Originally titled Les Quatre Cents Coups, this French film – the directorial debut by François Truffaut – tells the story of 14-year-old Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud).
Mischievous – but far from malicious – and seemingly in constant trouble at school, Antoine returns at the end of each day to a drab, unhappy home life in the poor quarter of Paris.
His parents have little money, and he sleeps on a couch that’s been pushed into the kitchen.
His mother (Claire Maurier) and stepfather (Albert Rémy) bicker constantly, and he knows his mother is having an affair.
Antoine decides to skip school and begins a downward spiral of lies and theft.
He hides at the home of his friend René (Patrick Auffay) and the two romp around. Egged on by René, Antoine steals a typewriter, but they can’t sell it, and Antoine is caught by the police when they try to return it.
At their wits’ end, his parents decide the best thing is to let him face the consequences. He’s sent to a juvenile detention facility, where he doesn’t do much better. Following ill-treatment from the authorities, he manages to escape, runs across country, and keeps going until he reaches the sea.
Jean-Pierre Léaud is remarkably natural as Antoine, the detail is flawless, and the English subtitles – reduced to a minimum – strengthen continuity.
Antoine Doinel
Jean-Pierre Léaud Gilberte Doinel
Claire Maurier Julien Doinel
Albert Rémy ‘Petite Feuille’
Guy Decomble Mr Bigey
Georges Flamant René Bigey
Patrick Auffay Mme Bigey
Yvonne Claudie Bertrand Mauricet
Daniel Couturier Un délinquant
François Nocher Un élève
Richard Kanayan Un élève
Renaud Fontanarosa Un élève
Michel Girard Un élève
Serge Moati (as Henry Moati) Un élève
Bernard Abbou Un enfant
Jean-François Bergouignan Un enfant
Michel Lesignor Le professeur de gym
Luc Andrieux Le directeur de l’école
Robert Beauvais L’escroc à la machine à écrire
Christian Brocard L’inspecteur Cabanel
Marius Laurey La juge pour enfants
Claude Mansard Le commissaire de police
Jacques Monod Le professeur d’anglais
Pierre Repp Le gardien de nuit au bureau
Henri Virlojeux Le dragueur dans la rue
Jean-Claude Brialy La femme au chien
Jeanne Moreau
Director
François Truffaut
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Mischievous – but far from malicious – and seemingly in constant trouble at school, Antoine returns at the end of each day to a drab, unhappy home life in the poor quarter of Paris.
