The 400 Blows ❲Real • CHOICE❳

Film Guide: The 400 Blows (1959)

Director: François Truffaut Country: France Language: French Runtime: 99 minutes

• Expand this into a short screenplay (scene-by-scene).
• Write a character breakdown and motivation notes.
• Create dialogue for a key scene (home, classroom, or escape). Which would you like?

The film’s narrative follows Antoine as he rebels against a neglectful mother, a detached stepfather, and an authoritarian school system. The title itself is derived from the French idiom " faire les quatre cents coups the 400 blows

Plot Summary (No major spoilers)

The film follows Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a 12-year-old boy in Paris. He’s a sensitive but restless child neglected by his self-absorbed mother and stepfather. Antoine skips school, lies to cover for his father, and steals a typewriter to return it (hoping for praise) — but is caught. His parents turn him over to the police, and he’s sent to a juvenile observation center. The film ends with his escape and a haunting freeze-frame of Antoine at the sea he’s never seen. Film Guide: The 400 Blows (1959) Director: François

Cinematography and Style