François Truffaut changed cinema forever with his role in the French New Wave. This quiz highlights his progression from a troubled youth to an influential filmmaker who redefined the medium.
You will see questions about his debut film, his famous collaborations, and the critical theories he pioneered. We also cover his professional relationship with other major directors.
Check out our New Wave movements, explore directors and auteurs, or learn more about European cinema.
Which French New Wave director, known for ‘The 400 Blows’, is the subject of this quiz?
François Truffaut
François Truffaut
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Which statement accurately describes the early life of François Truffaut?
His father was unknown and his mother was distant
His father was unknown and his mother was distant
He was an only child raised by doting grandparents in Paris
He was an only child raised by doting grandparents in Paris
He was raised by wealthy aristocrats in the countryside
He was raised by wealthy aristocrats in the countryside
He spent his childhood in a boarding school in London
He spent his childhood in a boarding school in London
What was a defining experience of Truffaut’s challenging adolescent years?
He was a professional athlete in his youth
He was a professional athlete in his youth
He worked as a banker before discovering cinema
He worked as a banker before discovering cinema
He was a prolific novelist before entering film
He was a prolific novelist before entering film
He was a troubled youth who spent time in a center for juvenile delinquents
He was a troubled youth who spent time in a center for juvenile delinquents
Which influential film magazine did Truffaut write for starting in the 1950s?
La Nouvelle Presse
La Nouvelle Presse
Cahiers du Cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma
Arts et Lettres
Arts et Lettres
Cinéma Paradiso
Cinéma Paradiso
What controversial theory did Truffaut propose in his famous 1954 essay?
The studio system purity movement
The studio system purity movement
The politique des auteurs
The politique des auteurs
The cinematic realism manifesto
The cinematic realism manifesto
The silent film preservation act
The silent film preservation act
Who became a mentor and father figure to François Truffaut after the young man was released from a juvenile delinquency center?
Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson
André Bazin
André Bazin
Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois
The film ‘The 400 Blows’ (Les Quatre Cents Coups) centers on which protagonist?
A disillusioned war veteran returning to civilian life
A disillusioned war veteran returning to civilian life
A wealthy businessman running from his past
A wealthy businessman running from his past
A young boy struggling with his family and school life
A young boy struggling with his family and school life
An actress on the streets of Paris
An actress on the streets of Paris
What is the name of the iconic character who serves as a recurring semi-autobiographical figure for the director in ‘The 400 Blows’?
Michel Poiccard
Michel Poiccard
Henri Langlois
Henri Langlois
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Antoine Doinel
Antoine Doinel
Which young actor was discovered by the director to play the lead role in ‘The 400 Blows’?
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud
In which setting does the majority of ‘The 400 Blows’ take place?
The French Riviera
The French Riviera
The mountains of the French Alps
The mountains of the French Alps
The countryside of Normandy
The countryside of Normandy
Paris and its outskirts
Paris and its outskirts
‘The 400 Blows’ is famous for which technical ending that became a lasting cinematic image?
The jump cut
The jump cut
The split-screen technique
The split-screen technique
The voice-over narration throughout the film
The voice-over narration throughout the film
The freeze-frame ending
The freeze-frame ending
At which major film festival did François Truffaut win the Best Director award for his debut feature in 1959?
Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
Locarno Film Festival
Locarno Film Festival
What was the general tone of Truffaut’s perspective on Steven Spielberg in his legendary 1978 interview?
He felt Spielberg’s success was detrimental to international cinema history
He felt Spielberg’s success was detrimental to international cinema history
He expressed profound admiration for Spielberg’s ability to create universal myths
He expressed profound admiration for Spielberg’s ability to create universal myths
He was critical of Spielberg’s technical simplicity
He was critical of Spielberg’s technical simplicity
He refused to speak to Spielberg due to cultural differences
He refused to speak to Spielberg due to cultural differences
In which famous American film did François Truffaut make an acting appearance at Steven Spielberg’s request?
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Jaws
What role did François Truffaut play in the Steven Spielberg film he acted in?
As a scientist investigating strange phenomena
As a scientist investigating strange phenomena
As a journalist trying to document the discovery
As a journalist trying to document the discovery
As a father searching for his missing child
As a father searching for his missing child
As a government official attempting to hide the truth
As a government official attempting to hide the truth
Regarding François Truffaut’s role in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, how did he describe the experience?
He felt the film was a betrayal of European artistic sensibilities
He felt the film was a betrayal of European artistic sensibilities
He enjoyed the experience, noting it influenced his view of American blockbuster filmmaking
He enjoyed the experience, noting it influenced his view of American blockbuster filmmaking
He found the acting process to be distracting from his own directing work
He found the acting process to be distracting from his own directing work
He felt limited by American production constraints
He felt limited by American production constraints
What fundamental artistic connection existed between François Truffaut and Steven Spielberg?
They shared a common disdain for classical narrative structure
They shared a common disdain for classical narrative structure
They shared a deep belief in the power of visual storytelling to move audiences across cultures
They shared a deep belief in the power of visual storytelling to move audiences across cultures
They were both primarily documentary filmmakers before entering fiction
They were both primarily documentary filmmakers before entering fiction
They were both exclusively focused on low-budget, independent filmmaking
They were both exclusively focused on low-budget, independent filmmaking
Which statement accurately summarizes the career of François Truffaut after his early successes?
He stopped writing for Cahiers du Cinéma to become a film professor
He stopped writing for Cahiers du Cinéma to become a film professor
He retired to focus entirely on film criticism after 1970
He retired to focus entirely on film criticism after 1970
His career ended shortly after his collaboration with Spielberg
His career ended shortly after his collaboration with Spielberg
He remained a productive filmmaker, directing over 20 feature films before his death in 1984
He remained a productive filmmaker, directing over 20 feature films before his death in 1984
Which established French filmmaking movement did Truffaut and his Cahiers du Cinéma cohorts aggressively attack in their critiques?
The cinema of the moment
The cinema of the moment
The cinema of the auteur
The cinema of the auteur
The cinema of the soul
The cinema of the soul
The cinema of the tradition of quality
The cinema of the tradition of quality
Which personal conflict characterized a significant professional relationship in the life of François Truffaut?
He refused all communication with the foreign press
He refused all communication with the foreign press
He was a vocal critic of the Soviet film industry
He was a vocal critic of the Soviet film industry
He was a public supporter of the Nazi occupation film industry
He was a public supporter of the Nazi occupation film industry
He was known for intense feuds with fellow New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard
He was known for intense feuds with fellow New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard
Which specific cause did François Truffaut advocate for, heavily influenced by Henri Langlois?
Children’s rights during the post-war era
Children’s rights during the post-war era
The beauty of the French language in contemporary literature
The beauty of the French language in contemporary literature
The importance of film preservation and archives
The importance of film preservation and archives
The necessity of political revolution in modern Europe
The necessity of political revolution in modern Europe
In what year was the pivotal interview conducted where François Truffaut discussed the future of American cinema with Steven Spielberg?
1975
1975
1978
1978
1972
1972
1981
1981
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Once you finish, keep going with our quizzes on New Hollywood history, various iconic films, or our collection of directors who also act.
