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The 400 Blows

2247 votes

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1959-06-03

Runtime: 99 mins

Director: François Truffaut

Spoken language: English, Français

Genres: Drama

Original title: The 400 Blows

Production Companies: Les Films du Carrosse, Sédif Productions

Production Countries: France

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud

Claire Maurier

Albert Rémy

Georges Flamant

Patrick Auffay

Director of the school

Robert Beauvais

Yvonne Claudie

Pierre Repp

Guy Decomble

Daniel Couturier

François Nocher

Richard Kanayan

Renaud Fontanarosa

Michel Girard

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Collection

The 400 Blows

1959-06-03

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by

3.6

Antoine and Colette

1962-06-22

Now aged 17, Antoine Doinel works in a factory which makes records. At a music concert, he meets a g

3.6

Stolen Kisses

1968-09-04

The third in a series of films featuring François Truffaut's alter-ego, Antoine Doinel, the story re

3.5

Bed and Board

1970-09-09

Parisian everyman Antoine Doinel has married his sweetheart Christine Darbon, and the newlyweds have

3.5

Love on the Run

1979-01-24

Antoine is now 30, working as a proofreader and getting divorced from his wife. It's the first "no-f

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Jean-Pierre Léaud is super in this story of a troubled young lad who goes from having troubles at school to petty crime, all under the not so very watchful gazes of his adulteress mother (Claire Maurier) and happy-go-lucky father (Albert Rémy) who spend most of their time squabbling with each other. When his antics finally attract the attention of the police, they decide that maybe some time in juvenile detention might not do him any harm so off he goes - but he is not there for long! It's an episodic story that raises laughs and heckles in equal measure. You cannot help but like this tearaway. It's not so much that he wants attention (though he certainly does), it is that he is has initiative. He is bored; bored of his constantly rowing parents, of the teachers who don't really care about him. He is mischievous, he likes having fun - especially with his pal "René" (Patrick Auffay) with whom he has a few escapades and even lives for a short time. Theft is a serious matter but somehow when he pinches a typewriter from his dad's office - one that doesn't work, by the way, it has to make you smile. The ending features one of these scenes from a film that you will never forget. It is simple, and it's that simplicity coupled with this young boy's charming and enthusiastic performance that makes this film memorable, enjoyable and probably my favourite from François Truffaut.

2023-02-24

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