The 400 Blows
Seen it?1959 | 99 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (8.0 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 39 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1959: an older pace and style.
For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
99% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesStrong
8.0 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Director. Also nominated for 1 Oscar, 1 BAFTA and 1 more Cannes award. Plus 5 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$31 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 176K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by François Truffaut
- Jean-Pierre LéaudAntoine Doinel
- Claire MaurierGilberte Doinel
- Albert RémyJulien Doinel
- Georges FlamantMr. Bigey
- Patrick AuffayRené
- Robert BeauvaisDirecteur de l'école
- Yvonne ClaudieMme Bigey
- Pierre ReppProfesseur d'anglais
- Guy DecombleProfesseur de français
- Daniel CouturierBetrand Mauricet