L' Enfant Sauvage (The Wild Child) (1970)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  Many have criticised Francois Truffaut for making Wild Child, claiming that the film is far too clinical but is also of a subject matter that he wasn't academically capable of telling correctly. Many people criticised David Lynch in exactly the same way when he made The Elephant… More
  Many have criticised Francois Truffaut for making Wild Child, claiming that the film is far too clinical but is also of a subject matter that he wasn't academically capable of telling correctly. Many people criticised David Lynch in exactly the same way when he made The Elephant Man, which is now regarded as a classic and the only difference I can see between the two is that it seems more people have seen The Elephant Man - this true story being the better known of the two. First off, the young Jean-Pierre Cargol was fantastic as the Ferrel Victor, I'm amazed he didn't continue a career in acting. Also, the passion Truffaut felt for the story is evident in every scene, it's evident in the fact he didn't trust anyone but himself to star in it. It may have been clinical at time but the source material was from Dr. Jean Itard's notes and diary and actually transferring that to the screen was a very clever and original direction. I can't say I've seen it executed so successfully since other than in the aforementioned The Elephant Man. Personally, I loved it.

• Jim H

  
  Based on the subject and the director's nationality, I assumed that this film would be some kind of restatement or exploration of Rousseau's "noble savage" theory, and though there is some of this discussion in one or two lines, the film doesn't spend much… More
  Based on the subject and the director's nationality, I assumed that this film would be some kind of restatement or exploration of Rousseau's "noble savage" theory, and though there is some of this discussion in one or two lines, the film doesn't spend much time juxtaposing modernity and the "wild" child's original habitat. Based on all the critics' reviews, this film is an exploration or discussion of child development, but there is very little original presented here. So, I'm left struggling to figure out what this film is about and why people like it so much. I found the story to be merely a French, poor man's <i>Miracle Worker</i>, and I found the acting, especially by Truffaut, to be stilted and staid. Even Truffaut's direction lacks vigor. Almost every scene is a motionless three-quarter shot, backed by a heavy-handed harpsichord. Overall, I neither found this intellectually nor emotionally compelling. Like Truffaut's acting, it was just there, saying nothing interesting or interestingly.

• Randy T

  
  Truffaut's docu-drama about the discovery of a small boy living completely on his own in the forests of France in the late 18th century. Much more academic than most of his other films, it's nonetheless fascinating to watch. A study in child development and psychology.

• Eric B

  
  "The Wild Child" is an engaging film, but it's hard to guess why director Francois Truffaut felt compelled to tell this simple story. The premise (a patient 18th-century teacher, played by Truffaut himself, eases a feral pre-teen into civilization) is quite… More
  "The Wild Child" is an engaging film, but it's hard to guess why director Francois Truffaut felt compelled to tell this simple story. The premise (a patient 18th-century teacher, played by Truffaut himself, eases a feral pre-teen into civilization) is quite straightforward, and the boy doesn't advance enough to fully please an audience (you may be surprised when the film abruptly ends). And there aren't any notable directing choices beyond a few nostalgic iris shots. Perhaps this tale should be loosely filed with "Small Change" and "The 400 Blows" as just another look at children finding their way in the world. Jean-Pierre Cargol is impressive in the title role. He only says one word, but is put through quite a physical test.

• Michael M

  
  For those unfamiliar with what a "feral child" is, it is a child who from the early years of their life has been denied contact with other humans. Tarzan of the apes and Mowgli from The Jungle Book are probably the most well known feral children of fiction, but there are… More
  For those unfamiliar with what a "feral child" is, it is a child who from the early years of their life has been denied contact with other humans. Tarzan of the apes and Mowgli from The Jungle Book are probably the most well known feral children of fiction, but there are cases of real life feral children. It's a topic that really intrigues me, and led to my discovery of the French film The Wild Child. A docudrama of sorts, it is based on actual journal entries about "The Wild Boy of Aveyron." The film opens somewhat abruptly, immediately showing the discovery and capture of the "The Wild Boy," who is eventually named Victor. Victor is found naked in a forest in southern France. He is presumed to be about 12, and seems unable to speak or understand human language. He is taken to a school for deaf mutes, deemed "an idiot child," and treated as something of a tourist attraction. One of those at the school, Dr. Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (played by François Truffaut, who also produced and directed the film) sees things differently than his colleagues, eventually gaining custody of Victor and dedicating his time to civilizing the child. This process takes up the majority of the film. The viewer is taken through the months of Victor's lessons, starting with basic concepts of humanity like walking normally and wearing clothes, and eventually transitioning into understanding language. The teaching of Victor is without a doubt the most interesting part of the movie. This isn't just because it also happens to be the most interesting part of the true story, but also because the first fourth of the movie is where most of its problems are. The biggest issue the film has is the lack of interest the majority of the characters show in this very intriguing discovery. Dr. Jean Itard and his assistant Madame Guerin seem to be the only characters who realize the significance of Victor. All the other characters just treat it like a normal occurrence, with their only real emotion towards Victor being one of disdain, seeing him as being beneath them. I suppose this was probably intentional, meant to show how Dr. Itard differs from the rest of his colleagues, but I think it's taken a bit too far, making the first fourth of the film lack a certain level of emotion. Another issue the film has is its limitations from the true story. For example, we don't see what Victor's life was like before he was captured. Why was he abandoned? How did he learn to fend for himself? Was he always completely alone? None of these questions are answered in the movie, because they were never answered in real life. We get some hints, but that's about it. I also felt a bit unsatisfied with the ending. It's not that it's a bad ending, it just felt lacking. However, I must say that I'm happy with their decision to stay close to the facts, with very little dramatization. It may leave me dissatisfied at certain points, but there are enough fictional feral children in the media; it was nice to see the story of a real one. Ultimately this is a good film despite its faults. A quiet piece that moves at a deliberate pace, I'm not entirely sure I can label it as "entertaining," but I can say it is very engaging. François Truffaut's performance as Dr. Jean Itard is good, and the boy who plays Victor is superb, especially considering that he only speaks about three times. The Wild Child is a very intriguing film that has left me thinking about it long after the credits rolled. Well deserving of the title "a classic," this 40 year-old film holds up surprisingly well, and is definitely worth a look.

• Tom S

  
  I was disappointed by this film. It's supposed to be one of Truffaut's best works, but it didn't really compare to the Doinel films or any of his early masterpieces. Perhaps, my experience of it was tainted because I watched it on VHS.

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