Truffaut never upstages the astounding Cargol; both performers underplay in perfect harmony, turning the story into a duet of paternal affection and paradise lost.
The Wild Child (1970)
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Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 16
Rotten:0
Average Rating: 8.1/10
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 intellectual education of a "wild child" -- a... 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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Reviews for The Wild Child
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.
Offers a reassuring liberal outlook that has the hubris to think that one can cure anyone who is ill with proper education and treatment.
Everybody connected with this unusual, off-beat film made in black-and-white rates kudos.
often overlooked film will stimulate educators and anyone interested in the learning process
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.
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.
The detail of the boy's journey from wild child to surrogate son of the doctor and his housekeeper is authentic and painstaking.
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.
This is one of Francois Truffaut's best middle-period films (1969), albeit one of his darkest and most conservative.
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