Jean de Florette

The reason why I was watched this film is because I read both "la gloire de mon pere" and "la château de ma mere", two other books written by Marcel Pagnol, and I found them fascinating.

This film is a fabulous portrayal of one man's greed over another man's dream. The performances given in this film are mesmerising, from Depardieu's hunch back to Montand's le papet. Although this film is sublime, I think it would be a wise choice to see the following film, Manon des Sources, as it gives the whole story through both the films.

The film really goes to show how far some people will go to get what they want, whether it's le papet trying to secure a legacy for his family's name, or Jean de Florette trying to get his amazing ideas on farming to work.

Everything comes together so well in this film-the score, the storyline and the performances, something modern movie makers should take note of.

I really enjoyed this movie and was worried the sequel, Manon of the Spring would be a letdown--so often, sequels just can't compare to the originals. However, I say watch this movie so you can really enjoy just how wonderful the sequel is! So my advice is to see this film and then rush out and see the follow-up film.

Considering that this film is from a script by the great Marcel Pagnol (who was responsible for many of the best French films), it's not at all surprising that this is a wonderful film. It's a sad and despicable story about greed. A man (Yves Montand) concocts a scheme to ruin an innocent man (Gérard Depardieu) and his family in order to force them off the land. It's even worse because the man and his family are so decent and deserve better. However, despite this being morally wrong, this plan was created because Montand wanted this land to remain in his family and be passed on to his descendants. Nice scheme, huh? The acting, writing, cinematography and pacing are superb--so good that I was EAGER to find the sequel. So, watch this movie and understand it only gets better in part 2!

In the French countryside, the farmer Cesar Soubeyran (Yves Montand) welcomes his grandson Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) in his property that intends to plant carnation in the land, but they need a spring of water to cultivate the flowers. Cesar decides to buy the land of his lazy neighbor Martial that has a spring; however, they argue and fight and Cesar accidentally kills him. The nephew Jean Cadoret (Gerard Depardieu) that is a townsman and former fiscal inherits the real estate and moves with his wife Aimee (Elisabeth Depardieu) and his daughter Manon (Ernestine Mazurowna) with intention of living in the farm, cropping and raise rabbits based on readings. Cesar and Ugolin block and seal the spring with cement and Cesar asks Ugolin to get closer to Jean to sabotage his work. Jean, who is called Jean de Florette by the locals, slowly spends all his savings and inheritance and sacrifices his family to get water in a distant spring while the hypocrite Ugolin jeopardizes his efforts pretending to be his friend.

"Jean de Florette" is a heartbreaking epic of greediness and cruelty. I bought this VHS many years ago and only today I have watched this masterpiece of the French cinema (I have no words to tell how much I regret this). The impressive saga of Jean Cadoret a.k.a. Jean de Florette is engaging and supported by a magnificent story and awesome performances, highlighting Daniel Auteuil, Yves Montand and Gerard Depardieu. The characters are very well developed and Daniel Auteuil is impressive in the role of the contradictory character Ugolin. The scene when he tells to his grandfather that he is not crying but his eyes, is fantastic. Jean de Florette somehow recalled me the unforgettable Jean Valjean of "The Miserables", and his saga shows how unfair and cruel a human being can be. Tomorrow I will see the sequel "Manon des Sources". My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Jean de Florette"

This film captures another world, and makes you a part of it. The acting is superb, the scenery breathtaking, and a huge amount of skill and effort has gone into evoking the heat of summer and the details of village life in a harsh, pre-industrial world. If you cannot stand watching a film in a foreign language, or you only watch films with special effects and non-stop action,then you may find something to object to in this one, but otherwise it is perfection. The story is heart-wrenching, all the characters (both good and bad) demand sympathy, and the story is both credible, and beautifully told. That is the true quality of this film - it tells a simple, gripping story in a way that grips any viewer with a heart from start to finish.

Jean de Florette is a magnificently acted, superb film with fine music and excellent cinematography. The colors used are vibrant and the red carnations are a stunning adjunct of the movie. Its sequel, Manon of the Spring, is even better, and its dramatic ending is quite well written and enacted. Together, these two films are amongst the finest to come from France.