Les quatre cents coups (1959)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (scenario)
Marcel Moussy (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

16 November 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Angel faces hell-bent for violence.

Plot:

Intensley touching story of a misunderstood young adolescent who left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Jail | Juvenile Delinquent | Mugshot | Puppet Show

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Antoine Doinel
Claire Maurier	...	Gilberte Doinel - la mère d'Antoine
Albert Rémy	...	Julien Doinel
Guy Decomble	...	'Petite Feuille', the French teacher
Georges Flamant	...	Mr. Bigey
Patrick Auffay	...	René
Daniel Couturier	...	Betrand Mauricet
François Nocher	...	Un enfant / Child
Richard Kanayan	...	Un enfant / Child
Renaud Fontanarosa	...	Un enfant / Child
Michel Girard	...	Un enfant / Child
Serge Moati	...	Un enfant / Child (as Henry Moati)
Bernard Abbou	...	Un enfant / Child
Jean-François Bergouignan	...	Un enfant / Child
Michel Lesignor	...	Un enfant / Child

Also Known As:

The Four Hundred Blows (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)
The 400 Blows (UK) (USA)
Les 400 coups (France) (alternative spelling)
Los 400 golpes (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
400 Ha-Malkot (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
400 batów (Poland) [pl]
400 kepposta (Finland) [fi]
400 spratt (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
400 udaraca (Serbia) [sr]
Czterysta batów (Poland) [pl]
De 400 slagen (Sweden) [sv]
De vierhonderd slagen (Netherlands) (informal literal title) [nl]
I quattrocento colpi (Italy) [it]
Los cuatrocientos golpes (Spain) [es]
Négyszáz csapás (Hungary) [hu]
Os Incompreendidos (Brazil) [pt]
Os quatrocentos Golpes (Portugal) [pt]
På vei mot livet (Norway) [no]
Sie küßten und sie schlugen ihn (West Germany) [de]
Ta 400 ktypimata (Greece) [el]
Ung flugt (Denmark) [da]

Runtime:

99 min | Spain:92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:U | South Korea:All (2003) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Finland:K-8 (1966) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2001) | UK:PG (video rating) (1993) | West Germany:16 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Avenue Frochot, Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

The poem written on the board is 'Épitaphe Pour Un Lièvre' by Jean Richepin. It is an Alexandrine poem i.e. comprised of lines of twelve syllables, typical of modern French poetry.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At the end of the movie, crew footprints can be seen in the sand on the beach.

Quotes:

Juvenile Delinquent: I'm an unstable psychotic individual with perverted tendencies.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Telma demain (2005)

Soundtrack:

Les quatre cents coup

Memorable Story With Thoughtful Direction By Truffaut

The memorable story of young, troubled Antoine is worth seeing for a good number of reasons, probably most of all for the thoughtful direction by François Truffaut. It stands out from most other movies about troubled youths, both in the way that it portrays the main character and in making such good use of seemingly minor events in showing how they shape Antoine's life.

As Antoine, Jean-Pierre Léaud (in the role with which he would always be identified) strikes a nice balance in making his character come to life without making any of his actions seem forced or over-dramatic. Truffaut sets things up for him perfectly, by presenting a great variety of situations in his life that allow Antoine's character to come out naturally. Many of the settings are in themselves interesting and creative, despite being located in familiar types of places.

The story is written carefully so as to allow the viewer to identify with and sympathize with Antoine, while still seeing his faults clearly. What is often the most affecting thing about it is the way that Truffaut shows how even the most commonplace kinds of events can have such an effect on a maturing person, if they are a source of disappointed expectations or misunderstood intentions. To make this kind of movie so effectively without relying on violent or shocking material is an admirable achievement, and it repays careful thought and attention while watching it.