What happens in the 400 blows?

In The 400 Blows, Antoine and René reenact the delinquency and cinemania of the young Truffaut and Robert Lachenay (who was an assistant on The 400 Blows). Their touching friendship is captured in René’s unsuccessful attempt to visit Antoine at reform school.

What happens at the end of the 400 blows?

[4] Annette Insdorf, François Truffaut (New York: William Morrow, 1979), p. 33: “The 400 Blows ends with the boy escaping from reform school, running toward the sea, and when he reaches the water, a freeze-frame of his face expresses uncertainty.”

Why is Antoine slapped at the observation center?

Antoine is slapped for taking a bite of bread before he is given permission to eat, the blow delivered casually and without rancor.

Why is The 400 Blows called that?

The English title of the movie “400 Blows” is a gross misinterpretation of the original title. The original title stems from the French expression “Faire les quatre cents coups”, meaning “to live a wild life”, as the main character does. Literal translation of the expression would be “to do the 400 dirty tricks”.

What does Antoine write on the wall in The 400 Blows?

Punishment for that Antoine is given an extra homework assignment to write a paper on “why he defaced the classroom wall’ and tells Antoine, “Now, Doinel, go get some water and erase those insanities, or I’ll make you lick the wall, my friend.” There’s an interesting moment in the classroom scene that Truffaut added …

Is The 400 Blows based on a true story?

Francois Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” (1959) is one of the most intensely touching stories ever made about a young adolescent. Inspired by Truffaut’s own early life, it shows a resourceful boy growing up in Paris and apparently dashing headlong into a life of crime. Adults see him as a troublemaker.

How is The 400 Blows a realist film?

The 400 Blows definitely showcases naturality and realness because of it being filmed in parts of Paris instead of using other non-realistic methods like backdrops, stages, etc. to indicate specific locations.

What was the story of the 400 Blows?

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. His parents have little money and he sleeps on a couch that’s been pushed into the kitchen. His parents bicker constantly and he knows his mother is having an affair.

Who is the director of the 400 Blows?

The 400 Blows (French: Les Quatre Cents Coups) is a 1959 French New Wave drama film, and the directorial debut of François Truffaut.

Where was the movie the 400 Blows filmed?

The film was shot on location around parts of Paris which Truffaut had frequented as a boy, even down to the cinemas he used to play truant to from school: ‘I saw my first two hundred films on the sly, playing hooky and slipping into the movie house without paying’ (Truffaut 1980: 3).

Who was sent to the corner in the 400 Blows?

As the students take a test, they pass around a picture of a pin-up model. Antoine Doinel draws a mustache on the woman and is caught with it, and as punishment is sent to the corner without recess privileges.