“FranΓ§ois Truffautβs first feature is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffautβs cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre LΓ©aud),Β The 400 BlowsΒ sensitively re-creates the trials of Truffautβs own childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, and petty crime. The film marked Truffautβs passage from leading critic to trailblazing auteur of the French New Wave.” -Janus Films
