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Jean De Florette
1986
French director Claude Berri's stunning adaptation of the acclaimed Marcel Pagnol novel is the winner of numerous international awards and is the world's most popular foreign language film ever. City-dweller Jean de Florette (Gerard Depardieu) moves his family to the Provence countryside in the 1920's to forge a new life as a .. Read more
| Starring | Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu |
|---|---|
| Director | Claude Berri |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Jean De Florette
French director Claude Berri's stunning adaptation of the acclaimed Marcel Pagnol novel is the winner of numerous international awards and is the world's most popular foreign language film ever. City-dweller Jean de Florette (Gerard Depardieu) moves his family to the Provence countryside in the 1920's to forge a new life as a farmer. But his proud, cocky neighboring rival Le Papet (Yves Montand) schemes with his simple-minded nephew Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) to acquire some nearby land ensuring the novice owner never discovers an all-important natural spring on the property.
A wholly captivating, emotionally powerful and beautifully photographed classic epic of innocence, evil, greed, envy and revenge.
| Starring | Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu |
|---|---|
| Director | Claude Berri |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 56 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | French |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 27 Mar 2000 Production year: 1986 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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The first part of Claude Berri's adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's novel L'Eau des Collines is, quite simply, a tour de force. The screenplay (by Berri and Gérard Brach) is wholly cinematic, Bruno Nuytten's shimmering cinematography avoids mere pictorialism, while Berri's direction captures both the pace of the changing seasons and the unique atmosphere of Provence. The acting is also of the highest order. Gérard Depardieu is perhaps a little too insistent in asserting the worthiness of the hunchback, but Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil are outstanding as the scheming Soubeyrans. The sequel, Manon des Sources, was released later the same year.
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Stunning performances and detailed depiction of Provençal farming life made it a wild success in France, repeated to a remarkable extent abroad.
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Most helpful member's review
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70 out of 71 people found this review helpful
French Connection
The film with the Stella music that is oft quoted as the most popular foreign language film ever made ? and rightly so. Other than Nikita, this is probably the best film to come out of France, and yet it has such an unlikely plot for the success that it reaped. With all the hype surrounding special effects and action movies, people forget that cinema is essentially story telling. This is one reason that some tales have been brought to the screen over and over again. Unless we are interested in the actions or fate of the central character a film will fail to grab a viewer's attention.
This is where Jean de Florette is pre-eminent. It tells a tale. It tells it simply and engages the viewers heart. The film is wonderfully shot in the French countryside with an almost photographic eye for images.
Gerard Depardieu's performance must rank as one of cinema's greatest performances and he is more than ably assisted by Yves Montand and the rest of the cast.
Also worthy of note is the selection of Verdi's The Force of Destiny as the theme music because throughout the film I felt that Destiny, cruel and heartless was driving the story forward.
This is without doubt cinema great and is recommended as a peerless effort in what cinema should be - story telling. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A good antidote to A Year in Provence
If Peter Mayle's book gave you a romanticised idea of doing up a little farmhouse in Provence, I suggest you view this as an antidote. There is a certain inevitability in the disasters that befall Depardieu's character and his family, but far from making the film unrelentingly bleak you can't help but be bouyed up by Jean's resurgence of enthusiasm each time his plans are laid around him in ruins. It's all beautifully photographed. Even if you don't normally like watching subtitled movies, watch this one, because Hollywood will never have the courage to make anything this good.
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News and features
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Depardieu to retire
- 01 Nov 2005
The French star Gerard Depardieu who has become synonymous with his country's cinema has announced that he is to retire from the movie business. Depardieu, star of Jean De Florette and Cyrano De Bergerac, told said Le Parisien: "I have nothing to lose. I have made 170 films. I have nothing left to prove." Despite having a long career in France he probably first came to the attention of most British film goers in Peter Weir's romantic comedy Green Card starring alongside Andie... Read more
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French director Claude Berri's stunning adaptation of the acclaimed Marcel Pagnol novel is the winner of numerous international awards and is the world's most popular foreign language film ever. City-... -