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Thursday, Jun 12, 2025
7 PM (99 mins)
BAMPFA
The 400 Blows
(Les quatre cents coups)
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Introduction
Laura Truffaut is the oldest daughter of director François Truffaut. Based in Berkeley, she regularly speaks about her father’s work at international cinematheques.
Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Guy Decomble,
If François Truffaut had never made another film, The 400 Blows would have earned him an enduring place in film history. Its semi-autobiographical story of a lad who is unwanted by his parents, bored by school, and attracted to petty crime is told with an energetic blend of anarchy and rigor, the kind of unsentimental lyricism that was to become Truffaut’s trademark. As a portrait of adolescence, it is still unmatched in cinema; as a portrait of Paris through a young boy’s eyes, it is a thoroughly unromanticized picture of cramped apartments, cold schoolrooms, and the narrowing confines of the streets.
FILM DETAILS
Screenwriter
- François Truffaut
- Marcel Moussy
Cinematographer
- Henri Decaë
Language
- French
- with English subtitles
Print Info
- B&W
- 35mm
- 99 mins
Source
- Janus Films
Event Accessibility
If you have any questions about accessibility or need accommodations to attend this event, please contact us at bampfa@berkeley.edu or (510) 642-1412 (Wed–Sun, 11 AM–7 PM) as soon as you can. Advance notice helps us fulfill your request.
Learn more about accessibility services at BAMPFA.