Everybody connected with this unusual, off-beat film made in black-and-white rates kudos.
The Wild Child (1970)
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:23
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.2/10
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... 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
The detail of the boy's journey from wild child to surrogate son of the doctor and his housekeeper is authentic and painstaking.
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.
Nearly 40 years after its initial release, Francois Truffaut's The Wild Child (L'Enfant Sauvage) still manages to cast its haunting, poetic spell.
Truffaut never upstages the astounding Cargol; both performers underplay in perfect harmony, turning the story into a duet of paternal affection and paradise lost.
Offers a reassuring liberal outlook that has the hubris to think that one can cure anyone who is ill with proper education and treatment.
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.
often overlooked film will stimulate educators and anyone interested in the learning process
This is one of Francois Truffaut's best middle-period films (1969), albeit one of his darkest and most conservative.
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.
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.
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...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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