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The Wild Child

Play trailer Poster for The Wild Child G 1970 1h 26m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A young boy (Jean-Pierre Cargol) is discovered in a forest, living a feral existence among a pack of wolves. Captured by hunters, he is sent to Paris and placed in a school for deaf-mute children. There he is observed by Dr. Itard (François Truffaut) who concludes that the boy is neither deaf nor intellectually stunted, but has simply been deprived of normal, humanizing influences. With no shortage of tenderness, patience and ambition, Itard devotes himself to educating and civilizing the boy.

Critics Reviews

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Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer 02/19/2009
3.5/4
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. Go to Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe 02/05/2009
3.5/4
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. Go to Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times 01/09/2009
4.5/5
An enduring film of enchanting and provocative revelation. Go to Full Review Kelly Vance East Bay Express 08/16/2011
Makes a heartfelt entry in Truffaut's filmography, yet another story of an unwanted kid. Go to Full Review Jason Heck Kansas City Star 05/01/2009
4/4
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. Go to Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 03/13/2009
A fascinating film, with an astonishing performance by young Cargol. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Scott R @ScottR Oct 5 NYT 1000 list. A unique film taking on themes of education, discipline, culture, and savagery. The premise was good, but it left me wondering more after than anything and purposeless. Saw on Tubi. See more georgan g 05/07/2022 The movie itself was only 3 stars, whereas the story is 5 stars. Sociologist in me loved exploring this theme in the deaf & hearing worlds of that era. See more Francisco S 12/16/2015 L'Enfant Sauvage is an excellent adaptation to the wild childs's theme, and with the help of the outstanding performances and the clever script, it is almost a masterpiece it only needed a solid end to complete this pertinent story. See more 12/16/2015 L'Enfant Sauvage is an excellent adaptation to the wild childs's theme, and with the help of the outstanding performances and the clever script, it is almost a masterpiece it only needed a solid end to complete this pertinent story. See more 09/11/2015 (F) 8.1 [François Truffaut] See more 05/13/2015 fascinating portrayal of the classic tale of a person who has missed critical junctures in development never to be made up. See more Read all reviews
The Wild Child

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Cast & Crew

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François Truffaut

Director

Jean-Pierre Cargol

Victor

François Truffaut

Le Dr Jean Itard

Jean Dasté

Professor Philippe Pinel

Françoise Seigner

Madame Guerin

Annie Miller

Madame Lemeri

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The Wild Child

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young boy (Jean-Pierre Cargol) is discovered in a forest, living a feral existence among a pack of wolves. Captured by hunters, he is sent to Paris and placed in a school for deaf-mute children. There he is observed by Dr. Itard (François Truffaut) who concludes that the boy is neither deaf nor intellectually stunted, but has simply been deprived of normal, humanizing influences. With no shortage of tenderness, patience and ambition, Itard devotes himself to educating and civilizing the boy.
Director
François Truffaut
Production Co
Les Films du Carrosse, Les Productions Artistes Associés
Rating
G
Genre
Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Streaming)
May 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.4K
Runtime
1h 26m