Emile Zola

It's interesting to see how many reviewers, here and further afield, have referred to this film's "uniquely English" atmosphere and its setting of rural poverty, so rarely seen in British film. This movie is, in fact, an adaptation of Emile Zola's 1887 novel "La Terre", which caused a scandal on first publication. I'd say the film is about 70 per cent faithful to the novel; the differences are some minor plot points and the level of general grimness, which if anything is actually toned down in the film compared to what's in the book. It's fascinating to see a literary adaptation of a foreign novel written over 110 years old being lauded for its modern, gritty approach... Anyway, if you enjoyed this film, you might want to go and check out a modern English translation of the source novel, there are copies readily available.