What a depressing and tragic film. The jovial, light-hearted and playful tone of the first part of the film quickly descends into seriousness and solemnity at the arrival of the First World War, forcing the trio to face adult responsibilities. Ultimately, Catherine's whimsical and spontaneous nature that was so celebrated at the start of the film is what comes to her (and Jim's) demise- no longer is her adult self able to meet the consequences of her childish actions. Despite the messy relationship situation with the trio, I do admire the enduring friendship between Jules and Jim - they stay by each other side as life goes on. Cinematography-wise, I really liked the cutting and editing that Truffaut used when he introduced Catherine - plenty of zooms and fast paced cuts, as well as a bit later in the film with the famous freeze-frame sequence. This for me seems to be the hallmark of French New Wave cinema. I feel privileged to have seen this movie.
