Professor Julian Cornell: I watch a lot of films about childhood, films with children and child actors, and films that are supposed to be about youth. Summary: The narrative of The 400 Blows condenses events drawn from several years of Truffaut’s own childhood into what appear to be a few weeks or months in the life of Antoine Doinel. Seemingly in constant trouble at school, 14-year-old Antoine Doinel returns at the end of every day to a drab, unhappy home life. Truffaut wrote a devilish clever script full of euphemisms and wit. The 400 Blows (1959) is Francois Truffaut's brutally honest and emotionally in tuned take on a coming of age drama with his French New Wave style. His parents have little money and he sleeps on a couch that's been pushed into the kitchen. He brings up his own past with the autobiographical story told through the lens of … The 400 Blows Summary After setting his camera in search of the Eiffel Tower through the opening credits, Truffaut sets us down inside a classroom. The Eiffel Tower can be seen in the distance over a few rooftops and the viewer's attention is naturally drawn to it throughout the opening sequence. I’m sure Truffaut didn’t plan to make sequels when he made The 400 Blows. Largely autobiographical, it recounts the story of an adolescent boy “raising hell” (which explains the idiomatic French title Les Quatre Cents Coups) (Fabe 125). His parents have little money and he … "The 400 Blows" fades in on a traveling shot down a Parisian street. François Truffaut’s film The 400 Blows (or Les Quatre Cents Coups) falls under the category of art cinema; its style and form can be understood by way of an understanding of the conventions or anti-conventions of the art film model. His parents bicker constantly and he knows his mother is having an affair. Storyline Seemingly in constant trouble at school, 14-year-old Antoine Doinel returns at the end of every day to a drab, unhappy home life. It sets itself up for a sequel, but they weren’t planning that. The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups) or its literal translation: “Raising Hell”—is the simple semi-autobiographical tale of Truffaut mirrored by the actions of Antoine. The 400 Blows is ongoing. As the students take a test, they pass around a picture of a pin-up model. 400 Blows (1959) is the… It basically says — again more truthfully — that this is the end of this chapter. Much like Truffaut, Antoine (Jean-Pierre Léaud) struggles in school, grapples with his parents, and has a trusted best friend. ScreenPrism: How did 400 Blows (1959) change the coming-of-age genre? The camera moves down the street and towards the Eiffel Tower until it is blocked from view by a building. 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