L'Enfant sauvage
François Truffaut
During the summer of 1798, three peasants from the Aveyron, go out in search of a wild animal a woman in the region swears she saw, and discover a boy living in the wild like an animal. Back in Paris, the skillful Dr. Itard decides to do a case study of this "wild creature" who has never known another human being and has no education...
With : Jean-Pierre Cargol, François Truffaut, Françoise Seigner, Paul Villé, Pierre Fabre, Claude Miller
Screenplay : François Truffaut, Jean Gruault, d'après "Mémoire et rapport sur Victor de l'Aveyron" de Jean Itard
Image : Nestor Almendros
Sound : René Levert
Music : Antonio Vivaldi, Antoine Duhamel
Editing : Agnès Guillemot
Screenplay : François Truffaut, Jean Gruault, d'après "Mémoire et rapport sur Victor de l'Aveyron" de Jean Itard
Image : Nestor Almendros
Sound : René Levert
Music : Antonio Vivaldi, Antoine Duhamel
Editing : Agnès Guillemot
Production : Les Films du Carrosse, Les Productions Artistes Associés
Distribution: MK2
Distribution: MK2
Even with its absence of stars, its austere directing, the filming of it black and white, this film was a great box-office success. Truffaut decided to play the role of Dr. Itard himself to facilitate directing the young Jean-Pierre Cargol. The filmmaker found in the "wild boy from Aveyron" a subject that allowed him to expound upon themes dear to him: the consequences of the lack of affection, the importance of culture and education "For The Wild Child, he returned to the black and white of The 400 Blows. A lot was said, and rightly so, about the fact that he was paying off his debt to André Bazin: of all Truffaut's films, it is surely this one that portrays the transmission of knowledge that privileged moment between a father and son, in such a literal manner. For Truffaut to pass to the age of adulthood, from Doinel to Dr. Itard, the roles had to be reversed. Once he became Dr. Itard he could pass on the torch." (Olivier Assayas)