Reviews (39)

What Goes Around.....Comes Around...in Spades!
This gorgeous film is the concluding story of Jean de Florette. That the two films aren't boxed together is ridiculous, because although they stand alone, taken together they become an unforgettable film experience and a devastating masterpiece.

In this film, the little daughter of Jean de Florette, who knows what was done to her father and by whom, has grown to become a stunningly beautiful young woman (Emmanuelle Beart). She is a free spirit, a shephardess, and so achingly gorgeous that one of the participants in her father's tragic downfall (Daniel Auteuil) can't help but fall hopelessly in love with her (no mystery there!). That his love is hopeless and will ruin him is just the begining of the reverberations from the sins commited in the first film that will befall the sinners in this concluding second film.

The other is what happens to the character played by Yves Montand. I will not spoil it for you, but what comes back on this cruelly calculating old man is something to behold. Montand capped a wonderful career with his brilliant and nuanced portrayal of this man. The role, which spans both films, is a beautifully deep performance, and you will be surprised by your different emotions about this character. It is a full-range performance, and shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves great acting.

Although each film is complete unto itself, it is together that the full artistry and power of the story is experienced. So if you get one, by all means get the other.

Directed with care and photographed beautifully in the countryside of Provence, this is a visual and emotional treat. A terrific story of human passions, each is a 4 star film, together they are a 5 star masterpiece.

Second film of a two part story.....
I love this film. Emmanuelle Beart made her debut in this film and she is breathtakingly beautiful. Her husband Daniel Auteuil also starred in the film. I don't know if they met on the set or not but it was certainly made at the beginning of their careers in film.

The story of Manon (Beart) continues in this film. In JEAN DE FLORETTE she was a little girl, who accompanied her parents to Provence where her father took up the cultivation of Carnations on the old family farm. Uncle (Yves Montand) and cousin (Daniel Auteuil) next door objected as there was only enough water to supply one farm. The result was a water war.

In MANON, the young Manon has grown into a young woman. She lives a relatively wild life on the old homestead, raising goats who follow her everywhere like children. Cousin (Auteuil) realizes one day that he is in love with her. But a dark secret hangs over his head and if Manon knew the secret she might hate him (has to do with water).

The rest of the plot consists of the resolution of problems, tensions, difficulties set up in JEAN DE FLORETTE. I can't imagine anyone buying one film and not the other. I am buying both DVDs. They are a set. The cinematography is wonderful, the actors are superb. If you love Provence you will want to own these DVDs so you can watch them on those cold rainy days when you aren't in France.

The sweet smell of revenge
In the first part of this sequel, Jean de Florette, there has been a murder. So remeber Emerson statement: Commit a crime , and the world is made of glass.
Emmanuelle Béart is one of the most beautiful actress in the world, his charm is so arresting that gives us the perfect role for this work. She made her debut in the screen in this one.
She knows more than Daniel Auteil believes, he falls in love with her but...
The second part of this work is extraordinary. You can miss the absence of Depardieu, that's why the director makes a clever less lineal with more surprises and even satirical approach. Remember the miracle water, for instance.
Yves Montand may well have done the best achievement of his long career in this role.
Watch this enjoyable film, and remember this is the second part of the story.

Make sure you see Jean de Florette first
This is the second part of a two part series, and picks up where Jean de Florette leaves off. If you do not see Jean de Florette, then you will be missing much of the background of this movie, and the context is important. For example, without viewing the first movie, the viewer will not know Manons background, what happened to her father, and their farm. The viewer will also not know the full relationship she has with the Soubeyran clan.

The quality of the DVD picture is avarage. The picture is fairly clean and clear.

Good film !
American friends,I am agree with you about Manon of the spring("Manon des sources" in french) so I can only add one thing.Because the action of the film is set in the south-east of France,the actors speak with the lovely accent of this part of the country.That contribute to "add sun" in the film. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful films ever made
This is the first half of a two-part movie, the second half being MANON OF THE SPRING. One of the things I love about this movie is that you don't really realize what it is about until the very end of the second film. When you reach that point, and all secrets have been revealed, the story that the film tells is seen to be both extraordinarily beautiful and horrifically tragic.

The first film is a story of pure rapacious greed that stoops to subterfuge and cruelty to obtain its desires. Yves Montand, in the last great achievement in a remarkable career, plays a grower who covets the water on an adjoining property, and with the help of his subservient relative Daniel Auteuil, they plot to frustrate the attempts of the land's new tenant, a middle-class hunchback named Jean de Florette, played by Gérard Depardieu, to work the property. Jean, who is goodhearted, generous, and kind, is a firm believer in scientific principles, and hopes to make a success by applying the most up-to-date methods in his efforts. Unbeknownst to him, the spring that was to provide him with most of his water is blocked by his neighbors, and his experiment is doomed to failure, with tragic consequences.

The plot of the two films is one of the best I know of in the past several decades, but unfortunately to relate it would be unfair to those who have not seen the film. I'll content myself with saying that the film contains several major surprises, but surprises that are not there simply for the sake of shocking, but fulfill the potential of the story as a whole, and give the film a rich and deep significance.

Gérard Depardieu is extraordinary as the unhappy Jean de Florette, and Yves Montand despicable as Le Papet, the neighbor. Although throughout most of his career known as a sophisticated, debonair, and charismatic leading man, in this film Montand plays completely against type. He is thoroughly convincing as a covetous, petty, and vicious rustic.

This film can definitely be seen on its own, apart from MANON OF THE SPRING, but one must remember that doing so will leave many hidden aspects unexplored and resolved. Together, these two movies represent one of the great cinematic experiences of the past couple of decades.

Jean de florette...a few corrections
This is undoubtedly one of the best films ever to come from France... The film takes place in Province, & tells the story of a Hunchback (jean De Florette), who inherits an old farm from his late uncle. He has previously worked in the city as a tax inspecter & decides to bring his wife & daughter to the farm to start a new life, raising rabbits to support the family. (Not Carnations).His neighbours block up the only water source that the farmland has, so his job is made virtually imposible, hence the scenes of carrying water to the farm... The neighbours want to buy the land from him to grow carnations, so that they can sell them themselves... The tale of hardship & deceit that unfolds is very touching, & the story is truly one of the classics in French literature. The film closely follows the original story by Marcel Pagnol, & the photography in this film is truly stunning...this is what Province really looks like... Buy it!... The film "Manon des sources" is the concluding part of this powerful story.

One of the sublime masterpieces in any time
What can we add about that glorious movie? Wonderful script, powerful message, exceptional landscapes, superb cast. In fact, Depardieu gives one of his finest goals (at the level of Danton, Cyrano, Vatel or Novecento). This film also threw to the sand to Daniel Auteil and Montand might have given the best acievement of his career as the greedy father.
The story is very simple. Depardieu tries to find a new life in a farm on the hills of a village whose peole dont see him very well due his hauntchback.
The epic spirit he awakes and all the crowd of situations make tis story and this film a must reference when you consider the best eighties french movies.
Watch this film and not forget Manon the second part,

Great Movie, the DVD looks worn...
This movie starts out slow. A man comes back to his farm village and he wishes to grow flowers, but there is an inadequate supply of water. The uncle wishes to purchase his neighbors land, which has a spring, but the neighbor is unwilling to sell. What happens next, I do not want to give away.

The DVD is not that bad, but I had the feeling I was watching something which might have been a VHS tape. The lighting in the movie was at times a bit dark. But do not let this stop you from purchasing the DVD, just do not expect a showing with rich bright colors.

I give the movie 5 stars, and the DVD 3 stars, so I avarage it out to 4. If I could, I would give the movie more stars, and highly reccomend the follow up "Manon of the Spring". The movie stands up to multiple viewings, and in some ways is even better the second time around.

Beautiful and touching
I must say that this was one of the most touching, tragic and beautiful film/book I've ever seen/read. I love this story so much because it is so absolutely realistic and that it is human nature to do what a lot of the characters in the film did. There were so many human flaws, which I love it so much. It wasn't one of those movies where one character was absolutely perfect while the other one was downright horrible, but the flaws were evenly placed like real humans. We all have flaws, only different. We're all different.

Once again, I love the film, although I loved the book so much more. It was so much more touching than the film had been, although the movie was great! The letters in the book were a lot more touching in the movie, maybe because I can actually see the spelling mistakes Ugolin and Papet makes. I wonder if they have spelling mistakes in the letters on the English version of the book? (I read the French version). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Emile Zola's novel of arural mine town and a perilous worker's strike becomes a big-budget film of grit and torment in Germinal. The first half of the movie captures a world just this side of prison where whole families work in the Voreux mines with a daily dose of coal dust covering their skins and clogging their minds. Escapes are rare: a drink at the company bar or a carnival. An outsider provokes talk of a strike, something the failing owners want as well. When the workers revolt, it becomes a monster. While true to Zola's passion for the worker and social change, the movie cannot recover from the operatic drama that turns the action into mere motion, failing to draw in the audience (although this is an impressive-looking film, with Voreux passing as the real thing). Viewers will be moved by the workers' plight, the daily grime that they must rinse away, and their efforts to instill a normal life in this industrial hell--and will surely learn to appreciate their ownjobs, whatever the inadequacies. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (6)

How poverty and hunger will drive people to extremes
This film is based on Emile Zola's classic (and perhaps best) novel. It's a bleak story about underpaid miners and their families living in poverty while their employer makes excuses for not being able to pay them better, all the while living in wealth with his own family. The film does a brilliant job of showing this contrast between the squalor of the miners' class and the lavish lifestyle of the upper-class which employs them. The miners' work is very dangerous down there and sooner or later there are accidents and people die. Finally the miners can take it no more and they revolt, they form a strike, they even "trash" the mining plant. But this only makes matters worse. A warning to the sensitive: there are a few extremely unpleasant scenes in this film, including a dead man having his genitals cut off and stuffed down his mouth; and a pretty young woman choked to death by a murderous old imbecile.

This is a disturbing, moving, enlightening, gripping film about social injustice and inequality, and when you see how these poor people lived in old Victorian times, you will shake your head with disbelief at some of the scenes, and you will learn to count your blessings. You will also feel empathy for the plight of the poor miners and their families.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

Lucie Aubrac and comrades outwit the Gestapo
Based on the diary of Lucie Aubrac, "Outwitting the Gestapo," published in the U.S. in 1992, the movie is respectful of the stirring and inspiring text, the characters and the context of the occupation and the French Resistance. The story is necessarily condensed for screentime but retains the spirt of the author, an incredibly courageous and intelligent woman. The movie should encourage viewers to read her inspiring and gripping story. Excellent, convincing portrals of the Aubracs by Carole Bouquet and Daniel Auteuil, and by the rest of the cast.
A quote from Lucie Aubrac at the end states that she agreed to her name for the movie based on Claude Berri's support of the Resistance Foundation.

Definitely worth looking at, thanks to Berri¿s directing
Although this is a long slow film, it is nevertheless worth a look for its competent portrayal of life in a mining community in northern France in the 1800s (and which has definite parallels with similar lives then being lived in other communities, on both sides of the Atlantic). Claude Berri is a superb director and it is to him we owe the continuity in what could otherwise have been a ponderous film, lost in its own blackness and despair. Certainly there is plenty of coal dust about and the grime is intended to remind us not only of the harshness of the lives being led only a bare 100 years ago, but also of our own ability to work today, without raising much of a sweat. Gérard Depardieu lends incredible strength to any film and this one benefits greatly by his presence; so much so in fact, that at the moment he leaves the scene, the film immediately falters.

If there was a technical fault with this production, then for me it was the move it made from the general to the particular. While setting out to be a social document about the fight of the workers for better living conditions (and hence an emulation of Émile Zola's novel), in the latter stages it became too concerned with an actual event: the imprisonment of miners after a tunnel collapse. This didn't work for me at all, since it made the film fragmentary and incoherent. Yet overall, the film achieves its purpose and the personal drama that I didn't particularly care for may well appeal to other viewers. Claude Berri has created a number of other very fine films, including the unforgettable "Jean de Florette" and "Manon des sources," and hopefully "Germinal" will encourage you to seek them out.

Illuminates todays injustices by examining those of the past
Like Claud Berri's other films, including "Jean de Fleurette" and "Manon des Sources", this superb movie combines masterful storytelling and direction with superb acting. Although set in the past, the story, rich in human detail, resonates today through it's examination of basic human nature and socio-economic injustice. By portraying the complexities of the plight of poor french coal miners, "Germinal" becomes a poignant reminder of the systems of exploitation under which much of the world still toils. Kathy Lee Gifford should have watched this movie before investing in her sweatshops! Berri sheds a telling light on the intricate webs of human relations and social institutions of the France of Emile Zola. He spares no one but, while allowing all sides to present their side of the story, ends up clearly siding with the poor miners who toil, suffer, and die in the mines for wages that barely allow them to eat. The main characters come to life through superb acting, and, despite their often violent and desparate acts, they earn our sympathy. Berri finds beauty everywhere despite the suffering, and uses Zola's novel to show us that we must never give up hope. The gorgeous cinematography contributes to the remarkable re-creation of an entire world, in rich detail. The film is often beautiful to look at, but also manages to realistically portray the ugly side of poverty and exploitation. As with all great works of art, this film reminds us that justice can only be achieved through courage, dedication, and eternal vigilance. At time when so many of the rights gained at the expense of human life are being threatened, "Germinal" can serve as an inspiration to further struggles.

Très bien fait!
Avec les personnages croyables, la vraie dépiction de la vie pauvre, et tout ça, Germinal est un film pour toutes sortes de personnes. Gérard Dépardieu et Miou-Miou sont, comme toujours, très bons acteurs, et le réalisateur a très bien fait avec tout. C'est un film à voir! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A truly impressive French film destined to become a modern masterpiece, Jean de Florette is an evocative adaptation of the highly regarded French novel. Two 1920s farmers engage in a bitter rivalry as one tries to tend to a plot of land and the other deviously undermines his efforts in order to conceal a valuable spring. The peasant farmer (Gérard Depardieu) who comes to the countryside to tend the land he has inherited is a naive and trusting soul seeking only to provide for his wife and daughter, while his neighbor (Yves Montand) is intent on doing whatever he can to discourage and demoralize the farmer so that he can take the land for himself. This simple tale unfolds in a wrenching fashion to a tragic conclusion, bringing forth questions about human nature and the prevalence and price of greed. Along with its follow-up, Manon of the Spring, this film will leave an indelible impression on anyone who sees it. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (66)

One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful films ever made
This is the first half of a two-part movie, the second half being MANON OF THE SPRING. One of the things I love about this movie is that you don't really realize what it is about until the very end of the second film. When you reach that point, and all secrets have been revealed, the story that the film tells is seen to be both extraordinarily beautiful and horrifically tragic.

The first film is a story of pure rapacious greed that stoops to subterfuge and cruelty to obtain its desires. Yves Montand, in the last great achievement in a remarkable career, plays a grower who covets the water on an adjoining property, and with the help of his subservient relative Daniel Auteuil, they plot to frustrate the attempts of the land's new tenant, a middle-class hunchback named Jean de Florette, played by Gérard Depardieu, to work the property. Jean, who is goodhearted, generous, and kind, is a firm believer in scientific principles, and hopes to make a success by applying the most up-to-date methods in his efforts. Unbeknownst to him, the spring that was to provide him with most of his water is blocked by his neighbors, and his experiment is doomed to failure, with tragic consequences.

The plot of the two films is one of the best I know of in the past several decades, but unfortunately to relate it would be unfair to those who have not seen the film. I'll content myself with saying that the film contains several major surprises, but surprises that are not there simply for the sake of shocking, but fulfill the potential of the story as a whole, and give the film a rich and deep significance.

Gérard Depardieu is extraordinary as the unhappy Jean de Florette, and Yves Montand despicable as Le Papet, the neighbor. Although throughout most of his career known as a sophisticated, debonair, and charismatic leading man, in this film Montand plays completely against type. He is thoroughly convincing as a covetous, petty, and vicious rustic.

This film can definitely be seen on its own, apart from MANON OF THE SPRING, but one must remember that doing so will leave many hidden aspects unexplored and resolved. Together, these two movies represent one of the great cinematic experiences of the past couple of decades.

Jean de florette...a few corrections
This is undoubtedly one of the best films ever to come from France... The film takes place in Province, & tells the story of a Hunchback (jean De Florette), who inherits an old farm from his late uncle. He has previously worked in the city as a tax inspecter & decides to bring his wife & daughter to the farm to start a new life, raising rabbits to support the family. (Not Carnations).His neighbours block up the only water source that the farmland has, so his job is made virtually imposible, hence the scenes of carrying water to the farm... The neighbours want to buy the land from him to grow carnations, so that they can sell them themselves... The tale of hardship & deceit that unfolds is very touching, & the story is truly one of the classics in French literature. The film closely follows the original story by Marcel Pagnol, & the photography in this film is truly stunning...this is what Province really looks like... Buy it!... The film "Manon des sources" is the concluding part of this powerful story.

One of the sublime masterpieces in any time
What can we add about that glorious movie? Wonderful script, powerful message, exceptional landscapes, superb cast. In fact, Depardieu gives one of his finest goals (at the level of Danton, Cyrano, Vatel or Novecento). This film also threw to the sand to Daniel Auteil and Montand might have given the best acievement of his career as the greedy father.
The story is very simple. Depardieu tries to find a new life in a farm on the hills of a village whose peole dont see him very well due his hauntchback.
The epic spirit he awakes and all the crowd of situations make tis story and this film a must reference when you consider the best eighties french movies.
Watch this film and not forget Manon the second part,

Great Movie, the DVD looks worn...
This movie starts out slow. A man comes back to his farm village and he wishes to grow flowers, but there is an inadequate supply of water. The uncle wishes to purchase his neighbors land, which has a spring, but the neighbor is unwilling to sell. What happens next, I do not want to give away.

The DVD is not that bad, but I had the feeling I was watching something which might have been a VHS tape. The lighting in the movie was at times a bit dark. But do not let this stop you from purchasing the DVD, just do not expect a showing with rich bright colors.

I give the movie 5 stars, and the DVD 3 stars, so I avarage it out to 4. If I could, I would give the movie more stars, and highly reccomend the follow up "Manon of the Spring". The movie stands up to multiple viewings, and in some ways is even better the second time around.

Beautiful and touching
I must say that this was one of the most touching, tragic and beautiful film/book I've ever seen/read. I love this story so much because it is so absolutely realistic and that it is human nature to do what a lot of the characters in the film did. There were so many human flaws, which I love it so much. It wasn't one of those movies where one character was absolutely perfect while the other one was downright horrible, but the flaws were evenly placed like real humans. We all have flaws, only different. We're all different.

Once again, I love the film, although I loved the book so much more. It was so much more touching than the film had been, although the movie was great! The letters in the book were a lot more touching in the movie, maybe because I can actually see the spelling mistakes Ugolin and Papet makes. I wonder if they have spelling mistakes in the letters on the English version of the book? (I read the French version). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Carole Bouquet stars as Lucie Aubrac, a heroine of the French resistance during World War II. Her husband Raymond (Daniel Auteuil) is a resistance fighter who helps sabotage Nazi trains. At a meeting, he and some compatriots are arrested, but believed to merely be black-marketeers. Lucie secures his release and enables them to fulfill their oath to spend every May 14 together, the anniversary of the first night they made love. The arrest of a resistance leader causes divisions; a meeting called to resolve them is raided, and Raymond is arrested again, along with an important resistance figure known as Max. Raymond endures brutal interrogations but is sentenced to death. With steely determination, Lucie plots to rescue him.

Lucie Aubrac is part thriller and part romance, but both halves are handled with a subdued discretion that doesn't prevent the movie from being deeply engaging. Meticulous and skillful, director Claude Berri paces his story carefully, paying attention to the details of life in occupied France. The fully developed atmosphere, never overstated, gives just the right frame to Lucie and Raymond's passionate marriage. Auteuil is solid, but it's Bouquet's film; her performance is as low-key as the movie, yetcompletely compelling and deeply affecting. Based on a true story. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sexy drama and empowering!
Daniel Auteuil has a hidden sexiness that bursts out in this film! This is based on a true story of a French women that helps her husband escape from a Nazi death sentence so that they can keep a promise they made to each other, to make love to each other every year on their anniverary.

It is a powerful drama that not even Hollywood could make. The French are progressive filmmakers that far surpasses the formulaic fluff that is generated by the Hollywood studios. The Hollywood moguls think that American movie-goers cannot think for themselves in the theater.

Great film that all should see. It should not be remade but seen in this version!!!!

See it, just see for yourself!!
In spite of this being a very serious movie about a serious time in history, it is not without some light moments...one of which I am still surprised got left in the final version! Like, when they have just made Love a few minutes before and she says "let's do it again and this time leave IT in me!"

Everything the other people have said is true and my advice is to watch it & judge for yourself! You won't be disaapointed.

An Amazing Film About The French Resistance, Courage, & Love
After watching Claude Berri's "Jean de Florette," and "Manon of the Spring," I became a true fan. "Lucie Aubrac" just confirms my belief in Monsieur Berri's talents as a major director, and a discerning producer, in cinema today.

Set in Lyon, during the French Resistance in World War II, "Lucie Aubrac," played brilliantly by Carole Bouquet, is a woman struggling to save her husband from the hands of the Gestapo. The film is based on a true story, and Madame Aubrac's memoir, "Outwitting The Gestapo."

Raymond Aubrac (Daniel Auteuil), is a Resistance fighter in occupied Lyon, and has participated in many acts of sabotage against the Nazis. When he is captured by the Gestapo, headed by the notorious Klaus Barbie ("The Butcher Of Lyon"), he and his companions are believed to be dealing in black market goods, and not sabotage. Lucie, five months pregnant, is terrified that she, their small son, and the new baby will never see Raymond again. With tremendous courage, she sets out, single handedly, to rescue her husband.

Claude Berri directs this thriller, love story, and historical drama with great skill. Part of the film's beauty lies in its simplicity. This is not the history of the French Resistance. It is the personal story of one woman's courage. Everyday life in Lyon, street scenes, people going about their business in wartime France, are juxtaposed with the mortally dangerous activities of Resistance fighters, and with Lucie plotting her husband's escape. The love between Lucie and her husband is palpable, and her determination and intelligence are extraordinary. The scenes where she meets with Gestapo Chief Barbie are tension-packed. And there are no words to describe the emotion evoked when Lucie meets her imprisoned husband and pretends she does not know him .

Carole Bouquet perfectly captures Lucie's fierce determination, patriotism, and passionate love, in an understated manner. Here is a woman with an all important task to accomplish, and she will do what needs to be done to perform the task successfully. There is no time, or energy, to spare on excessive displays of emotion. No room for dramatics. She is focused. Daniel Auteuil, as the exhausted, middle-aged Raymond, fighting to survive torture and imprisonment, expresses more with a look, than many can with pages of dialogue.

I highly recommend this moving film. I know that I will watch it again.

True (but Fairly Conventional) WWII Resistance Story
Claude Berri has made some excellent pictures among them the crime masterpiece Tchao Pantin(1985) which I still think is his best. He also made the highly celebrated Jean de Florette & its companion piece Manon of the Spring. Lucie Aubrac is good, certainly much better than Charlotte Gray as French Resistance films go, but its not a masterpiece. Carole Bouquet does a splendid job with her role but other than being brave and beautiful theres not much role there. Daniel Auteuil plays Bouquets husband and the pair have one child and another on the way nonetheless these two hold high positions in the Resistance. Auteuil is on the screen much of the time but his role is simply that of prisoner waiting to be freed, he is an excellent actor perhaps France's best, but this is not one of his more challenging roles. All we really know about this couple is that they are in love and will stop short of nothing to be together. Other reviewers may say this is not a Hollywood project but its a love story with an ending that would be called a Hollywood ending if it weren't for the fact that this story happens to be true. The real life characters were no doubt brave and fascinating people but the film just doesn't go deep enough into their lives nor does it go deep enough into the complexities of the political differences among the various French Resistance leaders to achieve any kind of points for depth. The supporting players are just there to lend a hand to the couple. Competent, though uninspired, film making.

When the French had backbone...
This is a real film about real people - and the original Aubracs were literally real people.

Ditto to everything Paul said. I would just like to add a few details in the hope of increasing people's awareness of what this French warrior goddess actually achieved. (I honoured Lucie with a significant mention in my first book.)

The film is wonderful, but in some ways it is a simplified version of the actual events - especially the ending.

Lucie Aubrac was five months pregnant when she planned and led a successful raid on the Nazi convoy that was taking her husband to his place of execution.

After the rescue, the Aubracs were hidden by loyal comrades for three months until an RAF covert operations aircraft could be sent to retrieve them.

On the night of their escape, the plane, which I believe was a Lockheed Hudson, became stuck in the mud of the landing field, with dawn and the Nazi patrols only a few hours away.

FIFTY local villagers risked their own lives to come to the aid of their beloved Resistance friends and soon the plane was pushed free.

Lucie's daughter was born only a few days after their safe arrival at a British airbase. Her courage and leadership drew praise from battle-hardened Resistance soldiers and RAF aircrews of the elite Moon Squadron.

This film is about true French spirit. About a people who would never surrender, never stop fighting, who helped countless Allied airmen escape back to England, and who eventually liberated Paris even without Allied help. That my friends, is what the real French are like.

A magnificent film. ... Read more

Description

The war has left its scars on the small French village where Leopold runs the bar - and some old debts still need to be settled. The hunt for a Nazi collaborator is about to disrupt Leopold?s life and personal vendettas may find their way between the guilty and the truth. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"In jail, I was practically forced to think."
The French film, "Uranus," directed by Claude Berri, is set in a small French town in post WWII France. The townspeople have one thing in common--they've all survived the Nazi occupation. Unfortunately, just how everyone managed to survive is now a matter of political significance. Old resentments surface, and old scores have yet to be settled.

Everyone seems to have some political allegiance--the Communist Party is enjoying new power, but the Fascists (who were safe during the Nazi occupation) are now hated. Some of the townspeople resent the fact that a few of their neighbours joined the French Resistance at the end of the war (when they knew the Allies would win), and other townspeople who conducted business with the Nazis are now seen as collaborators. It seems at once a blurred line and a fine distinction between collaboration and survival. Political allegiance is, in most cases, a matter of expediency and survival.

One citizen, Maxime Loin, ran a Fascist newspaper during the occupation, and he is on the run from the Communist Party and the local authorities. Loin begs for refuge from the Archambaud family. Monsieur Archambaud is fairly neutral, but his home also shelters the Gaigneux family--Communists whose home was flattened during Allied bombing raids. Monsieur Watrin (Phillipe Noiret), the widowed schoolteacher also lives in the crowded Archambaud flat. Watrin agrees to allow Loin to hide in his small room during the day. And at night, Loin shares the bedroom of the Archambaud teenagers.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party members search for Loin, and since he simply disappeared, they know that one of the townspeople must be hiding him. Suspicion falls on Leopold--the local pub owner (played with gusto by Gerard Depardieu). A Communist party member, Rochard, denounces Leopold to the police, and a tragic chain of events is set in motion.

While I think that "Colonel Chabert" is Depardieu's finest film, without a doubt, Leopold in "Uranus" provides Depardieu with his greatest role. Leopold is a loud-mouthed, uncouth, alcoholic, poetry-spouting bully. While all the townspeople keep their opinions and their suspicions to themselves, Leopold uses brute strength (and a trumpet) to confront his accusers. This is clearly a role Depardieu had fun with. Leopold alternates between creating terrible poetry , downing bottles of wine with a single gulp, and throwing those who displease him against walls. Some of the greatest scenes include Leopold in awe of Watrin's lessons, Leopold's cage-rage while locked in jail, and Leopold confronting his enemies. But Depardieu is not the only great talent in this film. "Uranus" includes an impressive cast--Michel Blanc as the Communist Gaigneux, Fabrice Luchini as Jourdan, the Communist whose more intellectual approach includes imaginary nods of approval from his mother's photo, and Phillipe Noiret as the schoolteacher, Watrin--a man who still manages to find joy in life. Director Claude Berri also directed the films "Manon of the Spring," and "Jean de Florette, " and if you enjoyed those films, you may very well enjoy "Uranus" too. The acting is impeccable--the sort of thing always found in high-calibre French films--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer-- ... Read more

Amazon.com

Less a sequel than a seamless continuation of its predecessor, Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring brings with it a more epic scope as it depicts the growth to womanhood of the daughter (Emmanuelle Béart) of the doomed farmer of the first film. As she discovers the truth of what happened to her father as a result of the scheming of their neighbor (Yves Montand), who took the land for himself, she vows revenge, realizing that the neighbor's deeds have irrevocably shaped the course of her life. Her moves toward avenging her father's demise provide an ironic twist to this harsh and thought-provoking saga, and French director Claude Berri perfectly illustrates the lasting consequences of deceit, greed, and revenge. Manon of the Spring is a very special foreign film choice, destined to be revered for years to come. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (39)

What Goes Around.....Comes Around...in Spades!
This gorgeous film is the concluding story of Jean de Florette. That the two films aren't boxed together is ridiculous, because although they stand alone, taken together they become an unforgettable film experience and a devastating masterpiece.

In this film, the little daughter of Jean de Florette, who knows what was done to her father and by whom, has grown to become a stunningly beautiful young woman (Emmanuelle Beart). She is a free spirit, a shephardess, and so achingly gorgeous that one of the participants in her father's tragic downfall (Daniel Auteuil) can't help but fall hopelessly in love with her (no mystery there!). That his love is hopeless and will ruin him is just the begining of the reverberations from the sins commited in the first film that will befall the sinners in this concluding second film.

The other is what happens to the character played by Yves Montand. I will not spoil it for you, but what comes back on this cruelly calculating old man is something to behold. Montand capped a wonderful career with his brilliant and nuanced portrayal of this man. The role, which spans both films, is a beautifully deep performance, and you will be surprised by your different emotions about this character. It is a full-range performance, and shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves great acting.

Although each film is complete unto itself, it is together that the full artistry and power of the story is experienced. So if you get one, by all means get the other.

Directed with care and photographed beautifully in the countryside of Provence, this is a visual and emotional treat. A terrific story of human passions, each is a 4 star film, together they are a 5 star masterpiece.

Second film of a two part story.....
I love this film. Emmanuelle Beart made her debut in this film and she is breathtakingly beautiful. Her husband Daniel Auteuil also starred in the film. I don't know if they met on the set or not but it was certainly made at the beginning of their careers in film.

The story of Manon (Beart) continues in this film. In JEAN DE FLORETTE she was a little girl, who accompanied her parents to Provence where her father took up the cultivation of Carnations on the old family farm. Uncle (Yves Montand) and cousin (Daniel Auteuil) next door objected as there was only enough water to supply one farm. The result was a water war.

In MANON, the young Manon has grown into a young woman. She lives a relatively wild life on the old homestead, raising goats who follow her everywhere like children. Cousin (Auteuil) realizes one day that he is in love with her. But a dark secret hangs over his head and if Manon knew the secret she might hate him (has to do with water).

The rest of the plot consists of the resolution of problems, tensions, difficulties set up in JEAN DE FLORETTE. I can't imagine anyone buying one film and not the other. I am buying both DVDs. They are a set. The cinematography is wonderful, the actors are superb. If you love Provence you will want to own these DVDs so you can watch them on those cold rainy days when you aren't in France.

The sweet smell of revenge
In the first part of this sequel, Jean de Florette, there has been a murder. So remeber Emerson statement: Commit a crime , and the world is made of glass.
Emmanuelle Béart is one of the most beautiful actress in the world, his charm is so arresting that gives us the perfect role for this work. She made her debut in the screen in this one.
She knows more than Daniel Auteil believes, he falls in love with her but...
The second part of this work is extraordinary. You can miss the absence of Depardieu, that's why the director makes a clever less lineal with more surprises and even satirical approach. Remember the miracle water, for instance.
Yves Montand may well have done the best achievement of his long career in this role.
Watch this enjoyable film, and remember this is the second part of the story.

Make sure you see Jean de Florette first
This is the second part of a two part series, and picks up where Jean de Florette leaves off. If you do not see Jean de Florette, then you will be missing much of the background of this movie, and the context is important. For example, without viewing the first movie, the viewer will not know Manons background, what happened to her father, and their farm. The viewer will also not know the full relationship she has with the Soubeyran clan.

The quality of the DVD picture is avarage. The picture is fairly clean and clear.

Good film !
American friends,I am agree with you about Manon of the spring("Manon des sources" in french) so I can only add one thing.Because the action of the film is set in the south-east of France,the actors speak with the lovely accent of this part of the country.That contribute to "add sun" in the film. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A French comedy about the sexual revolution
When "Le Sex Shop" came out in 1973 it was actually rated "X" rated film (not be confused with an "XXX" film). Then again, so was "Midnight Cowboy," which won an Oscar. Today, of course, you can watch both of those films on cable, even though nothing has been cut or edited. The story is about Lucien (Jean-Pierre Marielle), who is running his bookshop, but is not making any money and is also having problems in the bedroom. So he decides to kill two birds with one stone and turn his place into a sort of mom and pop sex shop. He takes to the new freedoms of the sexual revolution, but his wife, Isabella (Juliet Berto) is somewhat reluctant to become a swinger. This is much more of a comedy than a sex film (i.e., it is not pornographic), where the balding overweight hero is married to a sexy wife and the jokes come at the couple's expense. Writer-director Claude Berri can actually be accused of trying to make a point here regarding the fact that the sexual revolution did not liberate everyone; or perhaps a better way of putting it was that there were those who did not want to be liberated or who could not be liberated. Certainly "Le Sex Shop" is dated today, but it has a special place in my memory because I went to go see it a week before I turned 18. Yes, I was a real rebel back then. ... Read more