Jean de Florette

1986 film directed by Claude Berri

Film · TMDB

7.7

In a rural French village, an old man and his only remaining relative cast their covetous eyes on an adjoining vacant property. They need its spring water for growing their flowers, and are dismayed to hear that the man who has inherited it is moving in. They block up the spring and watch as their new neighbour tries to keep his crops watered from wells far afield through the hot summer. Though they see his desperate efforts are breaking his health and his wife and daughter's hearts, they think only of getting the water.

Released: 1986-08-27122 minDir: Claude BerriDramaBudget: $4.9MPart of: The Water of the Hills Collection

▶ Watch trailerStream on: Criterion Channel

Cast

Yves Montand as César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'
Gérard Depardieu as Jean Cadoret, hunchback, son of Florette
Daniel Auteuil as Ugolin Soubeyran, nephew of Papet
Elisabeth Depardieu as Aimée Cadoret, wife of Jean
Margarita Lozano

~18 min read

Article

Jean de Florette ( French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ də flɔʁɛt]) is a 1986 French period drama film directed by Claude Berri. It is the first part of a diptych with Manon of the Spring (Manon des Sources), released the same year. Both are the adaptation of Marcel Pagnol’s 1962 two-part novel The Water of the Hills, with the second part also being adapted from Pagnol's original 1952 film Manon of The Spring. Berri's version was the first attempt at adapting the whole saga, including the first part, Jean de Florette, which was originally written as a prequel to the novelization of Manon of The Spring.

The story takes place in rural Provence in the 1920s, where two local farmers plot to trick a newcomer out of his newly inherited property. The film starred three of France's most prominent actors – Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, who won a BAFTA and a César award for his performance, and Yves Montand in one of his last roles.