The 400 Blows, perhaps the quintessential coming-of-age film, is being given a dual-format upgrade by Criterion today — and, with it, they’ve unearthed a special artifact from the production of François Truffaut‘s classic. While it’s been floating around the internet for some time, they’ve restored the audition of a 14-year-old Jean-Pierre Léaud, who would go on to play Antoine Doinel in five films from the director.
In the video, one can see Truffaut simply have a conversation with the teenager, but, for those who wish to see more, we’ve also included a non-subtitled, extended version, which finds Léaud improvising with Patrick Auffay and more. Check out both videos below (and the trailer) for what would mark the beginning of one of cinema’s best series and the careers of two great icons. For more on Truffaut, one can (and should) watch a feature-length documentary on his career here.
Is The 400 Blows among your favorite films?