The 400 Blows (1959)

The Four Hundred Blows (1959) is a tender, unsparing coming-of-age drama by François Truffaut that follows 14-year-old Antoine Doinel as he drifts from school misdemeanors into petty crime and clashes with indifferent, quarrelsome parents. Told with the fresh immediacy of the French New Wave, the film mixes wry humor and quiet heartbreak: you’ll sit through small acts of childhood rebellion, awkward attempts at honesty, and escalating punishments that feel less like correction than abandonment. Jean-Pierre Léaud’s natural, vulnerable performance places you squarely in Antoine’s point of view, while the location photography and restrained direction make Paris feel lived-in and claustrophobic at once. Watching it, you’ll experience sympathy for a boy who wants to be seen, intermittent bursts of laughter, and a growing sense of unease as his options narrow; the film builds to a stark, unforgettable final sequence that leaves its moral questions open. Overall it’s an intimate, emotionally resonant portrait of adolescence, authority, and the need for connection.

Actors: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier

Director: François Truffaut

Runtime: 99 min

Genres: Crime, Drama

8.1 /10 8.1 /10 8.1 /10