The Wild Chils by Roger Ebert

The Wild Child (G)

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The Wild Child

By Roger Ebert / October 16, 1970

Cast & Credits

Dr. Itard Francois Truffaut

The Wild Child Jean-Pierre Cargol

United Artists presents a Les Films du Carosse and Les Productions Artists Associas production, directed by Francois Truffaut from a screenplay by himself and Jean Gruault. Photographed in black and white by Nestor Almendros. In French with English subtitles and spoken narration. Rated G.

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Francois Truffaut's "The Wild Child" is the story of a "wolf boy" who lived like an animal in the woods, and about the doctor who adopted him and tried to civilize him. The story is essentially true, drawn from an actual case in 18th Century France, and Truffaut tells it simply and movingly. 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.

This process was the subject of Truffaut's first film, "The 400 Blows," and he returned to the same autobiographical ground with his recent "Stolen Kisses." Now, again using Jean-Pierre Leaud as the actor, he's at work on the third film in the trilogy. In this one, reportedly, the autobiographical character survives adolescence and enters bravely into manhood.

That is a happy ending forever out of the reach of the Wild Child, who has been so traumatically affected by his forest life that he can hardly comprehend the idea of language. There's even a question, at first, as to whether he can hear. He can, but makes a little connection between the sounds of words and their meanings. The doctor makes slow progress, or none, for months at a time. Then perhaps there's a small breakthrough. He records it all in his journal, and Truffaut's spoken English narration from the journal carries most of the ideas in the film.

"The Wild Child" is about education at its most fundamental level; about education as the process by which society takes millions of literally savage infants every year, and gradually seduces them into sharing the conventions of everybody else. There's a question, of course, as to whether "civilization" is good for man, or if he'd be happier in a natural state.

That question is at the root of "The Wild Child." Since the boy can never function "normally" in society, should he have been left in the woods? It's

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