Quatre cents coups, Les (1959)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (scenario)
Marcel Moussy (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

16 November 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Angel faces hell-bent for violence.

Plot:

Intensley touching story of a misunderstood young adolescent who left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.

Plot Keywords:

Fondling | Family Relationships | Nouvelle Vague | Running | Sea

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Antoine Doinel
Claire Maurier	...	Gilberte Doinel, the Mother
Albert Rémy	...	Julien Doinel
Guy Decomble	...	'Petite Feuille', the French teacher
Georges Flamant	...	Mr. Bigey
Patrick Auffay	...	René
Daniel Couturier	...	Les enfants
François Nocher	...	Les enfants
Richard Kanayan	...	Les enfants
Renaud Fontanarosa	...	Les enfants
Michel Girard	...	Les enfants
Henry Moati	...	Les enfants
Bernard Abbou	...	Les enfants
Jean-François Bergouignan	...	Les enfants
Michel Lesignor	...	Les enfants

Also Known As:

The Four Hundred Blows (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)
400 coups, Les (France) (alternative spelling)
The 400 Blows (USA)

Runtime:

99 min | Spain:92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:U | South Korea:All (2003) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Finland:K-8 (1966) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2001) | UK:PG (video rating) (1993) | West Germany:16 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Avenue Frochot, Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

Dedicated to film theorist André Bazin.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: About after one hour of the movie, when the two boys run in the Sacre Coeur's stairs where they mock a priest, René's jacket changed. It's now longer and black. And just after when they come back to his house, he is wearing again the first jacket.

Quotes:

Psychiatrist: Your parents say you're always lying.
Antoine Doinel: Oh, I lie now and then, I suppose. Sometimes I'd tell them the truth and they still wouldn't believe me, so I prefer to lie.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

An intense emotional journey of one boy's early life

This film is one of the greatest I have ever seen. It depicts some events in the life of Antoine Doinel, a young French boy who gets into a lot of trouble no matter what he does. This was the first film by Francois Truffaut, and I believe that it is filmed with such an innocence that you can really feel some of the emotions that Antoine feels. I love the simple style of this film, and I think it adds to its charm. The story is can even be painful to watch as one sees all of the things that happen to Antoine. I think that the reason for the strong emotions embedded in this film is that it is semi-autobiographical. I think the cinema is what rescued Truffaut from a life like his protagonist.In short, an inspiration to all filmmakers-they DEFINITELY don't make them like this anymore!