Wild Child

With over 80 photos included, this screenplay of the 1970 film tells the true story of the 1798 capturing of a wild child in a French forest and the efforts of a dedicated young doctor to civilize and educate him.

Found by huntsmen in a southern French forest in 1798, the Wild Child cannot walk, speak, read, or write. Thrown into jail and assumed to fail at becoming civilized, no one has any hope for the child’s recovery.

But when a kind doctor develops interest in the child, he begins to educate him and try to restore his development so the child may live a sort of normal life. After countless hours of love and patience, Doctor Itard is able to obtain results and help the child begin to develop normally.

From the film based on the technical report and medical notes of the real discovery of the Wild Child, this screenplay gives readers a look at the genius behind the French screenwriter who developed the film of Fahrenheit 451 and The 400 Blows.

François Truffaut (1932–1984) was an award-winning film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. Regarded as a founder of the French cinema’s New Wave, some of his works include The 400 Blows, Day For Night, and The Wild Child.