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Movies / On DVD / The Wild Child
The Wild Child

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The Wild Child (1970)

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Reviews Counted:23

Fresh:23

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.2/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 86 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Nov 7, 2008 Limited

Synopsis: A touching and philosophical film, set in the 18th century and based on the diaries of real-life French doctor Jean Itard. Itard fought authorities for the right to take charge of the social and... A touching and philosophical film, set in the 18th century and based on the diaries of real-life French doctor Jean Itard. Itard fought authorities for the right to take charge of the social and intellectual education of a "wild child" -- a young boy who somehow had managed to survive, alone and uncared for, in nature. Although most of the medical establishment felt that the child, who could not speak and often exhibited violent behavior, was hopelessly retarded, the tenacious Itard, with techniques sometimes kind and frequently cruel, managed to prove them wrong. [More]

Starring: François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Cargol, Jean Daste, Paul Ville

Starring: François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Cargol, Jean Daste, Paul Ville

Director: François Truffaut

Director: François Truffaut
Studio: Film Desk/Heathen Films

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Release:

Jul 24, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Wild Child

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Francois Truffaut was not only a founder of the French New Wave, he was a passionate and keen chronicler of young people, how they grew and evolved and sought purpose in a larger world.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
05/01/09
Jason Heck
Jason Heck
Kansas City Star

A fascinating film, with an astonishing performance by young Cargol.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
03/13/09
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The Wild Child is fascinating not only for its Tarzan-like true-life story, but also for what it says about the process of nurturing and educating children, and the tools we use -- language, discipline, affection -- to do so.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
02/19/09
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Truffaut plays Itard, a representative of the Age of Reason who never questions the benefits of civilization...Truffaut the filmmaker is more suspicious of Itard's motives...

Full Review Source: Playback:stl | comment Comment
02/13/09
Sarah Boslaugh
Sarah Boslaugh
Playback:stl

Nearly four decades after its release, The Wild Child remains startling for its humane clarity, for Nestor Almendros's brilliant black-and-white photography, and for the sense that Truffaut is achieving filmmaking mastery on a very small scale.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
02/05/09
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
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An enduring film of enchanting and provocative revelation.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
01/09/09
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Nearly 40 years after its initial release, Francois Truffaut's The Wild Child (L'Enfant Sauvage) still manages to cast its haunting, poetic spell.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/18/08
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Truffaut never upstages the astounding Cargol; both performers underplay in perfect harmony, turning the story into a duet of paternal affection and paradise lost.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
11/05/08
David Fear
David Fear
Time Out New York

Rather than present a clichéd fall from grace, Truffaut elicits ambivalence by closely tracking the Enlightened scientist's optimism; after the fascination, our inchoate sadness seeps in.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/05/08
Nicolas Rapold
Nicolas Rapold
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Offers a reassuring liberal outlook that has the hubris to think that one can cure anyone who is ill with proper education and treatment.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 2 Comments
11/03/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Everybody connected with this unusual, off-beat film made in black-and-white rates kudos.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/28/08
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A deeply moving film.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
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No review available.

comment Comment
11/06/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
07/14/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

often overlooked film will stimulate educators and anyone interested in the learning process

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
04/02/05
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

It becomes his most thoughtful statement on his favorite subject: The way young people grow up, explore themselves, and attempt to function creatively in the world.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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No review available.

comment Comment
01/30/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Probably the director's most ambitious film, The Wild Child spins a modern myth with resonances...and through it all Truffaut examines the many issues at hand with warmth, concern and wisdom.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The detail of the boy's journey from wild child to surrogate son of the doctor and his housekeeper is authentic and painstaking.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie that looks so simple on its surface is dense with such questions, with feelings expressed obliquely, and with moments of tenderness that are as surprising in the film as they are in Itard's formal reports.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
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