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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780780020733
Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0780020731
Label: Criterion Collection
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publisher: Criterion Collection
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Running Time: 99 minutes
Sales Rank: 134955
Studio: Criterion Collection
Theatrical Release Date: November 16, 1959
Editorial Review:
Description:
Released in 1959, François Truffaut's first feature, The 400 Blows (Les Quatre cents coups), is also his most personal. Based on his own stormy childhood, The 400 Blows unsentimentally portrays aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime. The film marks Truffaut's passage from leading critic of the French New Wave to his emergence as one of Europe's most brilliant auteurs.
Amazon.com essential video:
Francois Truffaut's first feature was this 1959 portrait of Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a boy who turns to petty crime in the face of neglect at home and hard times at a reform school. Somewhat autobiographical for its director, the film helped usher in the heady spirit of the French New Wave, and introduced the Doinel character, who became a fixture in Truffaut's movies over the years. Poignant, exhilarating, and fun (there's a parade of cameo appearances from some of the essential icons and directors from the movement), this film is an important classic. --Tom Keogh
Amazon.com:
The knowing yet innocent face of Jean-Pierre Leaud, the 14-year-old star of The 400 Blows, is the heartbreaking core of Francois Truffaut's most intimate film. As Antoine Doinel, Leaud begins his career as director Truffaut's alter-ego, a young boy neglected by his mother and stepfather who, to cover his absence at school, tells a lie that leads him to run away from home and end up in reform school. There's nothing remarkable or surprising about the plot; the power of this film comes from how completely it draws you into Antoine's life. Antoine is a vivid, natural presence, one of the most compelling collaborations between a writer/director and an actor. The movie seems to capture him as he lives. Antoine endures his parent's indifference, humiliations at school, deprivation and juvenile delinquency--yet the movie never feels pitying or condescending, as if it were trying to rub your nose in Antoine's suffering. On the contrary: His resilience is what grabs you, his refusal to be broken down as he struggles towards a more adult understanding of the world. Truffaut and Leaud made many excellent films together (Day for Night, Two English Girls), including further chapters in Antoine's life (Bed and Board, Stolen Kisses), but none were quite as simple, rich, and devastatingly potent as The 400 Blows. (The title, incidentally, refers not to abuse or anything sexual, but is a French idiom for a wild and unruly youth or 'raising hell.') --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - My Favorite Film of All
OK -- it's not a film for everyone. First, it's in black-and-white. Second...it's subtitled. And third...it's French! So we've already alienated much of the American audience right off the bat.
However, for those who are willing to explore a bit, they might discover a hidden gem. In my opinion, this film was Truffaut's masterpiece (easily exceeding the much-touted "Jules et Jim" as well as his other subsequent films) and its story and imagery easily stand up to multiple viewings. ... Read More
Rating: - Unforgettable
The 400 Blows is a film that, many say, predated Elia Kazan's East of Eden. The 400 Blows came out in 1959; French director Francois Truffaut directed the film, which follows the difficult existence--both at home and at school--of a very young boy, Antoine (Jean Pierre Leaud).
The film's opening scene is in a classroom. The teacher sits at the head of the classroom; his sharp voice rings out over the students. A pin-up photo makes its rounds on the student's desks. The teacher is preoccupied, ... Read More
Rating:  - It Endlessly Rewards Close Attention
"The Four Hundred Blows," (1959) a drama with comic touches, was the first full-length feature film from famed French director/movie critic Francois Truffaut, and is generally considered the first "Nouvelle Vogue" film - that is, new wave. Truffaut had previously been active as a movie critic on "Cahiers du Cinema," a well-known French magazine devoted largely to American films, when, almost on a bet, he decided to try his hand at film-making. The result, "400 Blows," at 99 minutes, made when he was just 28, ... Read More
Rating:  - Beautiful cinematography
Antonine Doinel, is a 13 year old boy who gets in trouble at school, gets yelled at by his Mom and Dad and eventually runs away from home to a life of petty crime with his friend. He eventually gets caught and is sent to reform school by his parents.
This cinematography in this movie is first rate - even in black and white - boosting my rating from a 2 to a 3. Beautiful scenes of Paris, the countryside, the ocean, the school yards and the facial expressions of the main characters.
However, ... Read More
Rating: - Intriguing.
The 400 Blows is a beautiful black and white french film. The cinematography is breathtaking and the acting is glorious. I watched this gem for my College film class a few years back and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The ending is a bit disappointing but this film has always stayed with me, I highly recommend checking this classic out!
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