THE renowned director of the French New Wave made films that reflected his three passions: a love of cinema, an interest in relationships between men and women and a fascination with children. It was his enthralment with cinema that saved him from a descent into a career of petty crime, setting him on the road to becoming a critic and, ultimately, a filmmaker.

Truffaut, who dropped out of school at the age of 14, wrote or co-authored - as well as directed - all his feature films, which covered the entire range of the human condition. Featuring nearly 400 striking images, this fascinating book provides a comprehensive examination of his colourful career, placing the spotlight on how he brought his ideas to the screen.

A fascinating insight into what went on behind the scenes is brought to life in revealing jottings he left behind, charting his obsessive attention to detail. Writing and rewriting the script, nothing got in the way of the perfect shot. Perched on a precarious ledge of Parisian apartment or manning a tripod in his customised Citroen, Truffaut poured every fibre of his being into his films.

His first in 1958 was 400 Blows, the story of a misunderstood adolescent. A semi-autobigraphical account, it was one he developed in his films Stolen Kisses and Love on the Run. One of his many memorable films was the 1970 Wild Child, based on the true 19th century story of a doctor's bid to civilise a feral child.

Carole Le Berre is also the author of a monograph on Truffaut and a critical work on his film Jules et Jim (1997). This book will appeal to devotees of Truffaut's works and inspire initiates to discover more. A fitting tribute to a genius of the screen.

Published: 21/02/2006