Jean De Florette

Rating:
Summary: 50 Million Frenchmen can't be wrong
Review: My first exposure to this two-part masterpiece was on the "big" screen. I was mezmerized throughout, and frequently reduced to tears. As an adult who last wept in a movie when Dumbo's mother was chained up in the Disney classic of 1941, I was unsure that it was this film that brought about such deep emotions. After having purchased the VHS of both films and weeping during each subsequent viewing, I can truthfully state that few have experienced a movie more demanding of personal involvement. Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu and especially Daniel Autiel are all brilliant. No movie comes to mind surpasses the beauty of the French countryside nor the depth of emotional involvement of JEAN DE FLORETTE/MANON OF THE SPRING! I have been awaiting this DVD release in widescreen for the past several years, to re-enjoy the films as they were shot. Buy these two, they are keepers.

Rating:
Summary: A Work of Art
Review: I am an avid movie fan, preferably American movies from the late 30's and 40's. I was introduced to Jean de Florette by my brother in New Orleans. I was mesmerized. This is truly the way movies should be made. It has a very simple theme, minimal dialogue, wonderful casting, and most importantly, incredible cinematography.I learned more about rural France and its people from this movie than I ever have from any other source. This movie actually transported me to a different place, simply through its quiet strength and extrordinary beauty. This movie plays like Hemingway (at his best) read; fundamental brilliance. Please see it.

Rating:
Summary: A Perfectly Haunting Film
Review: This is the film that got me on to French cinema. Actually, I made a mistake and watched Manon of the Springs first, but still found de Florette stunning. Perhaps the need to rely on subtitles combined with my very, very poor French forces a better level of attention and use of the mind. More likely, this work is just so stunning in concept and execution that it left an indelible impression. In any event, I was so spellbound by the Marcel Pagnol story and Claude Berri film that I couldn't rest until a few weeks later, when I found the novel during a business trip to LA (this was before Amazon). Surprisingly, the film made every essential point contained in the written work, even in the short time available and nothing crucial was missed.

This film reminds me of someone's quotation about Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac: it's not a great play, merely a perfect one. The performance by Yves Montand, sadly his last, as the elderly patriarch of a dying out peasant clan was monumental. Depardieu is excellent, but that's nothing unusual. What is unusual is that he still excels in a film where the other actors are the real focuses of attention. In every way this movie is the polar opposite of the standard dreck that comes out of Hollywood. If I had the opportunity, I would rate it at 25 stars instead of 5. My only caution is that it is necessary to also see Manon of the Springs to get the whole story, but that's no burden at all, since the second film is almost as perfect.

Rating:
Summary: Le Prix d'Avidité est Haut
Review: Jean de Florette " et " Manon du printemps " étaient à un point un seul la production, mais a fendu dans un plus maniable en premier et deuxième vidéo les actes. Vainqueurs de plusieurs récompenses du film majeures, ces deux films disent le histoire touchante d'un bossu expulsé, Jean (Gerard Depardieu), qui possession des enregistrements d'un morceau de terre dans un village en France dans ordre fait un cultivez la vie pour sa femme et fille des labeurs de la ville loin. Le caractère de Yves Montand, Cesar Soubeyran, ne peut pas porter voir le sien l'automne de la terre de famille dans les mains du Jean estropié, donc lui et le sien le neveu, Ugolin, conspire pour boucher en haut la source seule d'eau sur le la terre. Le résultat est un coeur-tirer violemment sur la tragédie. Des profondeurs de désespoir dans " Jean de Florette " vient " Manon du Le printemps ". Ce film suit Jean maintenant-fille du grand, Manon (le Emanuelle Béart radiant), comme elle vient se rendre compte comme le village comploté contre sa famille. Sa vengeance, pendant que sucré, exposés un caché tragédie que profondément l'affecte victime ultime dans un chemin qui il n'aurait jamais imaginé. Ces deux films doivent être envisagés ensemble. " Jean de fins Florette " amèrement, nécessiter une parution qui peut être trouvée dans " Manon " seulement. Le l'art de conter est rendu complet dans ce chemin. La direction douée de Claude Berri fait les deux filme le standout quand comparé avec le schlock Hollywood d'aujourd'hui. Le développement du aux caractères sont permis de déplier patiemment et affectueusement, et dans une manière logique avec les vrais gens, pas coupe-circuit du carton et stéréotypes. Vous sentez la douleur, la colère, la trahison dans une manière logique avec notre tous les jours existence. Les deux films sont en français avec les sous-titres. Pour ceux qui attendent le typique la fin française " pendante ", vous serez surprises à comme soigneusement toute l'intrigue les ficelles sont attachées. Ces deux films sont un choix excellent pour ceux qui a tiqué loin de films étrangers et eux les deux obtiennent ma plus haute estimation. Voyez-les bientôt!

Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: Both of these movies jean de florette and Manon des Sources are considered as classic for the French people. They are marvellous movies. Coming from the South of France, i can attest that these movies depict extremelly well the old lifestyle in Provence.... Usually when i watch these movies i tend to get homesick :)

Rating:
Summary: TRAGEDY FOLLOWS IDEALISM IN BITTER SWEET LIVES
Review: The "official review"above is a somewhat misleading in writing, " ... peasant farmer (Gérard Depardieu) who comes to the countryside to tend the land he has inherited ... " In fact, Depardieu in one of his best roles plays a kindly, devoted city clerk whose dream is to build a better life for his family as a farmer. Meanwhile a scheming, greedy neighbor convincingly well played by an aging Yves Montand carries the tension and apprehension of the film throughout. Much of the panoramic landscape beauty of the French countryside, intended for big screens in movie houses, is lost on small TVs. But after a short while the story absorbs the viewer and all of that is forgotten.

This may have been one of Depardieu's best films, before he went to Hollywood to make big money. With a relatively small cast, the movie focuses on a friendly and trusting man who cannot think bad things about his scheming neighbor; secretly plotting to drive him and his family off their land. The little family can endure every hardship because their mutual love and respect provides them with a strength that promises to conquor all adversity. Wrong! The bitter sweet film has a sad ending, but one must see the sequel to find out how things turn out. "Jean De Florette" is only half the story. But it is well worth sitting through this very long saga because the story is beautifully filmed, well acted and perfectly directed.

If you don't speak French you'll have to read the English subtitles. However, in this film the dialogue is very sparse and much of the film's story is told visually. Perhaps that is what makes it a great film. Pictures rather than too many words mainly tell the story. But you may as well order "Manon of the Spring" at the same time you get ""Jean De Florette" or you'll not be able to sleep until you find out what becomes of the sweet young and beautiful daughter and her long suffering mother. You will want to know what happens to the child and her mother as the young girl enters womanhood on their farm that her father always dreamed she would grow up to love. How will she deal with the unrelenting neighbor (played to the end as the perfect villain by Yves Montand)?

Rating:
Summary: really a touching video
Review: this is really a very very touching video, my first time viewing this video lead me to think about the evil side of human being. I have viewed this video several times still with the same impression. why people are so greedy even in a beautiful village? I have recommended this video to all my friends and colleagues that love films. Anyone who see this film would have to view "Manon of the Spring" also which ends the story.

Rating:
Summary: Like the Godfater in it's Impact
Review: Worth the Subtitles by far. Worth watching all 6 hours at once.

Rating:
Summary: Jean de Florette
Review: Just brilliant. Having seen it on video several years ago I wasamazed to see it on DVD now.

Nothing was left out, it was as if youwere there. Simply amazing. The second half cannot be forgotten about, they are a pair. Compulsive viewing. For a similar film, see Babettes Feast (French), yet another master piece. END

Rating:
Summary: Don't be scared off because it's foreign
Review: Lots of people hate foreign films mostly because they haven'tactually watched one. They think only stuffy, arty, pretentious peoplepretend to enjoy them. JEAN DE FLORETTE and its sequel MANON OF THE SPRING are the films I've shown relatives and friends that have converted them.

Starting the first film, you may think' "Ugh. Fours of a French movie with subtitles." Then you get awestruck with the landscape, laughing at the nephew's goofiness, and involved with the intrigues. When it ends, you're going nuts wondering about what's going to happen in the sequel and how soon can you view it. At least that was the reaction of my friends when they saw it.