The Wild Child (1970)

 Francois Truffaut's "The Wild Child"

For some inexplicable reason, I was convinced before watching Francois Truffaut's "The Wild Child" that it would be an ineffective and disengaging experience. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. It completely took me by surprise and its depth of character and philosophical themes are worth consideration.

The film is based on the true events regarding Victor of Aveyron, a late 18th century French child who spent the first eleven or twelve years of his life with little or no human contact. Dr. Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, a physician, takes the boy in, in an attempt to educate the boy. Dr. Itard, along with his caring housekeeper, is patient and cares for the boy, eventually teaching him the fundamentals of language. 

What struck me most about this film is its capacity for character. There is nothing in-depth that is exercised and the story structure is rather quite simple. In fact, there's not really that much character analysis happening. However, Truffaut still somehow manages to illicit deep connections to characters through these quiet moments of compassion and progress.

As a viewer, I became completely invested in the young boy's learning and his connection to his social protectors. Through the process of education, the three primary characters become inextricably bonded. So much so that by the film's final moments, I felt a feeling a human connection that was beyond the realm of simple contact. Rather, it was more spiritual and existential. 

There was even a moment when I cried tears of joy. That's how emotionally invested I became. Perhaps it may seem controversial to 'root' for the social conditioning and behaviorism at work. But, I do find that "The Wild Child" is far different than other 'training a savage of modern social behavior' films. The reason is due to the intentionality of Dr. Itard. Sure, there is an element of social conditioning that may seem 'unnatural,' but Dr. Itard's intentions are purely to instill an education into Victor and render his intelligence elevated. Not only this, but he intents to instill into Victor a sense of justice and morality, which extends beyond the paradigm of colonial properness or 'polite society.' 

It is for this reason that "The Wild Child" was such an engaging experience for me. I felt a deep connection to its characters and the betterment of intelligence in Victor. After all, Dr. Itard's instruction of Victor prevented Victor's continued oppression in a mental institution or under far more dangerous protections. Dr. Itard wasn't just teaching him how to be a 'modern person." He was teaching Victor to protect himself and to individualize his intelligence.