Movies by François Truffaut

François Truffaut was a titan of the French New Wave, a movement that revolutionized international cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s. As a young film critic, Truffaut championed the idea that a director's unique creative vision should be the driving force behind a film - the so-called "auteur theory." He put this philosophy into practice in his own directorial work, crafting deeply personal and stylistically innovative films that earned him global acclaim. Truffaut's breakout as a director came with his semi-autobiographical 1959 masterpiece The 400 Blows, which introduced the world to his cinematic alter ego, Antoine Doinel. This coming-of-age tale established Truffaut's sensitive yet unsentimental approach to youth, a theme he would return to in films like the charming Small Change. But Truffaut's range extended far beyond adolescence - his filmography encompasses romantic dramas like The Woman Next Door, playful showbiz satires like Day for Night, and nuanced character studies like The Last Metro. Throughout his work, Truffaut displayed a remarkable technical virtuosity, blending documentary-like realism with flights of visual poetry. As both a director and a vocal champion of cinema, Truffaut left an indelible mark on film history. His impact can be felt in the intimate, idiosyncratic style of the French New Wave, as well as in the rise of the director as an auteur - a true creative force shaping every aspect of a film. Truffaut's legacy lives on in the work of countless filmmakers who have been inspired by his unerring eye, his emotional honesty, and his passionate belief in the power of the moving image.