Search - The 400 Blows [Special Edition] on DVD

Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Suitable for Teens Movie Release: 1959 DVD Release: 04/01/1998 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 30 Genres: Drama, Film a Clef, Childhood Drama, Coming-of-Age See Also: The 400 Blows, The 400 Blows [Criterion Collection], Essential Art House: The 400 Blows [Criterion Collection], Essential Art House: The 400 Blows [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

For his feature-film debut, critic-turned-director François Truffaut drew inspiration from his own troubled childhood. The 400 Blows stars Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, Truffaut's preteen alter ego. Misunderstood at home by his parents and tormented in school by his insensitive teacher (Guy Decomble), Antoine frequently runs away from both places. The boy finally quits school after being accused of plagiarism by his teacher. He steals a typewriter from his father (Albert Remy) to finance his plans to leave home. The father angrily turns Antoine over to the police, who lock the boy up with hardened criminals. A psychiatrist at a delinquency center probes Antoine's unhappiness, which he reveals in a fragmented series of monologues. Originally intended as a 20-minute short, The 400 Blows was expanded into a feature when Truffaut decided to elaborate on his self-analysis. For the benefit of Truffaut's fellow film buffs, The 400 Blows is full of brief references to favorite directors, notably Truffaut's then-idol Jean Vigo. The film won the 1959 Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, even though Truffaut had been declared persona non grata the year before for his inflammatory comments about the festival's commercialism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jean-Pierre Léaud - Antoine Doinel
Robert Beauvais - School Director
Claire Maurier - Mme. Doinel
Albert Remy - M. Doinel
Guy Decomble - The French Teacher
Patrick Auffay - Rene Bigey