Directed by François Truffaut • 1959 • France
François Truffaut's first feature is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffaut's cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), The 400 Blows sensitively re-creates the trials of Truffaut's own childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, and petty crime. The film marked Truffaut's passage from leading critic to trailblazing auteur of the French New Wave.
Laura Truffaut shares her memories of her legendary filmmaker father in this 2019 piece by Daniel Raim.
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.
