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The 400 Blows (1959)

Directed by François Truffaut · Cinematography by Henri Decaë

99 min60 frames

Drama

Angel faces hell-bent for violence.

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Stills, screencaps & shots from The 400 Blows

16 of 60 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A grassy field with a line of trees in the background during daylight. Two boys wearing matching dark…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: closeup — A dimly lit room provides the backdrop for a close-up of a woman. She wears a wide-brimmed felt hat…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A sparsely decorated room contains a wooden bookshelf and a vanity with multiple mirrors. A young man…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: closeup — A dark bedroom shows a young boy lying in bed on white linens. The subject rests his head on his hand…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — Two men sit inside an elevator cabin behind a heavy wire mesh partition. The small space includes a…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A dimly lit indoor space features a wall with vertical curtain panels behind people. A woman stands in…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A stone building exterior features a wooden-framed window with multiple panes of glass. Several young…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: fullbody — A spartan police mugshot room contains a plain white wall and professional lighting equipment. A…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A woman stands in front of dark, ornate wood paneled walls. She is speaking directly toward the camera…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A dark, wood-paneled room provides a somber setting for the portrait. A young boy in a suit speaks while…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — Two young boys lean from an open skylight window on a slanted slate roof. They point a long metal pipe…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A dark stone room with a small, narrow bed placed against a rugged wall. A young boy lies under a blanket…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A dense crowd of young children seated closely together in a dark theater. They stare forward with…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: wide — A dark, narrow passageway features a gated entrance at the end of the hall. A man in a uniform stands…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: wide — A stone fountain sits in a large, open public plaza surrounded by city buildings. A lone man in dark…The 400 Blows (1959) movie still: medium — A dark indoor space with a plain wall and a door frame behind them. The man and woman stand side-by-side…
The 400 Blows (1959) — © Les Films du Carrosse, Sédif Productions

The 400 Blows — official trailer

What is The 400 Blows about?

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

The 400 Blows is a 1959 French coming-of-age drama film, and the directorial debut of François Truffaut, who also co-wrote the film. Shot in the anamorphic format DyaliScope, the film stars Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, and Claire Maurier. One of the defining films of the French New Wave, it displays many of the characteristic traits of the movement. Written by Truffaut and Marcel Moussy, the film is about Antoine Doinel, a misunderstood adolescent in Paris, who struggles with his parents and teachers due to his rebellious behavior. It was filmed on location, in Paris and Honfleur.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch The 400 Blows?

US availability for The 400 Blows (1959). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in The 400 Blows?

Who made The 400 Blows?

What does the cinematography of The 400 Blows look like?

Sampled across 60 frames, the coverage of The 400 Blows leans on medium shots (57% of the sample) and wide compositions (20%). Cinematographer Henri Decaë keeps 52% of it in soft, naturalistic light. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame.

What is the color palette of The 400 Blows?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of The 400 Blows (1959) are #2e2e2e, #030303, #8c8c8c, #cbcbcb, #4c4c4c, #f9f9f9 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #2e2e2e
  • #030303
  • #8c8c8c
  • #cbcbcb
  • #4c4c4c
  • #f9f9f9

See the full The 400 Blows colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

More films by François Truffaut

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