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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #182 on its own—not above the ranking.
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DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
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1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View The 400 Blows film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Parisian schoolboy Antoine Doinel skips class, lies to adults, and drifts through a city offering little stable understanding or refuge.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Misunderstood Parisian schoolboy Antoine Doinel moves between a crowded home, punitive classroom, cinemas, arcades, and the streets with his friend René. Truancy and small lies escalate as parents and teachers answer his restlessness with increasingly formal discipline.

Why it belongs

Through Paris locations, fluid movement, and Jean-Pierre Léaud's watchful face, The 400 Blows gives childhood rebellion restless freedom and painful specificity.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Street shooting, mobile camera work, abrupt humor, classroom detail, and Jean-Pierre Léaud's mixture of defiance and vulnerability keep Antoine from becoming either symbol or problem case. The final tracking movement holds liberation and uncertainty together.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Cannes1 win1959 · official festival record ↗
Award for Best Director1959 · François TRUFFAUTofficial festival record ↗

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound50IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.5
Engagement8.8
Ease8.4

French · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Absorbing & Reflective