Product: Jean de Florette (1987)
Rating: 5.0
A tale of good versus evil .. Build versus destroy!
Jean de Florette is a moving and poignant story of a city tax collector who recently inherits land and a home for his wife and daughter. He loves nature, has farming knowledge, follows a plan, and exudes a desire to become successful and profitable. What he is unaware is that he is up against an evil landowner Cesar Soubeyran and his nephew, Ugolin, who with greed, scheme and plot to take the land away.The soil is rich, but the supply for water has been plugged by Soubeyran and Ugolin. As Ugolin, the middleman sets up the evil deeds, he watches with interest how de Florette's farming techniques prove successful. He provides assistance, loaning his mule and water to Florette. Impressed, Ugolin tends to show a little more heart than his uncle Soubeyran. Every step is a challenge as Florette manages his plan, addresses struggles, loses the land's water, and yet he still prays for rain. He is driven to the ultimate torment with devastating consequences.The acting by the main actors, Montand, Depardieu and Auteil brings a greater depth to the story of good versus evil. The acting by the three leads is excellent, the costumes perfected to the period, and the scenery is beautiful mountainous countryside. French actors Depardieu and Auteil have starred in comedies, AuteilThe Closetand Depardieu was lead actor in an 80s American film,Green Cardand 1998The Man in the Iron Mask.Based on a novel by Marcel Pagnol, the film was made in 1986 and takes place in France after World War in the village of Providence. The film has won numerous awards. It is followed up by the continuing saga,Manon of the Spring, where 10 years later, de Florette's beautiful daughter is the interest of the man involved in the scheme to destory her father. See this one only after watching Jean de Florette. ....Rizzo