Recorded in 1992, cinema professor Brian Stonehill’s commentary on THE 400 BLOWS provides an informative blend of biography and analysis to illuminate the film.

Robert Lachenay, François Truffaut’s lifelong friend, offers a uniquely personal look at THE 400 BLOWS and the life of its creator. The French-language Lachenay commentary features optional italicized subtitles.

This 16 mm screen test footage from 1958 features an interview with actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, some improvised dialogue between Léaud and Patrick Auffay (René in THE 400 BLOWS), and an audition by Richard Kanayan (who plays one of the children and went on to appear in François Truffaut’s SHOOT THE ...

This newsreel excerpt from François Chalais and Jacques Planche’s “Reflets de Cannes 1959” depicts the excitement of THE 400 BLOWS’ reception at the festival (François Truffaut won best director), along with the young Jean-Pierre Léaud’s thoughts about being in the acclaimed film.

In this excerpt from the February 20, 1960, episode of “Cinépanorama,” director François Truffaut discusses the global reception of THE 400 BLOWS, which had just been named best foreign film by the New York Film Critics Circle, and undertakes some self-critical evaluation of his work.

In this television excerpt from December 2, 1965, François Truffaut discusses his youth, writing for “Cahiers du cinéma,” and the character Antoine Doinel. Actors Jean-Pierre Léaud and Albert Rémy and Truffaut’s collaborator Claude de Givray also appear.

This excerpt from the 1961 documentary Portrait of François Truffaut, made by Serge Leroy, features the director’s thoughts on LES MISTONS and THE 400 BLOWS.

Directed by François Truffaut • 1957 • France

The story takes place in provincial France, where a group of young boys ("mistons" roughly translates "brats") are infatuated with a beautiful young woman. Jealous of her passionate affair, they conspire to make mischief for the woman and her boyfriend.

This commentary track is by LES MISTONS assistant director Claude de Givray.

The following is a 2003 audio/visual “primer” by film historian on director François Truffaut’s 1957 short, LES MISTONS, which depicts a group of pubescent boys whose admiration of a young girl takes on an edge of cruelty. Truffaut’s budding affinity for showing life through the eyes of children ...

Laura Truffaut shares her memories of her legendary filmmaker father in this 2019 piece by Daniel Raim.