Francois Truffaut’s first feature film, The 400 Blows (1959) is a heart wrenching French New Wave story about a troubled boy in early adolescence. Spearheading the French New Wave movement, the film is believed to be inspired by Truffaut’s own life (Ebert). It follows Antoine Doinel, played by Jean-Pierre Léaud, through life as a poor, often ignored and disregarded, boy in Paris. Antoine’s series of bad luck and shenanigans eventually leads him to an observation juvenile detention center, where he eventually escapes.
The film begins in a long shot of the streets of Paris with the piano playing upbeat music. This film takes place in chronological order. It is not a back and forth like some other French New Wave films. Viewers are taken to an all-male classroom. The teacher is wretched and refers to the boys as idiots and louse. He tells the students, “France will be in bad shape in ten years.” Everything about the teacher triggers empathy for the boys. Antoine is caught and punished for a pin up. This is the first of many troubled situations for Antoine.
There is a sequence in the film where Antoine skips school at what appears to be an arcade. He is in a ride that spins until the floor drops and riders stick to the wall. The camera is used to engage viewers in the moment. The dizziness is real. Wide shots are taken from below, showing all the patrons above the ride. Shots are taken from above, showing the riders and specifically Antoine. Close ups of Antoine climbing the wall brings viewers into the moment. This sequence has a surreal feeling. Antoine is surrounded by people, but all alone climbing the walls. This is ultimately the story of Antoine’s life. Truffaut uses this sequence to reflect there is innocence in Antoine. He is not just some troublemaker to be disregarded. This may be Antoine’s last moment of freedom, of innocence, being that afterwards, he sees his mother kissing a strange man in the streets and quickly things go downhill for Antoine.
In his article “A Beginner’s Guide to the French New Wave”, Luke Weidemoyer describes French New Wave as a “radical departure from conventional filmmaking.” He explains the lack of a traditional narrative arc in The 400 Blows is the basis for the strong emotional depth not found in traditional films. The 400 Blows does not end with resolution. It ends with more questions than answers. Viewers are left to their imagination as to what happens to young Antoine.
The ending of The 400 Blows is one of the most profound camera moments seen in film. In a group viewing of the film, there were several theories on what the ending represented. The film ends with Antoine running so far away from the juvenile observation center that he reaches the ocean, something he earlier stated he had never seen. The camera is wide showing the vastness of the ocean when it suddenly ends with a close up of Antoines face. Ebert explains it as a zoom into a freeze frame with Antoine looking directly into the camera. Many felt he was trapped. Truffaut intended it to be freedom. As soon as the ocean was in view, viewers knew Antoine was free.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. “The 400 Blows.” Review of The 400 Blows, directed by Francois Truffaut. Ebert
Digital LLC, 8 August 1999, rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-400-blows-1959.
Accessed 18 March 2026.
Weidemoyer, Luke. “A Beginner’s Guide to the French New Wave.” The University of
Pennsylvania. thepennmoviegoer.com/movie-review/introduction-to-french-new-wave.
Accessed 23 March 2026.
