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IMDb > Les quatre cents coups (1959)
Les quatre cents coups
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Les quatre cents coups (1959) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   19,886 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
François Truffaut
Writers:
François Truffaut (scenario)
Marcel Moussy (adaptation) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The 400 Blows on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 November 1959 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama more
Tagline:
Angel faces hell-bent for violence. more
Plot:
Intensley touching story of a misunderstood young adolescent who left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Memorable Story With Thoughtful Direction By Truffaut more

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 ... 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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Four Hundred Blows (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)
The 400 Blows (UK) (USA)
Les 400 coups (France) (alternative spelling)
more
Runtime:
99 min | Spain:92 min
Country:
France
Language:
French | English
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Antoine's father finally nodded to the cinema business, realizing it is Rivette's "Paris nous appartient", he said: "Si c'est un complot..." And a 'complot' (conspiracy), really, is the central issue of the Rivette's film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Antoine and René go to the cinema René wears a black coat, but in one shot he is wearing just a jacket. more
Quotes:
Juvenile Delinquent: I'm an unstable psychotic individual with perverted tendencies. more
Movie Connections:
Version of La petite voleuse (1988) more
Soundtrack:
Balzac more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
26 out of 36 people found the following comment useful:-
Memorable Story With Thoughtful Direction By Truffaut, 17 May 2005
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

The memorable story of young, troubled Antoine is worth seeing for a good number of reasons, probably most of all for the thoughtful direction by François Truffaut. It stands out from most other movies about troubled youths, both in the way that it portrays the main character and in making such good use of seemingly minor events in showing how they shape Antoine's life.

As Antoine, Jean-Pierre Léaud (in the role with which he would always be identified) strikes a nice balance in making his character come to life without making any of his actions seem forced or over-dramatic. Truffaut sets things up for him perfectly, by presenting a great variety of situations in his life that allow Antoine's character to come out naturally. Many of the settings are in themselves interesting and creative, despite being located in familiar types of places.

The story is written carefully so as to allow the viewer to identify with and sympathize with Antoine, while still seeing his faults clearly. What is often the most affecting thing about it is the way that Truffaut shows how even the most commonplace kinds of events can have such an effect on a maturing person, if they are a source of disappointed expectations or misunderstood intentions. To make this kind of movie so effectively without relying on violent or shocking material is an admirable achievement, and it repays careful thought and attention while watching it.

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