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The 400 Blows (1959) DVD Review
The 400 Blows (1959) DVD Credits:
The 400 Blows (1959) Directed by:
Francois Truffaut
The 400 Blows (1959) Written by:
Francois Truffaut, Marcel Moussy
The 400 Blows (1959) Cast:
Jean-Pierre Leaud, Patrick Auffay, Claire Maurier, Albert Remy, Guy Decomble, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Francois Nocher
The 400 Blows (1959) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The 400 Blows (1959) DVD Release Date:
8th May 2006
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The 400 Blows (1959) Synopsis:

400 Blows marks the birth of legendary nouvelle vague character Antoine Doinel; his is the story of a 13-year-old wild child whose adventures were based on the Francois Truffaut's own adolescence. The rest of Antoine's became the stuff from which Truffaut fashioned several fables about growing-up movie-wise.

The 400 Blows (1959) DVD Review:


Many filmmakers make their start by making films about what they know. This is the same with nearly every art form, and so it is no surprise that the film that catapulted Francois Truffaut into international success is actually semi-autobiographical. The 400 Blows was Truffaut’s first feature, and arguably his best as well. The twelve-year-old hero in The 400 Blows, Antoine Doinel, made a return several times in the films of Truffaut’s career, but this is the most personal look at the shaping of his character. It is a deeply personal tale of a young rebellious boy in his journey towards manhood in a world that seems out to get him. It is an interesting blend of reality because not only are the situations taken from Truffaut’s childhood, but he also asked Jean-Pierre Leaud, the young actor playing Antoine, to use his own words in many scenes. In many ways Antoine is a very real creation blended by a director and a fourteen-year-old boy.

The 400 Blows, whose French title comes from the idiom which means, “to raise hell”, is about the trails of eleven year old outcast Antoine Doinel. No matter what Antoine does he seems to find himself in trouble. From skipping school and sneaking in to movie theaters to petty crime and strange lies, Antoine’s action are too much for his neglectful parents to handle. Antoine has trouble with his parents and his school teachers. The only person he seems to get along with is his friend Rene, who is based on Truffaut’s friend Robert Lachenay who was an assistant on the film.

The DVD has a great menu with picture in picture clips from the film over a unique list of options. There are commentaries available, but they also come with history. The first commentary is one recorded exclusively for The Criterion Collection in 1992 by Professor Brian Stonehill. The second commentary is by Truffaut’s good friend, Robert Lachenay.

The menu option for special features is Psychological Profile, and there are a number of selections. The first is auditions, which contain rare 16mm screen tests and an improvised dialogue between Jean-Pierre Leaud and Patrick Auffay, the actor that plays Rene. There is also newsreel footage of The 400 Blows at Cannes in 1959, two excerpts from television programs with Truffaut discussing the film and the theatrical trailer. There is also a short essay by Annette Insdorf in the insert.




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The 400 Blows (1959) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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