IMDb > L'enfant sauvage (1970)
L'enfant sauvage
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L'enfant sauvage (1970) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   2,431 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
François Truffaut
Writers:
Jean Itard (novel)
François Truffaut (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Wild Child on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 September 1970 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
At last an adult film to which you can take your children.
Plot:
1798. In a forrest, some countrymen catch a wild child who can not walk, speak, read neither write. The Doctor Itard is interested by the child... more | full synopsis
Awards:
5 wins more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
The Hills: Welcome Back, Kristin Cavallari!
 (From TVStar. 6 October 2009, 11:48 PM, PDT)

The Highs and Lows of 'Dwts' Ladies' Night
 (From The Insider. 22 September 2009, 10:00 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A Victory for Truffaut more (18 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Jean-Pierre Cargol ... Victor, l'enfant sauvage

François Truffaut ... Le Dr Jean Itard
Françoise Seigner ... Madame Guerin
Jean Dasté ... Professor Philippe Pinel
Annie Miller ... Madame Lemeri
Claude Miller ... Monsieur Lemeri
Paul Villé ... Remy
Nathan Miller ... Baby Lemeri
Mathieu Schiffman ... Mathieu
Jean Gruault ... Visitor at Institute
Robert Cambourakis ... Countryman
Gitt Magrini ... Countrywoman
Jean-François Stévenin ... Countryman
Laura Truffaut ... Girl at farm
Eva Truffaut ... Girl at farm
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Wild Boy (UK)
The Wild Child (USA)
more
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
France
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film isn't based on a novel; it was a technical report or, more precisely, medical notes, entitled "Rapport fait à son excellence le Ministre de l'intérieur sur les nouveaux développemens et état actuel du sauvage de l'Aveyron." [More or less: Report to the Minister of the Interior about new developments and current state of the wild child of Aveyron.] more
Goofs:
Factual errors: In the US subtitles, the opening says that this is a true story that happened in 1978. It should have read 1798. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Day for Night: An Appreciation (2003) (V) more

FAQ

If Victor was not retarded, why didn't he ever learn to speak?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
What eventually happened to Victor?
more
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
A Victory for Truffaut, 6 January 2008
9/10
Author: wesconnorsehny from Earth

An absolutely enthralling film, based on the true story of a real-life boy "Tarzan". Discovered in a French Aveyron forest, in the late 1700s, "The Wild Child" was considered to be a deaf and dumb savage. But, young doctor Jean Itard (played by director Francois Truffaut) believes he can "civilize" the child. With tentative permission from the child's guardian "Institute for the Deaf and Dumb", Dr. Itard takes the savage boy into his home. Itard becomes the child's teacher and, ultimately, surrogate parent. Housekeeper Françoise Seigner adds some expert motherly affection. Itard symbolically names the boy "Victor" due to his preference for the ending "O" sound.

Director/writer/co-star Truffaut's "L' Infant sauvage" is a minor masterpiece. It's beautifully photographed (by Nestor Almendros), thought-provoking, and emotionally captivating. The ending events are, in fact, an emotional roller-coaster. Truffaut elicits a tremendous performance from Jean-Pierre Cargol as the savage young Victor. A great film for parents, teachers, and children (which means, of course, everyone).

********* L' Infant sauvage (2/26/70) François Truffaut ~ Jean-Pierre Cargol, François Truffaut, Françoise Seigner, Jean Dasté

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Message Boards

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