The Wild Child Rating: Release Date: 24 July, 2001 Retail Price: $14.95 OUR Price: $12.99 You SAVE: $1.96! Cast: François Truffaut Jean-Pierre Cargol Francois Truffaut Levert

The Wild Child Reviews

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The first signals !
This is an absolutely and concise essay on teaching and eventually giving of love .
A baby is abandoned in the woods of France and discovered in 1797 , by a local farmer. It does not do either film justice to suggest this a agallic version of the Miracle worker due both films ride in diferent directions .
Truffaut himself plays the role of a Dr who undertook the challenging task of training the brutish child .
Based on a Itard 's journal , this film is one of the most ambitious in the formidable career of this French filmmaker.

Deserves to be Discovered
"The Wild Child" was directed by Francois Truffaut and released in 1970. Truffaut has made some extraordinary movies, such as the Antoine Doinel series and "Jules et Jim." Unfortunately, this movie is given relatively little recognition, even though it truly is first-rate. Based on a true story, the movie concerns Victor, l'enfant sauvage - a boy found in the wilds of France. Truffaut cast himself as Dr. Jean Itard an 18th century physician who helps "tame" and educate the boy. Initially branded an "idiot" and uneducable by local townspeople, Victor is helped immensely by Dr. Itard through his humane treatment.

The story is fascinating and quite gripping. In addition, the movie raises interesting questions regarding "civilized" behavior and ethics, as it compares Victor to various people in the town. Although similar stories has been told elsewhere (e.g., Herzog's "Every Man for Himself"), Truffaut manages to put his own interesting spin on the tale. Further, his direction is masterful, and he won Best Director from the National Board of Review. The film was made in black and white, which adds great realism to the story - it looks terrific (It won Best Cinematography from the National Society of Film Critics). The only debit is the lack of DVD extras.

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