MovieChat Forums > Jean de Florette (1987) Discussion > One of the best films of all time

One of the best films of all time

posted 19 years ago by diesel-magoo
51 replies | jump to latest

I cant believe how little this film is know in the USofA
In europe it is very well know and will be on British/ Irish telly once a year. This is a truly magical film that will stay with you for as long as the haunting harmonica theme. Jean and Its sequal Manon Des Source are not two films but part one and two of the same film. you really can't watch them in isolation.
It has everything Greed, revenge, murder, great local characters and an amazing twist.
and daniel auteuil and emmanuel bert are husband and wife or at least were so in real life poor old Ugolin got the girl
I CANT RECOMMEND THIS FILM HIGHLY ENOUGH 10 ON 10 FIVE STARS TWO THUMBS UP AND IT SPAWNED A SERIES OF ADVERTS FOR FRENCH BEER ON BRITISH TV sorry got the caps on

[–] Flossieandflo 19 years ago

Agreed 100%.

I can see how people would think this was a sad ending film if they did not also watch Manon Des Source afterwards. The end of this film is not complete until you see the sequel. There is resolution, and the final ending is more poignant than sad.

[–] jimmykebab 19 years ago

Its brilliant. Emotive, charming, beuatiful acting and cinematography. I was sadened at the end and surprised. A classic, no doubt, but not as recognized as it should be...why not in the top 250? It definetly deserves to be. Manon de Source is good as well.

Even the most primitive society has an inate respect for the insane

[–] as20 19 years ago

It used to be in the top 250, but not anymore. Such classics as Batman begins and such have got in there, so there's less room now you see :(

[–] jimmykebab 19 years ago

Shame...although batman begins was excellent.

Mabye they could just get rid of a few less deserving films and make way for ignored classics such as this...like kill bill 1, pulp fiction + Lord of the rings 3 (just my opinion) to make way for such films as this and Hard Boiled, reservoir dogs, true romance, jackie brown, infernal affairs, the killer and La Haine.

Even the most primitive society has an inate respect for the insane

[–] as20 19 years ago

kill bill 2, pulp fiction + Lord of the rings 3

I think they should be in the list and Batman begins shouldn't LOL.
Well shows the limits of such charts i guess.

[–] jimmykebab 19 years ago

Sorry I love kill bill 2, what i meant to put was kill bill 1 which sucks.

Even the most primitive society has an inate respect for the insane

[–] joseph-johnston 19 years ago

I have watched some Tarantino and regard him as overrated. This French film is outstanding. It's America's loss if this and Manon des Sources are unknown.

[–] bwgood77 12 years ago

You are one of the few who feels the same way I do about Kill Bill (or did initially.) Although after seeing Kill Bill II I prefer to think of them as just two parts of one long film. Originally it wasn't supposed to be two films but it was too long. Kill Bill I obviously feels like it just got going when it ends so it felt incomplete.

[–] gioconda 15 years ago

Quote: Mabye they could just get rid of a few less deserving films and make way for ignored classics such as this...like kill bill 1, pulp fiction + Lord of the rings 3 (just my opinion) to make way for such films as this and Hard Boiled, reservoir dogs, true romance, jackie brown, infernal affairs, the killer and La Haine.

I like your taste in movies jimmykebab.

Jean de Florette is one of the greatest movies of all time. Bar none.

Never hesitate to rent it or see it on a big screen. It's a timeless masterpiece.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] BlondeIsBetter 15 years ago

I love Gerard in it, but those men are so mean and greedy I just could not enjoy the film... I found it very depressing. The whole theme of the film is greed, and never trust another human being, etc... Kind of a depressing take on life... I just didn't like this film. I will try watching it again, but it just depresses me. There is nothing in it to like, except Gerard, I just wish he didn't DIE! I mean, those horrible men just watched him die... Horrible...

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] zurichpoet 15 years ago

I just saw The Housekeeper. Really enjoyed it. I've been putting this one off as it's had such a big notion behind it. I'm on it, now!

[–] testarc2000 19 years ago

Totally agree.

With the ending credit still rolling, the first thing I did was to go out and rent the sequal.

I would give sequal a 9 though, probably due to my HIGH expectations.

[–] Sagewhoknowsheronions 19 years ago

I bought Jean de Florette, but couldn't afford Manon de Sources as well at the time, so I had it on hire for ages so I could watch both together. La Gloire de Mon Pere and Le Chateau de Ma Mere are also in my top ten movies. Marcel Pagnol is really impressive as are these films.
Your comment about rating the second part lower than the first is interesting. I gave all four films I've mentioned 10 along with many other greats and favourites. It is difficult to rate the whole range of films out of 10 IMO. If you don't rate the real stinkers they get off too lightly and it puts them in the same category as ones you haven't seen. If you give them 1 it puts them too close to the good and brilliant films. The more films I rate the more I have to re-rate the good ones upwards and the bad ones downwards.

"The right to free speech stops short of shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre." Mark Twain.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Sagewhoknowsheronions 18 years ago

That is one solution, not to worry too much if films if you can't put films in exact order of preference, just group all the ones you like together etc.

I would still like to mark them out of 100, though in some ways.

Alternately I would like to give them three sets of marks, one for artistic merit, one for technical merit and one for how much I enjoyed it. Even if it was only out of three in each category it would separate the films better. I have enjoyed films that were not all that brilliantly made tecnically, but were fun anyway, and hated some films that were very clever but boring.

"I hate quotations, tell me what you know." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

[–] Sol2010 11 years ago

I love this film and the sequel so much and have "forced" it on at least a dozen unsuspecting visiting friends (now firm converts) - I'm known as The French Movie Buff now, so thanks for the other title suggestions, I'll look them up.

[–] Sagewhoknowsheronions 18 years ago

You are right in some ways, but it does offend my sense of justice sometimes!

"I hate quotations, tell me what you know." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

[–] lunarose 18 years ago

This movie and its sequel are definitely two of the best movies ever made anywhere! We rented it by chance and were so pleased with it we recommend it to all our friends. I think the ending of "Manon" is the most poignant I have ever seen!

[–] brackenhe 18 years ago

I remember when the film came out, Siskel & Ebert rated very high. I bought the DVD's about 10 years after the movie came out (I live in Alabama--not a lot of call for foreign films here.) Sad to say, but most Americans don't have the patience for subtitled movies (or black & white or anything made before yesterday.) I think it takes a real movie buff to search out films like this because we are bombarded with so many films here that films from anywhere besides the UK get lost in the shuffle. I, however, will watch anything with Gerard Depardieu or Daniel Autliel. I didn't care as much for Manon of the Spring because Gerard wasn't in it but it did provide a satisfying conclusion to the story.

[–] egraham23 18 years ago

I agree with all of my heart. I saw this film in a 20th century French history class that I took in college. Not only does it capture the beauty of life in rural France, it captures the essence of humanity. Read all the spoliers you like--you can't understand this touching story until you've seen it yourself. This film is truly a beautiful work of art.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] davidober 17 years ago

Definitely in my personal top 20. Amazing film. So sad that the vast majority of my fellow Americans have yet to see this masterpiece.

[–] wompwomp98 17 years ago

Love it. One of my favourite films along with Manon Des Source.

[–] Count_di_Luna 16 years ago

Without a doubt one of the few great films of the last 30 years.

As for people not wanting to watch subtitled films / anything outside the Hollywood mainstream.....get used to it, it ain't ever gonna change. Just be thankful you're not one of them and enjoy this beautiful film.

(BTW It IS available on dvd in Europe, I've seen it recently).