Les quatre cents coups (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:

Adultery | Jail | Juvenile Delinquent | Mugshot | Puppet Show

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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
Luc Andrieux	...	Le professeur de gym
Robert Beauvais	...	Director of the school
Bouchon
Christian Brocard
Yvonne Claudie	...	Mme Bigey
Marius Laurey	...	L'inspecteur Cabanel
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
Jean-Claude Marchetti	....	sound

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)
• Zenith International Films (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (1959) (subtitled)
• 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)
• BIM Distribuzione (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Zima Entertainment (2006) (Mexico) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Rosebud (????) (Greece) (theatrical) (theatrical re-release)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• ClassicLine (????) (Brazil) (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)
The 400 Blows (UK) (USA)
Les 400 coups (France) (alternative spelling)

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 Finnish title of the movie, "400 kepposta", is a gross mistranslation of the French one, meaning "400 practical jokes", in stead of "400 blows". Also the Finland's Swedish title, "400 spratt", is a similar mistranslation.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Antoine is looking in the mirror, and his father is behind him, the camera is reflected in the mirror.

Quotes:

Psychiatrist: Your parents say you're always lying.
Antoine Doinel: Oh, I lie now and then, I suppose. Sometimes I'd tell them the truth and they still wouldn't believe me, so I prefer to lie.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Yihe yuan (2006)

Soundtrack:

Finale

An intense emotional journey of one boy's early life

This film is one of the greatest I have ever seen. It depicts some events in the life of Antoine Doinel, a young French boy who gets into a lot of trouble no matter what he does. This was the first film by Francois Truffaut, and I believe that it is filmed with such an innocence that you can really feel some of the emotions that Antoine feels. I love the simple style of this film, and I think it adds to its charm. The story is can even be painful to watch as one sees all of the things that happen to Antoine. I think that the reason for the strong emotions embedded in this film is that it is semi-autobiographical. I think the cinema is what rescued Truffaut from a life like his protagonist.In short, an inspiration to all filmmakers-they DEFINITELY don't make them like this anymore!