François Truffaut's 1959 masterpiece, The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups), is the definitive starting point for the French New Wave. This semi-autobiographical film follows Antoine Doinel, a misunderstood 12-year-old navigating a neglectful home life and an oppressive school system in post-war Paris. Key Facts & Themes A Beginner's Guide to the French New Wave - Penn Moviegoer
. Moving away from the "Tradition of Quality"—the polished, studio-bound French cinema of the era—Truffaut took his crew into the streets of Paris. This gave the film a documentary-like realism the 400 blows
Here’s a concise, solid guide to François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups, 1959). François Truffaut's 1959 masterpiece, The 400 Blows (
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Antoine Doinel Saga: This film introduced Truffaut's cinematic alter-ego, played by Jean-Pierre Léaud, who Truffaut would revisit four more times over 20 years [4, 9]. Moving away from the "Tradition of Quality"—the polished,