Jean de Florette

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.

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!

Certainly one of the best examples of French cinema. A searing powerful story of greed, and its effects. All the actors are excellent, Yves Montand is especially heartbreaking. This movie and its sequel are two of the best films of the 1980's. By the way it's about time they were re-released on DVD i want to add them to my collection.I do not understand why such films are released and the go out of print these are important wonderful films that deserve new audiences, and a new generation of admirers. If it is a business decision that they don't create as much revenue as most of the garbage that comes out of Hollywood, they should be ashamed of themselves.

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 is a marvel of story-telling. Rarely have I felt so much pain for a fictional character. The "force of destiny" (great sound track motif selection!) is nowhere as evidently crushing as in this movie. I'm astounded and stunned by the beauty of human suffering, not, of course, out of sadism but out of melancholy. Great, great movie (though the Southern French accent is very hard to understand).