Jean de Florette (1986)
Jean de Florette is quite beautiful to watch. The French countryside, the carefully recreated farms and dwellings, and the scorching sunshine all combine to make the weather and landscaping two of the major characters in the film.
Yves Montand and his nephew Daniel Auteuil have their hearts set on acquiring the neighboring farm after the owner dies. However, the inheritor, Gérard Depardieu, shows up, and rather than accept their loss, the scheming pair plot to make him give up his birthright. They’re truly despicable characters, spreading gossip and laughing at Gérard behind his back, pretending to be his friend so they can be in a better position to sabotage him, and taking deliberate action against his progress. Yves has a cool, detached meanness that’s chilling, and Daniel nearly steals the show with his conflicted obeyance of orders. Unlike his uncle, he realizes that their prey is struggling human being, but he doesn’t have the backbone to switch sides. Their behavior is enough to take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, and Gérard’s character is so pitiable, it’s impossible not to feel directly involved.
Gérard plays a poor hunchback with dreams of breeding rabbits and growing vegetable gardens. Jean de Florette is one of his classic roles, like Cyrano de Bergerac, where he takes a character you already feel sorry for and turns your heart inside out. His enthusiasm, persistence, and trust in those plotting his downfall, are truly heartbreaking. In the second half of the film, he’s faced with a drought, and he nearly kills himself trekking water back and forth to his property when his well goes dry. He, his wife, and his young daughter, give up everything to try and save the farm, and finally, Gérard runs outside, sinks to his knees, and yells up at God, “I’m a hunchback, remember? Do you think this is easy?” In another scene, when he’s run out of money, he asks his wife—played by Gérard’s real wife at the time, Elisabeth Depardieu—to pawn her valuable necklace. Elisabeth cries and confesses that she’s already pawned it and received only half what he was hoping to get. It’s such an exposing scene, and you really feel like you’re in their house witnessing their struggle.
This is a very heavy movie, so keep that in mind when you rent it. Every performance is wonderful, but it’s pretty upsetting, so you might want to have a comedy lined up for afterwards.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to an upsetting scene involving animals, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Gérard Depardieu movies here!
Yves Montand and his nephew Daniel Auteuil have their hearts set on acquiring the neighboring farm after the owner dies. However, the inheritor, Gérard Depardieu, shows up, and rather than accept their loss, the scheming pair plot to make him give up his birthright. They’re truly despicable characters, spreading gossip and laughing at Gérard behind his back, pretending to be his friend so they can be in a better position to sabotage him, and taking deliberate action against his progress. Yves has a cool, detached meanness that’s chilling, and Daniel nearly steals the show with his conflicted obeyance of orders. Unlike his uncle, he realizes that their prey is struggling human being, but he doesn’t have the backbone to switch sides. Their behavior is enough to take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, and Gérard’s character is so pitiable, it’s impossible not to feel directly involved.
Gérard plays a poor hunchback with dreams of breeding rabbits and growing vegetable gardens. Jean de Florette is one of his classic roles, like Cyrano de Bergerac, where he takes a character you already feel sorry for and turns your heart inside out. His enthusiasm, persistence, and trust in those plotting his downfall, are truly heartbreaking. In the second half of the film, he’s faced with a drought, and he nearly kills himself trekking water back and forth to his property when his well goes dry. He, his wife, and his young daughter, give up everything to try and save the farm, and finally, Gérard runs outside, sinks to his knees, and yells up at God, “I’m a hunchback, remember? Do you think this is easy?” In another scene, when he’s run out of money, he asks his wife—played by Gérard’s real wife at the time, Elisabeth Depardieu—to pawn her valuable necklace. Elisabeth cries and confesses that she’s already pawned it and received only half what he was hoping to get. It’s such an exposing scene, and you really feel like you’re in their house witnessing their struggle.
This is a very heavy movie, so keep that in mind when you rent it. Every performance is wonderful, but it’s pretty upsetting, so you might want to have a comedy lined up for afterwards.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to an upsetting scene involving animals, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Gérard Depardieu movies here!