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 (Thursday 5th March)
Find out more

15:30

My Father's Shadow 12A
1h 33m
During Nigeria’s 1993 election crisis, two brothers journey across Lagos with their estranged father, discovering the city’s vastness and political unrest. Told through a child’s eyes, this is a vivid and deeply personal debut from British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr.

Book here

Find out more

17:45

Hamlet 15
1h 53m
Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) returns home after his father’s death, and is haunted by the ghosts of revenge. Amid political corruption, family loyalty and moral responsibility collide in this gripping, contemporary re-telling of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

Book here

Find out more

20:15

The Handmaiden 18
2h 25m | Korean w/ English subtitles
Park Chan-wook’s lush erotic thriller dazzles with deception, desire and double-crosses. Set in 1930s Korea and based on Fingersmith, this modern classic is a masterwork of suspense and sensuality. A bold reimagining of the period drama.

Book here


Tomorrow (Friday 6th March)
Find out more

15:00

“Wuthering Heights” 15
2h 16m
In 18th-century Yorkshire, brooding outsider Heathcliff falls for Catherine, the daughter of his master, igniting a destructive love story of obsession. Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie star in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) sensual adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Book here

Find out more

18:00

Soul to Soul U
1h 36m
Documentary about a historic 1971 concert at Black Star Square in Accra, celebrating Ghana’s independence. Over 100,000 people gathered as Ike & Tina Turner, Santana, and other African American musicians created groundbreaking music and experienced Africa for the first time.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You 15
1h 53m
A house filling with water. A child who won’t get better. And a husband who’s never there. Rose Byrne delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as a mother whose world is unravelling in Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic portrait of modern womanhood.

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