AllMovie

The innocence of childhood is juxtaposed with terror in Les Fruits Sauvages (The Wild Fruit). Estella Blain plays Maria, the oldest of three children of a drunken, sadistic father. Unable to endure any more abuse, Maria kills her father, then flees for the Italian border with her siblings in tow. En route, they are given food and shelter by enigmatic gypsy-girl Lolita (Talina Sauzer). She also experiences a brace of desultory love affairs. Eventually the authorities intervene, bringing events to logical if not entirely pleasant conclusion. Though Les Fruits Sauvages is uneven dramatically, the film succeeds by virtue of the unaffected performances of its youthful cast.