why the HELL would the 2 guys uncover the water source before the family had even left? they let this guy work himself to death for something like 2-3 years, but couldnt wait literally 5 minutes for the family to get on their cart and leave? please
shareBecause they`re nothing but a pair of dumb hicks (starting to think about it, one realizes the only actual contribution they made to Depardieu`s misfortune, was not telling about the spring and refusing him their mule; it´s not like they successfully plotted his way down). But yeah, it does a bit contrived that they couldn`t wait a few minutes longer there.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Well they did think the family had left.
And even so, the point is that Manon needs to know what really brought about her father's ruin. And since that allows for "Manon Des Sources" to exist, I'll happily forgive the melodrama.
It is hastened for dramatic purposes.
shareSpoiler regarding the sequel:
It was stupid of them not to wait, but Manon needed to find out when she was young because that was the motivation for her to run away and become the goatherd and recluse we see in part 2.
---- SPOILERS ----
Not as dumb as Jean not waiting for the rocks to fall out of the sky before approaching the new well.
I know nothing about explosions, but that scenario looks unlikely. Surely anything larger than a small pebble would already have fallen back to earth before he could run to the well?
Even if was realistic, I think it was as or more contrived as a plot device than the point the OP raises.
Two small blips in one of the greatest movies ever made. (Pointless to call it two movies).
As far as Jean running forward so soon after setting it off--I also had thought at first that that was quite unrealistic, but then remember that Ugolin had told Jean that he was drinking too much red wine during those hard times, and Cesar had remarked, "Drinking and dynamite don't mix."
So we have to consider that Jean's judgment was somewhat impaired by overconsumption of alcohol, exhaustion, and desperation.