Originally commissioned by Truffaut as part of a series of short films based on Edgar Allen Poe's Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, it would be a way for New Wave directors to sponsor younger directors. This was the only film in the series completed.

Originally commissioned by Truffaut as part of a series of short films based on Edgar Allen Poe's Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, it would be a way for New Wave directors to sponsor younger directors. This was the only film in the series completed.

A group of young boys develops a crush on a girl, leading to jealousy toward her boyfriend. They scheme to disrupt their relationship, and when the boyfriend catches one of them spying, he punishes him harshly. In retaliation, the boys attempt to make the girl doubt her boyfriend's love.

Jean Lerat begins his military service at an army camp. Despite his aunt’s attempts to pull a few strings to his advantage, the unfortunate Lerat manages to get on the wrong side of his bullying colonel…

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

Claire is a chic young Parisian woman married to a somewhat older husband, Jean. Claire meets her lover, Claude, at his apartment, where he gifts her a fur coat. Now Claire needs to figure out how to return home with this expensive gift without the affair being found out.