JEAN DE FLORETTE

France, 1986, 120 minutes. Colour.
Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu, Margarita Lozano.
Directed by Claude Berri.

Jean de Florette and its second part, Manon de Sources (Manon of the Springs) were two of the finest French films of the 1980s. The films won many awards including acting awards for Daniel Auteuil as well as best film from the American National Board of Review and BAFTA.

The film is adapted by Gerard Brach (regular writer with many directors including Roman Polanski for Tess) and director Claude Berri. It is based on the work by novelist Marcel Pagnol. For many decades his stories have been filmed, Topaze, many times as well as his trilogy from Marseilles, Fanny, Marius, Cesar. There were also films made of My Father’s Glory and My Mother’s House.

The film is beautifully photographed in the French countryside, capturing the atmosphere of a small village, of the seasons passing.

The film focuses on an old man, expertly played by Yves Montand, who welcomes back his nephew played by Daniel Auteuil, after military service. Ugolin, the nephew, wants to grow flowers, and needs a lot of water for their cultivation. There is a spring on an adjoining estate, inherited by a hunchback man from the city who brings his wife and daughter (Manon) to work the property. He is played by Gerard Depardieu, one of his most sympathetic roles, a very good man, a dreamer, with flaws, and sacrificed to the greed of his neighbours.

The film focuses on the old man and his nephew blocking up the spring and the farmer and his wife having to watch their crops languish in the unseasonable summer weather, try to find water from elsewhere, find their crops failing.

The second film, Manon de Sources, takes place some years later and is the story of Jean de Florette’s daughter, Manon, now a grown woman, eccentric in the town, courted by a visiting young agricultural expert, discovering the truth about the well. She then wreaks her revenge on the old man and his nephew by blocking up the well and preventing them from growing the flowers.

There is a sad twist at the end of the film as the old man talks to an elderly lady, reminisces about his going on service to northern Africa, leaving behind a pregnant woman – and discovering that she did give birth, and that the child was Jean de Florette.

He writes a letter, wills himself to die, wanting to make some reparation and restoration of the injustice that he caused.

While the film is particularly French, the themes and their treatment are universal.

1. The impact of the film, its awards, considered a classic?

2. The work of Claude Berri over the decades, a French film master? The source of the material in the works of Pagnol? This film as one of two parts, followed by Manon de Source? The impact of the two films as a whole?

3. The recreation of the period, the countryside, costumes and décor, the early 20th century in France? The musical score, the use of the themes of Verdi’s Force of Destiny?

4. The impact of the film as an allegory of good and evil?

5. The setting of the scene, Ugolin’s return from his military service, meeting Cesar, the bond between the two? Cesar and his plans for Ugolin? Ugolin and his secret plans for growing carnations, growing the flowers during the winter, the possibilities for developing the flowers, his revealing his plan to Cesar?

6. Ugolin as a character, his military service, a loner, his relationship with Cesar? In the house, the passing of winter, his hard work, his plan, the growth of the flowers, his success, Cesar’s discovery? Going to the market and selling the flowers?

7. Cesar as a patriarch, not marrying, wanting some heritage to be given to Ugolin? The irony of the discoveries about what happened to him? Jean de Florette and the truth at the end of Manon de Sources?

8. The death of the owner of the property, the investigations, the discovery of the son? Jean de Florette, the plans?

9. The quality of the land, Cesar and Ugolin wanting to bargain, arguing for the sale? The importance of the water for the flowers? The source? The decision to block it? The injustice?

10. Jean de Florette himself, as a person, the inheritance, his love for his wife, his daughter? A good man? His hopes, the crops, tending them, developing the rabbits? The mockery of the townspeople? The family and their hard work, the seasons, his success? The heat, the difficulties? Ugolin and his talk, confiding in Ugolin, but his unwillingness to sell?

11. The details of the family life, details of life in the town, the people, their reactions, Ugolin in the town, his observing everything that was going on?

12. The changes, the heat, the need for the water, Jean de Florette and his carrying the water, trying to find sources for the water? Ugolin and his wanting to buy the land? Jean de Florette’s failure? The effect for the family?

13. Jean’s collapse, his death, the sadness for the family?

14. Cesar and Ugolin, uncovering the water – and their being seen by the little child?

15. Good and evil, mundane evil, day-to-day evil, malice, the consequences? The defeat of good people?