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Les quatre cents coups (1959 ) More at IMDbPro »

Additional Details

Also Known As:

"The 400 Blows" - Canada (English title)(imdb display title). International (English title)(imdb display title). UK (imdb display title). USA (imdb display title)
"The Four Hundred Blows" - Canada (English title). UK, USA
"Чeтыреста ударов" - Soviet Union (Russian title)
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Parents Guide:

99 min | Spain:92 min

Aspect Ratio:

Sound Mix:

Certification:

Filming Locations:

Did You Know?

When Antoine and Rene are suspended from school, they go gallivanting around the town. At one point they pass a wall of posters and flyers, and they pull off a picture of a woman. The woman is Harriet Andersson in a shot from Ingmar Bergman 's Sommaren med Monika (1953), also about two young lovers who ran away from home to "live their own life."See more »

Crew or equipment visible: When Antoine is looking in the mirror, and his father is behind him, the camera is reflected in the mirror.See more »

Movie Connections:

Soundtrack:

Ecole BuisonniereSee more »

User Reviews

52 out of 73 people found the following review useful.

Great Filmmaking by a Great Filmmaker. 1 October 1999

The Four Hundred Blows is the semi-autobiographical story of Antoine Doinel, a boy trapped in a life of contemtptuous authority who turns to outward rebellion. Truffaut shows his mastery of the cinema in this, his freshman attempt.

The film is perfectly cast with Dionel relaying neutral facial expressions for the majority of the film. The boy, although not necessarily evoking sympathy from the audience, definitely evokes empathy. He is a pathetic character forced into his position by his teacher and his almost uncaring mother.

Throughout the film, Truffaut hints at the possibility of a happy life for the protagonist, but just as soon as the ideal is given to us, it is taken away. The mood shifts in the film are fabulously orchestrated through contrasting scenes, music, and even acting. From the opening sequence through the final, enigmatic still shot, the movie is a masterpiece of both French and world cinema. It is a must see.

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