Product: Jean de Florette (1987)
Rating: 4.0
"I suppose you are going to be charitable and buy the farm"
Claude Berri's "Jean de Florette" is a simple but sobering film depicting the evils of human nature. The story revolves around a hunchbacked tax collector named Jean de Florette (Gerard Depardieu) who travels to a piece of property he has just inherited. He brings along his wife and young daughter to the countryside and sees endless potential in the long-abandoned farm land that he now owns. Jean dreams of reaping endless profits from the vegetables and rabbits he will raise but all of his plans hinge on finding a fresh water spring that a map indicates is on his land. However, two neighboring farmers (Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil) plot against him and plug the spring to guarantee Jean's ruin. They want him to fail as this will force him to sell the land cheap to them. Time passes and Jean becomes more and more desperate when a drought ravages his crops and kills off his rabbits. He makes one last futile attempt to find the hidden water source that he knows is nearby but tragically meets his doom in the process. American audiences who are familiar with Depardieu only through his comedic work will be surprised at how well he handles himself in a dramatic role. He passionately brings to life his tragic farmer. Montand and Auteuil are equally memorable as the scheming villians who epitomize the less desirable traits of man. They provide the perfect contrast to Depardieu's naive but noble character. However, the one image that will linger in your mind after the film is finished is that of actress Ernestine Mazurowna who plays Manon Cadoret, Jean's daughter. Her performance toward the end of the film when she shifts from being traumatized to developing a revenge-fueled resolve raises the emotional level of the film to a crescendo. Powerful stuff. Don't be scared off by the subtitles - watch this film if you get the opportunity.