As the year of 2025 continues, the Criterion Collection have continued to release one classic movie after another. For the month of July, Criterion have decided to re-release one their oldest titles. The release in question is Francois Truffaut’s The Adventures of Antoine Doinel (a set of four full length movies and one short movie) was first released by Criterion in 2003. Not only has it been re-released but the set has new 4K transfers of the five movies. This is yet another solid release from Criterion and this is a set of movies well worth checking out.
A Little Bit of History
The Antoine Doinel movies tell the story of a man from childhood to adulthood. For all five movies, Antoine is played brilliantly by Jean-Pierre Leaud. The character of Antoine Doinel is said to be a semi-autobiographical character based on Francois Truffaut himself and his days of youth. With each movie that was released, each movie is thought to be a reflection of Truffaut’s life. The Antoine Doinel movies aren’t exactly mainstream movies though it’s a unique series of movies that feel true to life. Many have compared the movies to that of the Up Series and Richard Linklater’s Boyhood.
For the review section, each movie will be given a short review.
Though for those who haven’t seen the movies, be warned: there are some spoilers.
The 400 Blow (1959)
In his directorial debut, Truffaut tells the story of a teenage French boy and his misadventures. Antoine is a 13 year old boy who lives with his mother and stepfather in a small apartment. Throughout the movie, Antoine finds himself bored with the mundane nature of everyday life and tries to break free from it.
The movie has this freeform flow to it and almost plotless at times. With each plot point, Antoine learns more about what awaits him in the world and finds himself breaking away from the norm. Although the movie is shot in black and white, it’s a beautifully shot movie: the cities and buildings pop out of the screen and come to life. If there is a theme for The 400 Blow, it is that of youth. The movie shows the innocence of youth, even though Antoine is not quite innocent himself. Leaud’s performance as Antoine is brilliant and the other actors are great as well. There’s also the theme of growing up and being the future generation. The adults in the movie try to hammer this in, even if they aren’t the best to set this example. If any downsides, the movie does drag out in some parts. Other than that, The 400 Blows is a great movie and easily the best in the series.
Rating: 8/10
Antoine And Colette (1962)
Antoine is now 17 years old and is now living independently. He now has a job and takes care of himself. After his shifts at the record store, he goes to youth concerts. At one show, he meets a young girl named Colette. He strikes up a friendship with her and tries to get closer to her.
Antoine and Colette is a short movie that was part of an anthology movie called Love At Twenty. With that, the theme for the second entry is young love and the awkward feeling that come with it. This is a solid follow up to The 400 Blows. Seeing Antoine handle life on his own is interesting. He’s good at some parts of independent living and not so good at others. This might have benefitted in being a full length movie but as it is, it’s a solid short movie.
Rating: 7/10
Stolen Kisses (1968)
Antoine has been discharged from the army. With that, he goes back to France and tries to find a steady job. With Antoine’s lack of experience in any field, this only leaves to blunder after blunder.
Of the five movies in the series, this is easily the funniest entry. Whereas the other entries are mostly dramas, Stolen Kisses is a comedy. Leaud shows off his comedic abilities in this movie and they are wonderful to watch. Antoine has a new love interest in the form of Christine (Claude Jade) and he finds himself failing to spend time with her. If Stolen Kisses had a theme, it would be that of early adulthood. The humor is not exactly laugh-out-loud funny but it is amusing and risqué in parts. This is usually considered by many to be the best of the sequels. It’s good but it has some downsides. Some of the side plots that don’t pay off and the humor can be off putting at times. Though as a whole, Stolen Kisses is a nice amusing entry in the series.
Rating: 7/10
Bed And Board (1970)
Now in his mid 20s, Antoine Doinel is a married man. With that, he not only has to provide himself but also his wife. Though married life presents its own set of challenges, which Antoine has to face.
The theme of Bed And Board is married life. Seeing Antoine now in the role as a husband and (soon to be) father is the perfect counterpart to the original movie: Antoine is now experiencing some of the same issues that his parents faced in The 400 Blows. The acting here is top notch and the writing is remarkable, making this a narratively more cohesive movie than Stolen Kisses. Leaud gets to show his dramatic chops and his chemistry with Claude Jade is remarkable. The movie gives a good depiction of what married life is like with it’s highs and lows. It’s somewhat similar to that of themes found in a Noah Baumbach movie. Of the sequels to The 400 Blows, this might be the best of them.
Rating: 7/10
Love On The Run (1979)
Antoine is now a published author and a popular one. He has a new life and things coming his way. Though with the release of his new book, his past comes back to haunt him.
Of the five movies in the series, Love On The Run is usually seen as the weakest. For one thing, the movie heavily relies on footage from the four previous entries. At times, it feels like you’re watching a clip show. There are also some side plots that go nowhere or are left unresolved. Even then, Love On The Run isn’t entirely bad. The reliance on the previous movies do provide some closure to the series. Along with that, there’s some great performances. This is especially the case for Marie-France Pisier, who returns as Colette. While it isn’t the perfect end for the series, Love On The Run still provides closure to the character of Antoine Doinel.
Rating: 6/10
Bonus Features
Given that there’s four discs in total, there’s a bunch of extras in this box set.
– two audio commentary tracks for The 400 Blows (one with film scholars and the other with Truffaut’s lifelong friend Robert Lachenay)
– archival interviews from Truffaut and the actors (Leaud, Jade and Pisier). There’s at least one on each on the four discs.
– the short film Les Mistons from 1957, a precursor to The 400 Blows
– video essays on Stolen Kisses and Les Mistons
– Introducing My Father, Francois Truffaut from 2019, a short feature/interview with Truffaut’s daughter Laura
– trailers
– a 48 page booklet of essays on each movie plus a excerpt from Truffaut’s book on the scripts for the first four Antoine movies
Conclusion
The new and updated The Adventures of Antoine Doinel is an impressive release from the Criterion Collection. All of the movies look and sound great with the new restorations. Along with this, the amount of bonus features should keep movie buffs busy for a week or so. If any downsides, it’s the movies themselves. The 400 Blows is undoubtedly the best of the series. The sequels, in all honesty, weren’t really necessary. Having said that, the Antoine Doinel series is an underrated series of movies. Whereas nowadays in a world where movie franchises are so common and overstay their welcome, the Antoine Doinel movies were clearly made as a labor of love by Truffaut himself. If you’re a sucker for coming-of-age movies, the Antoine Doinel movies are worth checking out at least once.
Overall Release Rating: 8/10
I'm a writer/journalist with a passion for music and pop culture. Having graduated from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 2014, I've been looking for a platform in which I can share my passions. Since 2009, I've been posting to my own blog- The Walrus' Music Blog- via Blogger. I'm also the author of two self-published books, "The Camp: Stories from the Summer" and "The College: Stories from King's." Together, the two books cover the story of my life from 2004 to 2014. I've been lucky enough to interview several of my favorite musicians over the years and go to concerts from time to time. I'm also very devoted to the CBS reality TV show Survivor, which I started watching in 2002 when its fourth season started. I currently live in New Jersey.