Truffaut's tender care for his 'Wild Child'
To tell the tale of a boy living in the wild in France, the director cast himself in a key role to help guide the young actor. A restored print will be shown this week at the Nuart.
Forty years ago, Laura Truffaut and her younger sister, Eva, spent an idyllic summer in the French countryside with their father, the groundbreaking New Wave director François Truffaut ("The 400 Blows," "Jules and Jim").
The late filmmaker was on location working on one of his most lyrically haunting movies, "The Wild Child." A beautiful new print of the award-winning film, which was released in America in 1970, arrives Friday at the Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles for a one-week engagement.
"I was 10," recalls Laura Truffaut, who has lived with her husband and children in Berkeley for the last two decades. "My dad noticed I was bored staying in a house. So he would bring me to the set. I was present for a number of scenes. I was very lucky I spent so much time on the set. There was so much talent."
"The Wild Child" is inspired by the early-19th century journal of Dr. Jean Itard revolving around his work with the Wild Boy of Aveyron.
Jean-Pierre Cargol plays the title character, a young boy who is found in the forest near Aveyron, France, in the late 18th century.
Mystery child
The wild child had been living like an animal -- unable to communicate or even walk like a human. Naked and filthy, he had been scrounging for food and water in the forest. The boy, eventually called Victor, was placed under the care of Dr. Itard (Truffaut, in his first film role), who attempted to civilize and educate the child. Both Truffaut siblings also appear as extras in the film.
"Wild Child" also marked the first collaboration between Truffaut and cinematographer Nestor Almendros, who supplied the evocative, documentary-style black-and-white photography. Almendros worked on several of Truffaut's subsequent films, including "The Story of Adele H" and "The Last Metro."
"I think the film has aged really well," says Laura Truffaut, who recalls her father's assistant combing schools in France, looking for the perfect young boy to play Victor.
"I remember my father showing me some photographs of possibilities for the child. And Jean-Pierre looked very different because he looked ethnically different. He is a Gypsy. He had an uncle who was a very well known classical guitar player. He's so moving in the film, and it was hard because he doesn't have any dialogue."
Truffaut took on the role of the doctor not only because it would be easier to direct the 12-year-old Cargol but also, says his daughter, "because he felt it wasn't a great role for a professional actor."
- HOME ENTERTAINMENT - 'Truffaut': A Detailed Look at the Master Feb 23, 1996
- Truffaut's Timeless Gifts for Film Fans Apr 29, 1999
- MOVIES - Schiffman: From Script Girl to Director Sep 25, 1988
