Jean de Florette: A Masterpiece of French Cinema
The diptych Jean de Florette AND Manon of the Sourcesdirected by Claude Berri and released in 1986, is an adaptation of the novels by Marcel Pagnol. These two films are deeply rooted in French culture and are widely considered masterpieces of French cinema, just like the novels.
Jean de Florette, released in August 1986, is the first part of the diptych. The story is set in the 1920s, in a small Provençal village. Jean Cadoret (Gérard Depardieu), a former municipal tax collector, inherits a farm after his mother’s death. With his wife Aimée and daughter Manon, he moves to this new house with the ambition of becoming a farmer.
However, two villagers, César Soubeyran (Yves Montand) and his nephew Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil), covet Jean’s farm, mainly because of the water source there. They block the source to force Jean to sellbut he, unaware of their machinations, struggles desperately to make his crops thrive despite the drought.
The second part of the diptych, Manon of the Sourcesreleased in November of the same year, picks up the story a few years later. Manon (Emmanuelle Béart), Jean de Florette’s daughter, has grown up and now lives as a solitary shepherdess in the hills. She accidentally discovers the role of Cesare and Ugolino in the tragedy that has struck her family.
A huge success at the box office
Both films received widespread critical acclaim and significant commercial success. Thus, Jean de Florette It is the biggest success in French Box Office of the Year 1986 with more than seven million viewers. It is followed by Manon of the Sourceswhich for its part has totaled six and a half million registrations. In total more than thirteen million for both films.
This is an even more significant success as it precedes two major Hollywood successes of 1986: Rocky 4 (which attracted nearly five million viewers) and Top Gunwhich had three and a half million entries.
Four years later, two other films adapted from Marcel Pagnol’s work achieved another great success in theaters: My Father’s Glory AND My Mother’s Castlewhich will total more than ten million registrations.
Source: Cine Serie
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