MANON DE SOURCES (MANON OF THE SPRINGS)

France, 1986, 113 minutes. Colour.
Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart, Hippolyte Girardot, Margarita Lozano, Elisabeth Depardieu.
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? The continuation of Jean de Florette? The awards? Considered a classic?

2. The work of Claude Berri? The source material?

3. The recreation of the period, the French countryside?

4. An allegory of good and evil? The themes of vengeance, retribution and justice?

5. The continuation of Jean de Florette? Manon as a grown woman? Audience appreciation of Cesar and Ugolin? What they had done to Jean de Florette?

6. The place of Cesar in the village? As the patriarch? His relationship with Ugolin? Supporting him? The uncovering of the water? Ugolin and his prospering over the years? His place in the village? Cesar and his influence? Yet people in the village knowing what they had done?

7. Cesar as the patriarch, not marrying? His wanting to leave something to his nephew? The heritage? His part in the plot to get Jean de Florette’s land? Cutting off the water, opening up the source again? His satisfaction in Ugolin’s prosperity? His wariness about Ugolin, falling in love, discovering his love for Manon? His discussions with Delphine? The discovery of the truth, his memories of going to war, his relationship with the young woman, not knowing she was pregnant, not marrying? The revelation that Jean de Florette was his son? Jean de Florette’s injuries because of her trying to kill the child? His regrets?

8. Ugolin? The success of the years? His place in the village, prosperity? His not being intellectually bright? His infatuation with Manon? Spying on her? Chasing her through the forest? Her knowledge of what he had done? Her revenge on him? His shame?

9. Manon, growing up, the shepherdess, in the mountains? Her beauty, bathing in the water? Ugolin and his spying on her, her reaction? His chasing her? Her meeting with Bernard? His role in the town? Courting her? The truth about the water? The scientific evidence? Her marrying him? The prospect of a happy life?

10. Bernard, his coming to the town, not knowing the stories? His falling in love with Manon? Courting her? The scientific background he brought? The examination of the soil and the water? The location of the source? His being the cause for Manon to discover the truth?

11. The people in the town? The need for water? The role of the priest? The procession, the prayers and the hymns for rain?

12. Manon and her family, her mother, with Baptistine? Baptistine’s advice?

13. Manon and her overhearing the two men talking? The realisation of the truth? The damage to her father? To her family? Her decision to block up the spring? The sophistication of the blockage? Cesar and Ugolin and their not being able to find the water again?

14. The consequences for Ugolin? His ruin?

15. Cesar, his reflections on what had happened? His sense of justice, the need for reparation and restitution? His decision to die? His letter, the truth, the offer to Manon? The maid discovering him dead?

16. The completion of the saga of the family? The overtones of the traditions of Greek tragedy? Fathers, unknown children, evil actions, malevolence, the consequences, the truth, the restoration of order?