesn't notice or accepts it for the time being.
My friends, this is our second lecture
devoted to experimental music.
The first was given by Pierre Schaeffer,
and judging from your rapt attention
and the number of letters I received from you,
the topic was of great interest.
Is this Colette?
Yes, it is.
Why didn't you show up yesterday? Were you ill?
I said I "might" go.
But I ended up getting together with some friends.
They're really wild! We carried on all night long.
It was a great time, but it got a little crazy at the end.
I don't think I got home till 5:00 a.m.
- May I stop by this afternoon? - If you like.
But I can't promise I'll be here. We all said we might get together today.
- See you in a bit, then. - You will if I'm here.
Hello. Is Colette home?
No. Why?
- I'm returning some books she lent me. - I'll give them to her.
There's a letter for her too.
Fine. I'll make sure she gets it.
Are you Antoine? - Yes.
She's told me so much about you. Come in.
- Who is it? - A friend of Colette.
Do you have a minute? - I don't want to bother you.
This is Antoine, Colette's friend.
You and Colette are in the same class, right?
What are you saying? They met at the Youth Concerts.
Colette told us about him. Have a seat.
You work in a record company, isn't that right?
- Right. I work at Philips. - Good for you.
My wife feels differently, but I think kids should earn a living right away.
I started as a mechanic in the garage at 15. Now I'm the boss.
- Care for some? - No, thanks.
Book learning takes you nowhere. Take Victor Hugo.
Oh, please!
Don't start with Victor Hugo!
Hugo denounced evil but gave no cure for it.
Do you agree? - You may be right.
Well, I'd better be going.
Leaving already? Colette will be upset.
- I'm sorry too. - Join us for dinner one evening.
- My pleasure. - I'll arrange it with Colette.
Good-bye.
"Dear Antoine, your love letter was very nicely written.
It suggests a man of experience.
I'm going to hear Leroux tonight. Will you be there?
Thanks for the books.
Oh, Mother finds you very romantic, probably because of your long hair.
Until tonight. Colette."
- Look who's there! - Antoine!
He's right across the street!
What's going on?
Do you live there now? - Yes.
Since when?
You must have known.
May we come up?
He's all moved in.
This is great! Look at the sink and faucet.
Look, you can see our windows.
But our side of the street gets the sun.
Are your parents still alive?
Yes, but I don't see them much. We don't get along.
What a shame!
Your mother must be terribly sad not to see you.
It's partly my fault.
I used to run away a lot.
- Colette would never do that. - Watch me!
Question: Where is one better off than in the bosom of one's family?
Answer: Anywhere else!
- Hervé Bazin. - Right.
- You know, Colette isn't really... - Yes, I am.
More wine, please.
Incredible! These kids have no respect!
Colette's parents liked young people
and missed Colette being around more,
so they adopted Antoine and invited him over often.
Antoine watched Colette come and go.
She was no different with him now than before.
She obviously didn't feel being neighbors meant they should be any closer.
Antoine, how are you? What brings you here?
I've got tickets for a lecture on electronic music.
I've got a lot of homework this afternoon.
- Then maybe we could go to a movie. - I can't. I've got a paper due tomorrow.
- Maybe we could just talk a while. - No, some other time. See you.
Things aren't going well.
I'm an idiot. I've gotten off to a bad start.
She's really not even my type.
She talks like a boy and treats me like a buddy.
I try to talk seriously and she laughs!
Still I freeze my ass off waiting outside her door.
You didn't ask, but I'll tell you about my cousin.
She cut her hair like Joan of Arc, and I still like her.
I wrote her a bunch of letters. Look what she wrote back.
That's great.
Look. On the envelope too.
Oh, man!
I'm pressing disks now at work.
- Want an ice cream? - No, thanks.
This is the first disk I pressed. I'd like you to have it.
That's very kind.
It took me forever.
The old hands there can press 500 a day.
You put the label on one side and then the other.
You put it in the machine,
then you pull it out and clean up the edge.
For my first record, it doesn't sound bad.
I've been knocking for five minutes. Are you deaf?
It's so dark in here. Are you sick?
We have to set things straight.
I can't take these games anymore, this blowing hot and cold.
You're an idiot!
I know it's my fault. I shouldn't have moved across the street.
I'm going to move back where I was.
But stop leading me on!
Just leave me alone! - You're a real pain!
My parents have invited you to dinner. - I'm not going.
It's two different things. You should come.
If you change your mind, we're eating in 15 minutes.
Hello, Antoine.
- How are things? - Fine.
- Sit down. Have you eaten? - Yes.
- You sure? - Yes, I had dinner.
Are you sure?
I could whip up an omelette and salad.
No, I'll just have a tangerine.
What's new?
Are you two going out tonight?
- I've got tickets for Schwarshof, but... - Why don't the two of you go?
- I can't. - Why not?
None of your business!
I saw in the paper that the concert will be on TV tonight.
- You want a plate for the peel? - Don't bother. I'll use yours.
- Not again! - Who's that?
It's a real parade here today.
Hi. Come on in. This way.
Come in.
Mom, this is Albert. I told you about him.
My stepfather.
- And I believe you've met Antoine. - Yes, we met once.
I'll get my coat.
Let me have a cigarette.
I'm ready. We're off, then.
Bye.
What do you say we watch that program?
Let me have a light.
He has kindly made an exception for us...
The youth of the world
They fall in love
From east to west from north to south
Like a red apple
They bite into life
Its juice overflowing from their mouth
Kisses and heartache
Meet and then part
Give me your hand Here, take my heart
It might end in pain
It might end in joy
Tender and cruel Youth's dreams are many
As two by two Down life's beck'ning road
They sing their way In Love At Twenty