The 400 Blows (1959)

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99 min - Crime | Drama - 16 November 1959 (USA)

8.2

Ratings: 8.2/10 from 38,832 users
Reviews: 143 user | 135 critic

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

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Videos

The 400 Blows -- François Truffaut's first feature, The 400 Blows, is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffaut's life-long cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), The 400 Blows sensitively re-creates the trials of Truffaut's own difficult childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Photos

Still of Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows

39 photos | | 132 news articles »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Antoine Doinel
	Claire Maurier	...	Gilberte Doinel - la mère d'Antoine
	Albert Rémy	...	Julien Doinel
	Guy Decomble	...	'Petite Feuille', the French teacher
	Georges Flamant	...	Mr. Bigey
	Patrick Auffay	...	René
	Daniel Couturier	...	Betrand Mauricet
	François Nocher	...	Un enfant / Child
	Richard Kanayan	...	Un enfant / Child
	Renaud Fontanarosa	...	Un enfant / Child
	Michel Girard	...	Un enfant / Child
	Serge Moati	...	Un enfant / Child (as Henry Moati)
	Bernard Abbou	...	Un enfant / Child
	Jean-François Bergouignan	...	Un enfant / Child
	Michel Lesignor	...	Un enfant / Child

Full cast and crew »

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Storyline

A young Parisian boy, Antoine Doinel, neglected by his derelict parents, skips school, sneaks into movies, runs away from home, steals things, and tries (disastrously) to return them. Like most kids, he gets into more trouble for things he thinks are right than for his actual trespasses. Unlike most kids, he gets whacked with the big stick. He inhabits a Paris of dingy flats, seedy arcades, abandoned factories, and workaday streets, a city that seems big and full of possibilities only to a child's eye. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Taglines:

Angel faces hell-bent for violence. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Release Date:

16 November 1959 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Los 400 golpes See more »

Filming Locations:

Avenue Frochot, Paris 9, Paris, France See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Carrosse, Sédif Productions See more »

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min | Spain: 92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The poem written on the board is 'Épitaphe Pour Un Lièvre' by Jean Richepin. It is an Alexandrine poem i.e. comprised of lines of twelve syllables, typical of modern French poetry. See more »

Goofs

Boom mic visible: At the end of the gravity wheel sequence, the camera pans up to look at the crowd showing the boom mic in the centre of the screen. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Petite Feuille: Doinel, bring me that. Indeed! Go to the corner!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Salvador (Puig Antich) (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

"Comment voulez-vous ?"
Composed by Jean Costantin See more »