The 400 Blows
A raw, semi-autobiographical portrait of adolescent rebellion, capturing the restless heartache of a boy adrift in a world of neglect, rendered in the kinetic visual language of the French New Wave.
The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows

Les Quatre Cents Coups

"Angel faces hell-bent for violence."

03 June 1959 France 99 min ⭐ 8.0 (2,234)
Director: François Truffaut
Cast: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay
Drama
Adolescent Alienation and Rebellion The Failure of Authority and Institutions The Search for Freedom Cinema as Refuge

The 400 Blows - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

Easter Eggs

In one scene, Antoine and his parents go to the cinema to see a film. The marquee lists Jacques Rivette's "Paris nous appartient" (Paris Belongs to Us).

This is an inside joke among the French New Wave filmmakers. Jacques Rivette was a fellow critic at Cahiers du Cinéma and a key director of the movement. At the time "The 400 Blows" was released in 1959, Rivette's film had not yet been released (it came out in 1961), making this a nod to a friend's upcoming work.