I see that this movie is rated R and I want to buy the Criterion box set 'Adventures of Antoine Doinel' for my son who is 12. He loved 'The Seventh Seal', 'Fanny and Alexander' and 'The Seven Samurai' so I think The 400 Blows would be perfect for him. I'm not sure about the content in this movie or the sequels so I am wondering if this, 'Love on the Run' and 'Bed and Board' are appropriate for a 12 year-old?
For this film I would imagine the R rating is due to a brief sequence of nudity at the beginning of the film, the sequence showing a woman laying in bed and her breasts clearly visible in a few brief shots. Apart from that the only objectable content I can recall is the fact that the lead character visits prostitutes twice during the film, quite briefly so and with 'nothing shown', so to speak.
I can't speak for the other two in the box as I have yet to see them myself, but if your son enjoys Bergman he is obviously quite mature for his age. Either way this is quite a fine film indeed, I must say.
He saw it and absolutely loved it. There were a few embarassing scenes here and there but overall it was an excellent film. Thank you all for your help. On to 'Bed and Board'...