: The final shot—a long tracking sequence ending in a freeze frame of Doinel looking directly at the camera—remains one of the most famous and debated endings in film history. Finding The 400 Blows on the Internet Archive
: The film is semi-autobiographical, reflecting Truffaut’s own troubled childhood. Truffaut even dedicated the work to his mentor and spiritual father, the film critic André Bazin .
The 400 Blows is widely considered one of the most influential films in cinema history, marking the directorial debut of François Truffaut. It follows the story of , a misunderstood adolescent in Paris who turns to petty crime and rebellion as a response to his neglectful parents and a rigid school system.