In a French forest in 1798 hunters are dispatched to kill a wild animal which turns out to be a young boy raised in the wilderness who has no means of manner or verbal communication. Sent to the Institute of the Deaf and Dumb, a doctor takes the boy to his home, feeling the clinic's methods will not aid the boy. With the help of his maid, the doctor begins the painstaking stance of not only teaching the boy manners and how to talk, but also of instituting a moral sense within him. "The Wild Child" is an astonishing tale by director Francois Truffaut which is essentially an affecting story of love and determination. Truffaut himself plays the doctor, Jean-Pierre Cargol plays the wild boy, and Francoise Seigner plays the maid and all are terrific at playing determined individuals dealing with their extremely frustrating tasks at hand. The film is shot in beautifully delicate black and white and I admired Truffaut's bravery in showing the realities and the pains of a situation like this. I could see how there could be an urge to turn this into a padded success story full of triumphs, but the triumphs here are small and Truffaut wisely focuses on the determination, doubts, and affections of all three members of the group. "The Wild Child" is a fascinating film that is incredibly affecting without cutting corners.
