IMDb RATING
8.1/10
130K
YOUR RATING
A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 8 wins & 5 nominations total
Serge Moati
- Un élève
- (as Henry Moati)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAll the young actors who unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Antoine were used in the classroom scenes.
- Goofs(at around 1h 39 mins) At the end, right as Antoine reaches the water's edge, the shadows of the crew can be seen on the sand and water.
- 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.
- Alternate versionsThe Spanish (Spain) dubbed version of this film has about 12 minutes of footage missing. When Antoine's mom returns home and argues with her husband while Antoine pretends to sleep, the scene in which the family heads home after going to the movie theater, when Antoine and René smoke and drink in Rene's room and when they throw things from the ceiling with blow pipes, are among the scenes that are missing. The scene in which the father talks about the new secretary sleeping with the boss is dubbed to the father speaking about the boss liking the new secretary and her being a very good worker and being promoted because of that. The interview with the psychologist was dubbed with the psychologist asking Antoine if he has had a girlfriend, and he talks about dating some girls but not liking any of them and finding a girl he liked but who chose an older guy instead of him, when in the original, he is asked if he's slept with a woman and he goes on to talk about when he tried to get one to sleep with.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une vague nouvelle (1999)
- SoundtracksLes Quatre Cents Coups
Music by Jean Constantin
Featured review
I've seen this film about five times over the last twenty-five years. As narrative, this film is quite boring. I can never become involved with or care much for its characters. It is a depressing picture of a twelve-year-old boy who is trapped by parents and teachers, by public school, and by reform school. An American film about this subject in 1959--the year of this film--would either have tried to squeeze a tear from the audience's eye or would have tried to arouse the audience to action, and would have been presented to the audience as a sensational expose of juvenile delinquency. This film just presents its story in a straightforward, objective, slice-of-life manner. I think that's why it's so depressing.
Since I know Truffaut is a fan of Hitchcock, I thought some of the narrative line might have grown out of an episode Hitchcock often related--how his father had him locked up in jail overnight as a youth to teach him a lesson.
I feel this film is worth more as an historical item than as entertainment. For this reason, it should be taught in film courses and will have a certain impact on young, first-time viewers. Historically, it's important (1) as a film that helped form the French New Wave; (2) because Truffaut went on to become an important film director and this film is autobiographical; (3) as the first of the Antoine Doinel series, Doinel being a cinematic semi-autobiographical figure for Truffaut. Actually, I have been bored to varying degrees by all the Doinel films and find Jean-Pierre Leaud, who plays Doniel in "The 400 Blows" as well as the other films in the series, to be a nincompoop.
The technique in this film is very like the Italian neo-realist films, especially a film like "Open City." It's shot in low-contrast black and white, it's shot in actual locations around Paris; it presents a slice of life.
Despite all I've written above, I've seen many Truffaut films that I've liked very much (Shoot the Piano Player, Jules and Jim, The Soft Skin, The Bride Wore Black, Mississippi Mermaid (complete version), The Woman Next Door, among others) but not the Antoine Doniel films.
Since I know Truffaut is a fan of Hitchcock, I thought some of the narrative line might have grown out of an episode Hitchcock often related--how his father had him locked up in jail overnight as a youth to teach him a lesson.
I feel this film is worth more as an historical item than as entertainment. For this reason, it should be taught in film courses and will have a certain impact on young, first-time viewers. Historically, it's important (1) as a film that helped form the French New Wave; (2) because Truffaut went on to become an important film director and this film is autobiographical; (3) as the first of the Antoine Doinel series, Doinel being a cinematic semi-autobiographical figure for Truffaut. Actually, I have been bored to varying degrees by all the Doinel films and find Jean-Pierre Leaud, who plays Doniel in "The 400 Blows" as well as the other films in the series, to be a nincompoop.
The technique in this film is very like the Italian neo-realist films, especially a film like "Open City." It's shot in low-contrast black and white, it's shot in actual locations around Paris; it presents a slice of life.
Despite all I've written above, I've seen many Truffaut films that I've liked very much (Shoot the Piano Player, Jules and Jim, The Soft Skin, The Bride Wore Black, Mississippi Mermaid (complete version), The Woman Next Door, among others) but not the Antoine Doniel films.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Four Hundred Blows
- Filming locations
- Pigalle, Paris 9, Paris, France(location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $509
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,206
- Apr 25, 1999
- Gross worldwide
- $194,350
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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