The 400 BlowsPG

Directed by Francois Truffaut | France | 1959 | 1h 40m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier

A timeless coming-of-age story following a few months in the life of a 12-year-old boy who, misunderstood and mistreated by his parents and teachers, seeks refuge in truancy, petty crime, and the cinema. The most autobiographical of Truffaut’s films which helped launch the French New Wave is universally regarded as one of the all-time great directorial debuts.

Classic Season: Directorial Debuts

Reviews

‘It’s a cornerstone of the French New Wave, and one of the greatest movies about childhood, from anywhere, ever.’
★★★★★
Anthony Quinn, The Independent

‘A landmark in modern cinema.’
★★★★★
Jason Korsner, BBC

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The 400 Blows between January 16, 2022 and January 18, 2022.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Friday 28th August)
Find out more

15:30

On the Sea 15
1h 51m
In rural North Wales, mussel harvester Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life, troubled by a son who rejects the family trade. When he meets Daniel, an itinerant deckhand, attraction creates an impossible dilemma. Directed by Helen Walsh.

Book here

Find out more

18:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

Book here

Find out more

20:45

Thief 18
+ Introduction
1h 59m
Bank Robbery Weekend
Professional safecracker Frank wants one last big score before he walks away from crime for good, but the underworld won't let him go easily. Starring James Caan, Michael Mann's directorial debut is a tightly controlled, hyper-real crime thriller.

Book here


Tomorrow (Saturday 29th August)
Find out more

15:15

Lady 15
1h 35m
Self-described "aristocracy's answer to the Kardashians", Lady Isabella has everything but loneliness to fill. When a filmmaker arrives to document her estate, her hunger for attention takes a strange turn. Sian Clifford (Fleabag) stars in this riotous mockumentary.

Book here

Find out more

17:30

Dog Day Afternoon 15
2h 10m
Bank Robbery Weekend
When a Brooklyn bank robbery goes wrong, small-time crook Sonny holds hostages as police, crowds and live TV cameras gather outside. Based on a real story, Sidney Lumet's tense thriller stars Al Pacino and remains a defining film of 1970s American cinema.

Book here

Find out more

20:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

Book here


See all upcoming films

Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

Find out more