The 400 Blows

Truffaut created a film that wasn’t just a breakthrough in the context of the Nouvelle Vague, but a real milestone in the history of cinema. It explores the cruelty of youth and administers “blows” of pure cinema exhilaration that leave you wanting more.

Synopsis

We meet Antoine Doinel for the first time, an unruly boy growing up in Paris in 1950, playing truant and stealing. His teacher torments him and his family doesn’t understand him. After getting arrested, he spends a night in a cell. The court decides to send him to a juvenile reformatory, where a psychologist assesses the reasons why he is unhappy. One day, during football practice, Antoine escapes by jumping over the fence; he runs to the ocean, a place he always wanted to visit.