Quatre cents coups, Les (1959)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

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:

Reform School | Pigalle | Mother Son Relationship | Montmartre | Teenage Boy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

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
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)
• 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:

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:

All spoken lines in the film are dubbed over again by the actors themselves, save for a few minor and trivial parts. For instance, during the last scene, the sound of Antoine's footsteps was added during editing--the truck that the camera rested upon produced too much noise. Shooting on the streets of Paris, as many films of the French New Wave did, was often hectic and re-dubbing everything allowed François Truffaut to not have to worry about lugging bulky and expensive sound equipment around, and more importantly he would not have to worry about a street scene having too much background noise. This made shooting faster and easier.

Goofs:

Continuity: While talking with his mother after his bath, the position of Antoine's hand that holds his head changes.

Quotes:

Juvenile Delinquent: Every time I cried, my father would imitate me on his fiddle, just to drive me nuts. One day I got fed up and I knocked him out.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Batman (1989)

Great Filmmaking by a Great Filmmaker

The Four Hundred Blows is the semi-autobiographical story of Antoine Doinel, a boy trapped in a life of contemtptuous authority who turns to outward rebellion. Truffaut shows his mastery of the cinema in this, his freshman attempt.

The film is perfectly cast with Dionel relaying neutral facial expressions for the majority of the film. The boy, although not necessarily evoking sympathy from the audience, definitely evokes empathy. He is a pathetic character forced into his position by his teacher and his almost uncaring mother.

Throughout the film, Truffaut hints at the possibility of a happy life for the protagonist, but just as soon as the ideal is given to us, it is taken away. The mood shifts in the film are fabulously orchestrated through contrasting scenes, music, and even acting. From the opening sequence through the final, enigmatic still shot, the movie is a masterpiece of both French and world cinema. It is a must see.