The 400 Blows
Les Quatre Cents Coups
“Angel faces hell-bent for violence.”
Synopsis
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.
Part of the The Adventures of Antoine Doinel Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
New trailer for The 400 Blows - in cinemas from 7 January 2022 | BFIOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-12-17
Top Cast
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Jean-Pierre Léaud
Antoine Doinel
Claire Maurier
Gilberte Doinel
Albert Rémy
Julien Doinel
Georges Flamant
Mr. Bigey
Patrick Auffay
René
Robert Beauvais
Directeur de l'école
Yvonne Claudie
Mme Bigey
Pierre Repp
Professeur d'anglais
Guy Decomble
Professeur de français
Daniel Couturier
Betrand Mauricet
François Nocher
Enfant
Richard Kanayan
Enfant
Renaud Fontanarosa
Enfant
Michel Girard
Enfant
Serge Moati
Enfant
Bernard Abbou
Enfant
Jean-François Bergouignan
Enfant
Michel Lesignor
Enfant
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
November 16, 1959
Wide Cinema Exhibition
December 22, 2025
VOD & Digital Platforms
July 19, 2003
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- François Truffaut
- Screenplay & Story
- François Truffaut
- Original Score
- Jean Constantin
- Original Title
- Les Quatre Cents Coups
- Country of Origin
- France
- Spoken Languages
- English, French
- Runtime
- 1h 39m
- Production Studios
- Les Films du Carrosse, Sédif Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
François Truffaut
François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
Jean Constantin
Henri Decaë
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte
François Truffaut
Department Leadership Roster
François Truffaut
Director
François Truffaut
Producer
Henri Decaë
Director of Photography
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte
Editor
Jean Constantin
Original Music Composer
François Truffaut
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The 400 Blows.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The 400 Blows.
Movie Collection
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
S&S Critics - Greatest Films
Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022 (Critics' Poll). Every decade the Sight and Sound team asks critics to name the greatest films of all time. Here are the results of the 2022 poll – the largest ever, with 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics each submitting their top ten ballot - and now updated with the complete list. 《视与听》2022年影评人评选影史百大电影（含并列完整版）： 由 1639 位影评人、策展人及学者共同票选的影史最伟大电影。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#152] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#171] Out 1 (1971) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:37:09 UTC+8)*
S&S Directors - Greatest Films
Sight and Sound’s Directors’ 100 Greatest Films of All Time 2022. Every decade since 1992, Sight and Sound has complemented its celebrated critics’ poll by formally sounding out the world’s leading directors on the ten films they believe to be the greatest of all time. 《视与听》2022年导演评选影史百大电影： 由全球 480 位知名导演共同票选出的影史最伟大电影。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:36:57 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The 400 Blows
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The 400 Blows about?
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.
Who directed The 400 Blows?
The 400 Blows was directed by François Truffaut.
Who stars in The 400 Blows?
The principal cast of The 400 Blows includes Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay.
When was The 400 Blows released and how long is it?
The 400 Blows was released in 1959 with a total runtime of 1h 39m.
Who composed the musical score for The 400 Blows?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The 400 Blows was composed by Jean Constantin.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The 400 Blows?
The 400 Blows holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: TP; GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).