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• Region: All Regions
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000A890A8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,742 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greed in a Small Town, January 3, 2006

By 

Movie Mania "DVD Collector" (Southern Calfornia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jean de Florette (Original French) (DVD)

I have a general rule when it comes to Gerard Depardieu, if he's playing sexy then pass but if he's playing a character then keep.

Depardieu is the title character in Jean de Florette. Jean has inherited his mother's family farm. He is bringing his wife and young daughter Magnon. Jean did not grow up in the area so even though it is his family farm, he is an outsider.To further complicate things, he has a slight hunchback, which the villagers take as a curse.

Caesar (Yves Montand), the farmer next door and his nephew (Daniel Auteuil) would like to buy the land and expand their holdings.But Jean looks at this as a chance to build a new life and refuses. Therefore Caesar plots to force Jean out, including stopping up his spring.

Jean's new life is hard but he makes it work. That is until there is a drought. Jean eventually works himself to death. His widow sales the farm to Caesar. The final scene is Caesar and his nephew unplugging the spring but unknown to them, little Magnon sees this.

Claude Beri is on of the great French directors. He has captured the flavor the rural France at the turn of the century. This is Depardieu's finest performance and is the first film that brought future French superstar Daniel Auteuil to the American filmgoer. And it is nice to see Yves Montand again.

This is part one of two films call Pagnol's Water Stories. The second is the even better, Magnon of the Springs. But both films stand alone and you do not need to see both - but it is recommended.

DVD EXTRAS: NONE

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Provence (with Conniving Farmers), August 21, 2006

By 

Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jean de Florette (Original French) (DVD)

Jean de Florette inherited a farmhouse and land in Provence from his mother. A former tax collector in a nearby city, he gave up the city life to live naturally. He does not suspect that his neighbor farmer, Cesar Soubeyran covets his property but more importantly ... the natural spring which used to flow through it. Something happened to the natural water source on this farm before Jean relocated there. With little rain during the summer, the land is arid, water is a necessity for the crops to grow for life to be sustained on a farm. The villagers remain aloof from the newcomers ... several know of some treachery regarding the spring which used to flow on the property but remain silent. They all watch as the city dweller tries to squeeze a living out of the land ... They expect him to give up, sell the land and move back ... They underestimate Jean de Florette ... The casting is superb. The cinematography leaves nothing to be desired - the beauty of the French countryside speaks for itself.

Jean is befriended by Soubeyran's nephew who comes to help him which is a case of deception. He lets him have water from his well ... Jean reads books, makes plans based on statistics to achieve his goals. In the meantime, he and his family live off his mother's inheritance until it runs out, then his wife's beautiful necklance is pawned to help make ends meet. Jean works hard in the heat of the summer and hopes for rain ... Cesar Soubreyan bides his time, until all of Jean's hard work comes to naught as the crops fail and the corn dries up. As a last ditch effort, Jean attempts to divine a water source ... to make a well or deep cistern. An unfortunate accident occurs ... Manon, Jean's young daughter walks for the last time around the property before she and her mother leave. By chance, Manon is shocked to learn all her father's efforts were thwarted by the treachery of his neighbor ...

The story is a magnificent drama about greed, jealousy, deception and the treachery of men. It also depicts the naivite, simple honest trust of some people. There are some humorous comedy moments as well. As good as it is, the story is not finished. It continues in part two, "Manon of the Spring" which I look forward to viewing. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, March 20, 2006

By 

steve b (Dudley England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jean de Florette (Original French) (DVD)

Jean de Florette (Gerard Depardieu) is a tax inspector who inherits a farm from his uncle. He moves there with his family with plans to breed rabbits and live a natural life. What he does not know is a couple of locals (Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil) want the farm and in particular it's spring for themshelves. They block up the spring and watch as the incomer goes from high hopes to hardship to a tragic end.

IT is however hard to feel that Depardieu, at least in part, the author of his own failure. He fails to see the hardship he is inflicting on his wife and daughter by continuing with his dream of the rural life. He is a dreamer, unfit for the harsh life of a Provencial peasant. The locals laugh at the fact that he uses gloves when working in the fields,

Auteuil and Montand are by contrast, practical men. Montand is in particular a cunning and patient man willing to wait for his plans to mature. He even believes that he is doing Depardieu a favour, because by helping him to fail the tax inspector will have to give up his foolish hopes of the rural life and return to his former job.

The performances of all of the three main actors are first rate. Auteuil in particular shows himshelf as an actor of the highest quality. Slow moving but gripping and shot against the beautiful French countryside Jean de Florette is a first class film which will leave you aware of lifes richness.