Les 400 coups
François Truffaut
Antoine Doinel is an unruly child who suffers from the lack of his mother's affection. He often plays hooky from school and goes off to the cinema or hangs around in the streets of Paris alone or with a friend. He "raises hell" and even takes to stealing.
With : Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier, Patrick Auffray, Georges Flamant, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Douchet
Screenplay : François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Image : Henri Decae
Sound : Jean-Claude Marchetti
Music : Jean Constantin
Editing : Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte
Screenplay : François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Image : Henri Decae
Sound : Jean-Claude Marchetti
Music : Jean Constantin
Editing : Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte
Production : Les Films du Carrosse, SEDIF Distribution MK2
Distribution: MK2
Distribution: MK2
"This is a young filmmaker's feature film debut, shot on location, away from the studios, with a small crew, a pathetically tiny budget, and unknown actors who give a distinctive, more realistic vision of youth, based on authentic, personal stories." (Antoine de Baecque) "The 400 Blows started out as a short film, or the first segment of a movie I wanted to dedicate to childhood. The working title was "Antoine Runs Away". (...) The idea was to shoot a coming-of-age story as a "difficult passage of time" and not as your typical tale tinged with sweet nostalgia." (...) I advertised in France Soir for a 13-year-old boy. I was looking for someone who resembled the young teenager I remember being emotionally rather than physically." (François Truffaut) "Cannes, 1959 (the film won Best Director) was the place of three celebrated births, the departure point of three destinies: that of a filmmaker, that of an actor (Léaud), as time would tell, and that of a character (Doinel)." (Marc Chevrie)