The 400 Blows

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3:47

The 400 Blows

1959

1h 33m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents (Claire Maurier, Albert Remy), Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene (Patrick Auffray), trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

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Critics Consensus

A seminal French New Wave film that offers an honest, sympathetic, and wholly heartbreaking observation of adolescence without trite nostalgia.

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Kathleen Sachs

Chicago Reader

02/11/2023

Jean-Pierre Léaud’s revelatory turn...

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

01/06/2022

5/5

A portrait of the artist as an unhappy child.

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Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

03/18/2019

[The 400 Blows'] most prevalent connection to the then burgeoning French New Wave is its message of freedom

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Daniel Barnes

Dare Daniel

Oct 28

5/5

Instantly recognizable to anyone who was ever a child, this debut film from Francois Truffaut helped launch a cinematic revolution.

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

07/09/2024

5/5

The story paints a grimly authentic portrait of troubled adolescence, with 13-year-old Jean-Pierre Léaud effortlessly conveying both mischief and vulnerability in the lead role.

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

12/11/2022

As far as great filmmakers’ fictionalized childhood stand-ins go, Antoine Doniel would probably steal Sammy Fabelman’s lunch money and stuff him in a locker.

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westwinkel T

@aidosmedia May 16

More than 65 years after its release, I watched The 400 Blows for the first time — and it was an extraordinary experience. François Truffaut’s debut feature remains a true masterpiece of cinema — intimate, honest, and timeless. And the performance by the young Jean-Pierre Léaud is simply unforgettable: vulnerable, rebellious, heartbreaking, and full of life. A profoundly moving film and a truly great cinematic discovery

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Abigail T

@RT72198624 May 6

I love watching old films, and this one really struck a chord with me – what children were like back then, or what the rules were like; it always makes me think

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Isaiah Y

@zayman2 Dec 3

Perhaps Francois Truffaut's greatest film and Jean-Pierre Léaud's greatest performance

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BJ M

@HotMovieStar Nov 23

I did not get why this film is so highly rated. It is said to be influential - but I don't see that it influenced anything - it was slow and lacked depth.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 06/07/2025

Success in 1 hour and 33 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Lars N

@movie_douche 01/25/2025

It didn't quite hit me the way I had hoped. Beautiful though

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François Truffaut

Director

Jean-Pierre Léaud

Antoine Doinel

Claire Maurier

Gilberte Doinel, the Mother

Albert Remy

Julien Doinel

Guy Decomble

'Petite Feuille', the French teacher

Patrick Auffray

René

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The 400 Blows: Trailer 1

3:47

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Synopsis

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents (Claire Maurier, Albert Remy), Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene (Patrick Auffray), trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

Director: François Truffaut
Producer: François Truffaut
Screenwriter: François Truffaut, François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Distributor: Criterion Collection
Production Co: Les Films du Carrosse
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 1959, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 29, 2011
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Mono