Jean de Florette

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Jean de Florette

Jean de Florette
Directed by Claude Berri
Produced by Pierre Grunstein
Alain Poiré
Written by Claude Berri
Gérard Brach
Starring Yves Montand
Gérard Depardieu
Daniel Auteuil
Music by Jean-Claude Petit
Cinematography Bruno Nuytten
Editing by Noëlle Boisson
Sophie Coussein
Hervé de Luze
Jeanne Kef
Arlette Langmann
Corinne Lazare
Catherine Serris
Distributed by Orion Pictures (USA)
Release date(s) Flag of France August 27, 1986
Flag of the United States 26 June 1987 (NYC only)
Running time 120 min.
Language French
IMDb profile

Jean de Florette is an award-winning 1986 French film adaptation of the 1966 novel by Marcel Pagnol.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

The story takes place in a small village of Provence in Occitania, the south of France, shortly after the First World War. César Soubeyran - also known as Papet - and his nephew, Ugolin, are desperate to buy a neighbouring farm, for its water source. While negotiating with the original owner, a fight breaks out, and Papet accidentally kills him. The farm is then inherited by Jean, a hunchbacked tax collector from the city. Learning this news, César and Ugolin block up the spring with concrete to force Jean to sell his land. Although Jean valiantly tries to reap the harvests of his land, struggling to bring water from a well many miles away and trying a modern approach to agriculture based on his book knowledge, the hunchback, his wife, and daughter are reduced to poverty and desperation by the lack of water, while Soubeyran and his nephew remain tight-lipped about the spring under Jean's land. In the end, Jean is killed in an accident as a result of an explosion while attempting to dig his own well to supply water to his land. Jean's young daughter, Manon, has always been suspicious of the Soubeyrans. Her suspicions are proven right when, following her father's death, César and Ugolin finally buy the farm at a deep discount and force Jean's widow and young daughter (Manon) off of the land. The film ends as Manon discovers César and Ugolin opening up the water source that could have saved her family.

The sequel, Manon des Sources, tells the story of how Manon gets her revenge on César and Ugolin.


Ugolin or Galinette, after his military duty is complete returns to les Bastides Blanches. Ugolin is not married and is the last Soubeyran after César. His uncle is César Soubeyrab or the Papet. Ugolin must continue the family’s fortune.


[edit] Primary cast

[edit] Awards

Award wins

Award nominations

Acclaim

  • The film was selected by the New York Times as one of "The Best 1000 Movies Ever Made."

[edit] Sequel

The film's sequel, Manon des Sources, was filmed simultaneously with Jean de Florette, and released to equal acclaim.

Preceded by
A Room with a View		 BAFTA Award for Best Film
1988		 Succeeded by
The Last Emperor

== References in Popular Culture ==

In Episode 7G13 of The Simpsons, 'The Crepes of Wrath', Bart goes on exchange in France and stays with two evil winemakers named Ugolin and Cesar.