Jean de Florette (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Jean de Florette' is director Claude Berri's magnificent first part of his 1987 two-part adaptation of a novel which tells an epic 1920's tale of greed in France's Provincial countryside. The 2nd part would be released later that year and is titled Manon of the Spring. This 1st film - the slower-paced of the two - is wonderful, and sets-up much of the characterization & tone for the equally stellar, is somewhat depressing part 2. Manon of the Spring is a film of vengeance; where a certain female character grows up to right some wrongs. But onto the film at hand ... 'Jean de Florette' is a French classic; thanks to Bruno Nuytten's resplendent cinematography, some spellbinding acting, Berri's vibrant direction, & stellar storytelling that just brims with life.
The plot is a straightforward one about the titular Jean 'de Florette' Cadoret (Gerard Depardieu), a stubborn hunchback from the city who inherits some property way out in the country. All he wants to do is to live there with his wife, Aimee (Elisabeth Depardieu, Gerard's then-wife) & sweet young daughter, Manon (Ernestine Mazurowna as a child, and Emmanuelle Beart in the Manon of the Spring movie), and start up a farm. Unfortunately, a greedy, unscrupulous farmer neighbor, Cesar Soubeyran - also called 'Le Papet' (Yves Montand) - wants that particular section of land for the water spring that's on it, and proceeds to have his dim-witted, simpleton nephew, Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil, superb), conspire to block the spring.
In doing this, he'd deprive the crops of water in an attempt to drive-out Jean de Florette, and nab the fruitful land; they basically want to bankrupt Jean so that they can grow flowers to sell. Cesar has no children, and so, wants to ensure that his slow-on-the-uptake nephew, Ugolin, gets some $$ from the land so as to woo a wealthy wife who can then bear him children to continue on the family name -- what a creep! Sounds ridiculous; and yet, Jean fails to see his neighbors' ignoble plot and, as his own health deteriorates during the blistering summer, so too do his crops. Drama ensues.
As mentioned above, the tone of this film is lighter than the eventual Manon of the Spring film, and that's due to the charismatic, boundless optimism displayed by Depardieu's Jean. Few films develop their characters as deeply & multi-faceted as those here; and that includes Jean, most of all. Characterization is a bit of a lost art in contemporary films and, the lushness of the characters here combined with lushness of the visuals makes for such a potent motion picture. Gerard Depardieu is a gentle giant, here. Yves Montand - a sex symbol from films of the 1950s, 60s & 70s - gives his BEST, and one of his LAST performances as the wily cunning, amoral Cesar; obsessed with a goal that he doesn't realize will cause of ripple effect of dire consequences. And perhaps best of all is Daniel Auteuil as the weak-willed, pathetic troll-like man whose befriending of Jean doesn't reap rewards.
This tragic tale of greed & duplicity set in the simplistically beautiful countryside {sun-drenched landscapes} juxtaposes the complexity & repulsiveness of human nature. This is the type of film that creeps up on you as you watch and, thanks to the luxuriant nature of the visuals, the morality tale about underhanded anguish, & the engaging nature of the characterizations ... it is easy to get gripped by it all. There is a magisterial quality to this movie that transitions nicely to the next film, Manon of the Spring; though, I do prefer this 1st part for its emotional effectiveness & its cinematic beauty.
The plot is a straightforward one about the titular Jean 'de Florette' Cadoret (Gerard Depardieu), a stubborn hunchback from the city who inherits some property way out in the country. All he wants to do is to live there with his wife, Aimee (Elisabeth Depardieu, Gerard's then-wife) & sweet young daughter, Manon (Ernestine Mazurowna as a child, and Emmanuelle Beart in the Manon of the Spring movie), and start up a farm. Unfortunately, a greedy, unscrupulous farmer neighbor, Cesar Soubeyran - also called 'Le Papet' (Yves Montand) - wants that particular section of land for the water spring that's on it, and proceeds to have his dim-witted, simpleton nephew, Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil, superb), conspire to block the spring.
In doing this, he'd deprive the crops of water in an attempt to drive-out Jean de Florette, and nab the fruitful land; they basically want to bankrupt Jean so that they can grow flowers to sell. Cesar has no children, and so, wants to ensure that his slow-on-the-uptake nephew, Ugolin, gets some $$ from the land so as to woo a wealthy wife who can then bear him children to continue on the family name -- what a creep! Sounds ridiculous; and yet, Jean fails to see his neighbors' ignoble plot and, as his own health deteriorates during the blistering summer, so too do his crops. Drama ensues.
As mentioned above, the tone of this film is lighter than the eventual Manon of the Spring film, and that's due to the charismatic, boundless optimism displayed by Depardieu's Jean. Few films develop their characters as deeply & multi-faceted as those here; and that includes Jean, most of all. Characterization is a bit of a lost art in contemporary films and, the lushness of the characters here combined with lushness of the visuals makes for such a potent motion picture. Gerard Depardieu is a gentle giant, here. Yves Montand - a sex symbol from films of the 1950s, 60s & 70s - gives his BEST, and one of his LAST performances as the wily cunning, amoral Cesar; obsessed with a goal that he doesn't realize will cause of ripple effect of dire consequences. And perhaps best of all is Daniel Auteuil as the weak-willed, pathetic troll-like man whose befriending of Jean doesn't reap rewards.
This tragic tale of greed & duplicity set in the simplistically beautiful countryside {sun-drenched landscapes} juxtaposes the complexity & repulsiveness of human nature. This is the type of film that creeps up on you as you watch and, thanks to the luxuriant nature of the visuals, the morality tale about underhanded anguish, & the engaging nature of the characterizations ... it is easy to get gripped by it all. There is a magisterial quality to this movie that transitions nicely to the next film, Manon of the Spring; though, I do prefer this 1st part for its emotional effectiveness & its cinematic beauty.