The Wild Child (1970) L'enfant sauvage (original title)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (scenario, adaptation and dialogue) &
Jean Gruault (scenario, adaptation and dialogue) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 September 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

At last an adult film to which you can take your children.

Plot:

1798. In a forest, some countrymen catch a wild child who can not walk, speak, read nor write. Doctor Itard is interested by the child...

Plot Keywords:

Manners | Sign Language | Education | Institution | Feral Child

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

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
Guillaume Schiffman	...	Boy at farm
Frédérique Dolbert	...	Girl at farm
Eric Dolbert	...	Boy at farm
Tounet Cargol	...	Boy at farm
Dominique Levert	...	Child at farm
Misse Theaudiere
Jean Mandaroux	...	Itard's Doctor
René Levert	...	Police Official
Pierre Fabre	...	Orderly at Institute

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits
François Truffaut		(scenario, adaptation and dialogue) &
Jean Gruault		(scenario, adaptation and dialogue)
Jean Itard		(based upon the memoir and report "Victor de l'Aveyron")

Cinematography by
Néstor Almendros		(as Nestor Almendros)

Film Editing by
Agnès Guillemot

Set Decoration by
Jean Mandaroux

Costume Design by
Gitt Magrini

Makeup Department
Nicole Félix	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Marcel Berbert	....	production manager
Claude Miller	....	unit manager (as Claude Miler)
Roland Thénot	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Suzanne Schiffman	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Claude Dolbert	....	property master

Sound Department
René Levert	....	sound
Alex Pront	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Philippe Théaudière	....	assistant camera
Pierre Zucca	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Yann Dedet	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Antoine Duhamel	....	conductor
André Saint-Clivier	....	musician: mandolin
Michel Sanvoisin	....	musician: Flautino
Antonio Vivaldi	....	music by

Other crew
Christine Pellé	....	script girl

Thanks
Jean-Pierre Léaud	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Les Artistes Associés (presents)
• Les Films du Carrosse
• Les Productions Artistes Associés

Distributors

• Les Artistes Associés (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Film Desk, The (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1970) (UK) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Franay L.T.C. Saint Cloud  film lab

Also Known As:

"L'enfant sauvage" - France (original title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | French Sign Language

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Aubiat, Puy-de-Dôme, France

Company:

Les Artistes Associés

Trivia:

The incidents based on true life, as reported by Dr. Itard and as shown by Truffaut, include the facts that: (1) Victor was captured by hunters. (2) Pinel did conclude and dismiss Victor as a helpless retarded child, "an incurable idiot." (3) Crowds of Parisians really did come to see the "Wild Boy of Aveyron." (4) Victor really did prefer the "O" sound, and accepted the name Victor, which in French has an accent on the "O" [veek-TOR]. (5) Dr. Itard appears to have been truly kind to the boy, as were Mme. Guerin and the neighbors. (6) Victor appears to have had great affection for Itard and Guerin, but was never interested in children of his own age.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Day for Night: An Appreciation (2003) (V)

My Favorite Francois Truffault's Film

Provocative, engaging, and moving, this movie is an absolute wonder - elegant, artful, with breathtaking use of Vivaldi's music, with amazing performance form Jeanne-Pierre Cargol as a Wild Child of the title, the young boy who was found living in the forest outside a village in 1790th France. Based on the book of the physician Itard (played by Francois Truffault) who took the boy in and tried to teach him how to live among humans. The contrast between the narrator's (Itard's) passionless voice and his growing emotional attachment to the boy is heartbreaking.

"The Wild Child" is my favorite Truffault's film - I think it is much stronger than his more popular "400 Blows". Highly recommended