For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.
Direction
Truffaut's debut that birthed the French New Wave.
Acting
Léaud's frozen final stare — cinema's most devastating freeze frame.
Cinematography
Paris as prison, every street a dead end.
Director
François Truffaut
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Antoine Doinel
Claire Maurier
Gilberte Doinel
Albert Rémy
Julien Doinel
Georges Flamant
Mr. Bigey
Patrick Auffay
René
Robert Beauvais
Directeur de l'école
Yvonne Claudie
Mme Bigey
Pierre Repp
Professeur d'anglais
Guy Decomble
Professeur de français
Daniel Couturier
Betrand Mauricet
François Nocher
Enfant
Richard Kanayan
Enfant
Renaud Fontanarosa
Enfant
Serge Moati
Enfant
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Truffaut's own childhood — reform school, parental neglect, the works — fuels every frame. Art imitating scars.
The title's a French idiom roughly meaning 'raising hell' — fits perfectly until you realize it's a kid's entire life.
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