Praised by film-makers (Akira Kurosawa called it "One of the most beautiful films that I have ever seen") and critics the world over, Truffaut's 400 Blows launched the Nouvelle Vague and paved the way for some of cinema's most important and influential directors. Twelve-year-old Antoine Doinel has troubles at home and at school. Ignored and neglected by his parents, his relationship with his mother is further strained when he discovers that she has taken a secret lover.

Added to this, his school teachers have written him off as a troublemaker and, with luck seemingly never on his side, it is Antoine who ends up getting the blame for bad behaviour. Finding refuge only in his love of cinema, Antoine soon finds it necessary to break free, and discover what the world can offer outside of the confines of his everyday life. This remarkable film features the extraordinary talent of Jean-Pierre Leaud, as the rebellious Antoine, a character based on Truffaut himself. Antoine Doinel was to make appearances in a number of Truffaut's films (including 'Stolen Kisses', 'Bed and Board' and 'Love on the Run') all of which chart his further adventures into adulthood.