The release of François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (Les Quatre cents coups) in 1959 shook world cinema to its foundations. The now-classic portrait of troubled adolescence introduced a major new director in the cinematic landscape and was an inaugural gesture of the revolutionary French New Wave. But The 400 Blows did not only introduce the world to its precocious director-it also unveiled his indelible creation: Antoine Doinel. Initially patterned closely after Truffaut himself, the Doinel character (played by the irrepressible and iconic Jean-Pierre Léaud) reappeared in four subsequent films that knowingly portrayed his myriad frustrations and romantic entanglements from his stormy teens through marriage, children, divorce, and adulthood. With The Adventures of Antoine Doinel, Criterion is proud to present Truffaut's celebrated saga in its entirety: the feature films The 400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, and Love on the Run, and the 1962 short subject, Antoine and Colette, in a special edition five-disc box set.
Box Set: The following DVDs are included in this set:
Audio commentary for Les Mistons by assistant director and future co-writer Claude de Givray
Audio/visual "primer" for Les Mistons by film historian Serge Toubiana
Working with François Truffaut: Claude de Givray and Bernard Revon: An exclusive re-edited version of a 1986 interview with Truffaut co-writers Claude de Givray and Bernard Revon, originally conducted for Rainer Gansera's documentary Arbeiten mit François Truffaut
Excerpt from the rare documentary François Truffaut (1961) featuring Truffaut discussing his influences and beginnings, along with Les Mistons and The 400 Blows.
Interview from the 1981 French TV show Champ contre champ in which Truffaut discusses Jean-Pierre Léaud, and the challenges of creating films that are intensely personal, yet popular in appeal
Promotional art gallery for The 400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board and Love on the Run
Two audio commentaries for The 400 Blows: one by cinema professor Brian Stonehill and another by lifelong friend of Truffaut, Robert Lachenay
Rare audition footage of The 400 Blows stars Jean-Pierre Léaud, Patrick Auffay and Richard Kanayan
Newsreel footage of Jean-Pierre Léaud in Cannes for the showing of The 400 Blows
Excerpt from a French TV program with Truffaut discussing his youth, critical writings, and the origins of Antoine Doinel in The 400 Blows and Antoine and Colette
Television interview with Truffaut about the global financial reception of The 400 Blows and his own critical impression of the film
Theatrical trailers for The 400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, and Love on the Run
Introduction to Stolen Kisses by film historian Serge Toubiana
Excerpt from the TV show Cinéastes de notre temps: François Truffaut, dix ans, dix films in which Truffaut discusses his vision of the Doinel cycle, and the complex relationship between Doinel and actor Jean-Pierre Léaud
Archival newsreel footage of the "Langlois Affair," documenting protests by Truffaut and other French film industry luminaries against the removal of Cinémathèque française director Henri Langlois
Promotional spot featuring Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut appealing for public support of Henri Langlois
Newsreel footage of Truffaut's impassioned rally to shut down the 1968 Cannes Film Festival in support of striking students and workers
Rare behind-the-scenes footage with Truffaut at work on the Bed and Board set, and being interviewed along with actress Claude Jade
Rare television interview with Jean-Pierre Léaud discussing his feelings about Truffaut and Antoine Doinel, and his thoughts about "ending" the series
Excerpt from the 1972 documentary Approches du cinéma: François Truffaut ou la nouvelle vague, in which Truffaut addresses the complexities of Antoine Doinel
Rare television interview excerpt of Truffaut and actress/co-writer Marie-France Pisier discussing their working styles and their feelings about Love on the Run
Excerpt from the 1980 TV show Cinescope in which Truffaut addresses his misgivings about his finale to the Doinel series, and illuminates his feelings about Jean-Pierre Léaud and Antoine Doinel
The "My Criterion Collection" application is a Criterion/Eclipse DVD organizer hosted by criterionforum.org and is currently only available for use on Facebook.
Click here to install the "My Criterion Collection" application onto your Facebook account (a Facebook account is required.)
