The 400 Blows - Ending Explained

"The 400 Blows" follows the escalating rebellion of its young protagonist, Antoine Doinel. After being accused of plagiarizing an essay on Balzac (an author he genuinely admires), Antoine decides to run away from home for good. He and his friend René attempt to fund his escape by stealing a typewriter from his stepfather's office. However, Antoine is unable to sell it and, in a moment of panic, decides to return it. As he is trying to put it back, he is caught by a building manager and his stepfather hands him over to the police.

This marks the film's major turning point. Antoine is subjected to the impersonal and humiliating process of the juvenile justice system. He spends a night in jail with adult criminals and is eventually sent to an "observation center" for troubled youths by the sea. During a visit, his mother coldly informs him that she and his stepfather are giving up their parental rights. The hidden meaning that becomes clear is that there is no hope for reconciliation or a return to a normal childhood; Antoine has been completely abandoned by the adult world.

The climax of the film is Antoine's escape during a soccer game. In a long, continuous tracking shot, he runs under a fence and flees across the countryside until he finally reaches the sea, his long-held dream. The spoiler is that this is not a triumphant moment of freedom. He runs into the water, turns back, and looks directly into the camera. The film freezes on his uncertain, questioning expression, and zooms in. The ending reveals that his journey is not over; he has escaped one prison only to find himself in a vast, open, and equally uncertain future. The lack of resolution is the point, symbolizing that his story, and the societal problems it represents, are far from over.

The Ambiguity of the Final Shot

The celebrated final shot of "The 400 Blows" has been the subject of numerous interpretations. After his long run to the sea, Antoine turns to face the camera, and the film freezes on his face. The ambiguity of his expression is key.

• A Confrontational Accusation: One interpretation is that by looking directly at the audience, Antoine is confronting us, the viewers, as representatives of the society that has failed him. His look is an accusation, questioning our complicity in a world that neglects its children.
• The Uncertainty of Freedom: Another reading focuses on the emotional state of Antoine. He has finally reached the sea, the symbol of his desired freedom, but his expression is not one of joy. This suggests a daunting realization: what now? Physical freedom has been achieved, but he is still trapped by his circumstances, with no clear future. The open sea mirrors the vast, terrifying openness of his future. The resolution is not a happy ending, but the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter.
• A Self-Reflexive Moment: From an auteurist perspective, the final shot can be seen as Truffaut himself breaking through the narrative. Antoine, Truffaut's alter ego, turns to face the creator and the audience, acknowledging the artifice of the film. It signifies the end of one part of the story—Truffaut's own childhood exorcised on film—and leaves the future open, just as Truffaut's own future as a filmmaker was beginning.