Quatre cents coups, Les (1959)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

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

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:

Nouvelle Vague | Teenage Boy | Sea | Running | Semi Autobiographical

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Antoine Doinel
Claire Maurier	...	Gilberte Doinel, the Mother
Albert Rémy	...	Julien Doinel
Guy Decomble	...	'Petite Feuille', the French teacher
Georges Flamant	...	Mr. Bigey
Patrick Auffay	...	René
Daniel Couturier	...	Les enfants
François Nocher	...	Les enfants
Richard Kanayan	...	Les enfants
Renaud Fontanarosa	...	Les enfants
Michel Girard	...	Les enfants
Henry Moati	...	Les enfants
Bernard Abbou	...	Les enfants
Jean-François Bergouignan	...	Les enfants
Michel Lesignor	...	Les enfants
Luc Andrieux
Robert Beauvais	...	Director of the school
Bouchon
Christian Brocard
Yvonne Claudie	...	Mme Bigey
Marius Laurey
Claude Mansard	...	Examining Magistrate
Jacques Monod	...	Commissioner
Pierre Repp	...	The English Teacher
Henri Virlojeux	...	Night watchman (as Henri Virlogeux)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Claude Brialy	...	Man in Street
Jeanne Moreau	...	Woman with dog (as Mademoiselle Jeanne Moreau)
Philippe de Broca	...	Man in Funfair (uncredited)
Jacques Demy	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jean Douchet	...	The Lover (uncredited)
Marianne Girard	...	(uncredited)
Simone Jolivet	...	(uncredited)
Laure Paillette	...	(uncredited)
François Truffaut	...	Man in Funfair (uncredited)

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits
François Truffaut		(scenario)
Marcel Moussy		(adaptation) (as M. Moussy) &
François Truffaut		(adaptation) (as F. Truffaut)
Marcel Moussy		(dialogue)

Produced by
François Truffaut	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Jean Constantin

Cinematography by
Henri Decaë

Film Editing by
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte

Set Decoration by
Bernard Evein

Production Management
Georges Charlot	....	production manager
Robert Lachenay	....	assistant unit manager
Jean Lavie	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Bober	....	second assistant director
Philippe de Broca	....	assistant director
Francis Cognany	....	second assistant director
Alain Jeannel	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Raymond Lemoigne	....	property master (as Raymond Le Moigne)

Sound Department
Jean Labussière	....	sound assistant
Robert Renzulli	....	sound (as Jean-Claude Marchetti)

Camera and Electrical Department
André Dino	....	still photographer
Alain Levent	....	assistant camera
Jean Rabier	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Cécile Decugis	....	assistant editor
Michèle de Possel	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Luce Deuss	....	production secretary
Roland Nonin	....	production administrator
Jacqueline Parey	....	script girl

Thanks
André Bazin	....	dedicatee
Jean-Claude Brialy	....	thanks
Fernand Deligny	....	thanks
Alex Joffé	....	thanks
Jacques Josse	....	thanks
Suzanne Lipinska	....	thanks
Claire Mafféi	....	thanks
Jeanne Moreau	....	thanks (as Mademoiselle Jeanne Moreau)
Claude Véga	....	thanks
Claude Vermorel	....	thanks
Annette Wademant	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Les Films du Carrosse
• Sédif Productions

Distributors

• Cocinor (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Curzon Film Distributors (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• Gala Film Distributors (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Lorber (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• AV Channel (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• BIM Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• ClassicLine (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Rosebud (????) (Greece) (theatrical) (theatrical re-release)
• Zenith International Films (????) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Zima Entertainment (2006) (Mexico) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Auditorium S.I.M.O.  auditorium
• L'Ecole Technique de Photographie et de Cinématographie  thanks

Also Known As:

The Four Hundred Blows (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)
400 coups, Les (France) (alternative spelling)
The 400 Blows (USA)

Runtime:

99 min | Spain:92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

South Korea:All (2003) | France:U | 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 title of the film comes from the French idiom "faire les quatre cents coups", meaning "to raise hell".

Goofs:

Continuity: Position of Antoine's hands on the door when Rene comes to visit changes.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

One of the shining stars of the French New Wave

Every day life, however 'real' and gritty it may be, is rarely portrayed on film and was certainly a rarity in the 1950's. In Europe however, there was a movement in film-making that embraced this realism and searched for the deeper meaning in the 'here and now'. This is about the most basic and miniscule portion of the meaning behind the French New Wave of the 1950's – films that explored the filmmaker's surroundings, and eventually became an inspiration for filmmakers around the world. Francois Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows' is one of the most well-known films of this movement, and has been embraced and hailed as one of the greatest films of all time.

After viewing Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows', I have been ruminating over the deeper meaning behind his story of Antoine Doinel, a 14 year old boy in Paris who is having trouble in school and trouble at home. In school, he is marginalized as a trouble-maker, yet it is obvious that it is more a matter of him causing trouble by expressing himself creatively rather than following along with mundane assignments. At home, Doinel has to deal with an adulterous mother who only pays attention to him when it suits her needs, and a father who is barely present. Doinel responds by doing the only thing he feels he can do, and that is by acting up; eventually earning an expulsion from school and being sent to a juvenile prison camp by his parents.

Nothing is cut and dry in 'The 400 Blows'. If one were to take the film at face value, there would be a 'so what' feeling. What the film subtly explores is the disenfranchisement of youth. There is no joy in Doinel's life – anytime he tries to express himself creatively or acts up in a playful way he is shot down and metaphorically forced back into line. This is not a typical Paris street kid either, this is one who reads Balzac for pleasure and conveys intense emotion. The problem is that no one is there to notice or care. Another aspect of the French New Wave was that the films were not merely a product of a Hollywood factory; these were intensely personal films to the writers and directors. In the case of 'The 400 Blows', it is certain that Doinel is based on Truffaut, himself only 28 when he made the film. Truffaut's cinematography in 'The 400 Blows' is exquisite. We see a Paris that is not in Technicolor with colorful fountains like 'An American in Paris'. This is Paris from a Parisian's perspective – and the difference is breathtaking and intense. These are not Louis XVI style houses, they are tiny flats where people have to sleep in closets and walk up and down six flights of stairs. The city views are those of a native Parisian – the kind of tour one would get if they asked the average Parisian for non-tourist attractions.

There is still a lot that I have to learn and think about 'The 400 Blows' and French New Wave in general, but with the minute amount of understanding I have of it, I found it to be an intense film, one that left me emotional and craving enlightenment. Rarely is there a film that leaves that kind of impact on me, but Truffaut managed to leave me speechless and deep in thought with 'The Four Hundred Blows'.

--Shel