Manon of the Spring
|
List Price: Our Price: $10.00 You Save: $9.98 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.61 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Manon of the Spring
Movie Review: Beautiful, Enjoyable, and Gets at Some Essential Truths
Summary: 5 Stars
"Manon of the Spring," (1986), a French drama, is a sequel of sorts, and a tale of revenge. It's also a mouth-watering, award-winning color film, set apparently, in the early 20th century, in Provence, in the gorgeous, fertile south of France. With its prequel, Jean De Florette, -- well, actually, it's not so much a prequel and sequel, it's more just a direct continuation of the story -- it tells a bittersweet tale of life among the peasantry of the time. It is based on a novel, with which I am not familiar, by Marcel Pagnol, with whose work, I regret, I am also not familiar, tho I believe he was a screenwriter of note; was adapted for the screen and directed by Claude Berri.
You can watch "Manon" without seeing "Jean de Florette" first, but I don't know why you'd want to. At any rate, the movie picks up the story of the locally-prominent Soubeyran family, who have been scheming for their own advancement, with little consideration for others. Cesar Soubeyran, known as "Le Papet" locally, is the wealthy, almost last survivor of a dynasty of hard-working, successful peasants, and treated with great respect in his village. As played by the magnetic, older Yves Montand, (The Wages Of Fear - (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray];Diabolique (The Criterion Collection) Spine #35)), he is as hard a man as his long life has made him. Then, his possibly not all there nephew Ugolin, played by Daniel Auteil, always so successful at playing not particularly bright characters (The Closet) had come home from his stint in the army. The older man is anxious to see his nephew married, with children, settled locally, and making a living before his illnesses end his life. Accordingly, Cesar has his eye on a plot of land that adjoins his holdings, and several healthy looking girls in the village.
But the land the Soubeyran family covets had been inherited by an outsider, a tax collector civil servant; a luckless hunchback played by the magnificent Gerard Depardieu, (Green Card),who had come to the village bearing some regulation outsiders' French name, a wife and young daughter. However, if Jean had been called by the name he should have been in the village, had they known who he really was, he would have been known locally as Jean de Florette, the title character of the first installment. At any rate, the Soubeyrans, Cesar and Ugolin, pretended to befriend and help the naive and generous hunchback, who was inexperienced in farming, but had many ambitious plans, some entirely unsuited for the location. Nevertheless, the Soubeyrons secretly worked against the would-be farmer, most importantly by depriving him of water.
Greedy, cruel behavior to be sure, with tragic consequences. We begin "Manon" with a glimpse of the title character, the daughter of Jean de Florette., in the person of the beautiful Emmanuelle Beart (Nathalie). After the death of her father, which she believes was caused by the Soubeyrans, she has grown up largely on her own, as her mother has had to seek work elsewhere. Manon is rather an uneducated wild child as a result: she has kept herself alive by being a shepherdess, and hunting small birds for sale. She decides to take revenge against the village that allowed the Soubeyrans to behave as they did, and deprives the village of its water, causing great chaos and consternation. Ugolin is greatly in love with her, but she, of course, will have nothing to do with him: she rather fancies the handsome young local schoolteacher, who is, however, miles above her in the village's social order.
The film is moving, powered by the work of its stars, as these characters work out their destinies, and reach a somewhat surprising conclusion: not the one for which Cesar had hoped, but one he can appreciate. "Manon" may be thought to have dated a bit, to be a bit too reliant on coincidence. Still, it seems to me grounded in reality. We watch the first telephones and automobiles creep into town, the appearance of new styles of dress. And I believe that French peasants, any peasants really, have historically wanted only certain things: land, with water on it; real gold, not paper scrip, and the success and survival of their families. A memorable piece of film-making that deals with great issues and essential truths in its way, and an enjoyable one, too.
Movie Review: Unexpected Surprises in Provence ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Manon, the daughter of Jean de Florette returns to Provence and lives in a small cottage on the property of her father. In the previous film, her father had died trying to make the farm work but discovered without a source of water, it was impossible. The farmhouse and certain lands were sold at decreased value to the neighbor Cesar Soubeyran. He finds a mysterious supply source for water which had eluded her father.
Soubeyran's nephew, Ugolin Gallette secretly falls in love with Manon as she wanders the hillsides Provence tending her flock of goats. Manon however pays little attention to him while she keeps a keen distant eye on a newcomer, the teacher in the town who walks among the hills, examines the soil and takes a high interest in local developments. A mysterious chemistry develops between them. Meanwhile Ugolin becomes uncharacteristically ill and after being prodded he confesses to being in love. Cesar gives him advice on how to impress his heart's desire but Ugolin botches the attempts.
After Manon tries to save a goat which falls from the hillside to the rocks below, she discovers a cave and cavern, which are the original source of the spring. She develops suspicions about the cause of her father's death. She deliberately stops up the water supply which eventually affects the whole town. At a townhall meeting set up specifically to meet the farmers' need for water, a government official manages to add further insult to injury. The official produces survey records which indicate there is no spring on the land. Meanwhile, the local priest was apprised of the true cause of Jean de Florette's death. In his sermon the priest admonishes the community that G-d may be punishing them for their sins. Accusations fly of who and what caused the spring to dry up. Religious devotees partake in a ceremony after which the water supply is restored. In effect, a miracle has occurred! Cesar Soubeyran suffers a sad, unexpected devastating blow associated with his nephew. During a visit to the cemetery, Cesar reminisces about his past with a blind woman sitting next to him on a bench. She supplies him with crucial details which become the final nail in his emotional coffin. The details become an unanticiapted revenge, one from beyond the grave. This film is deeply satisfying in its portrayal of local culture, greed, outstanding characters and the ultimate surprise ending. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
Movie Review: Completes one of the greatest film stories of recent decades
Summary: 5 Stars
MANON OF THE SPRING completes the story that began in JEAN DE FLORETTE. It is not a sequel; it is the second half of a single tale. Although the first film can be watched independently of the first, neither really stands completely on its own.The second film takes place several years after the first, and centers on two of the characters from the first film--Le Papet played by Yves Montand and Ugolin played by Daniel Auteuil--as well as a young girl who is now living on the land upon which Jean de Florette lived in the first. The girl named Manon and played by the exquisitely beautiful Emmanuelle Béart, turns out to be the daughter of Jean de Florette. Ugolin, observing her, falls hopelessly in love with us, yearning for her in a manner so desperate and passionate that you sense immediately the impossibility of its being fulfilled. The film deals with her resolve to wreck her revenge on those responsible for the death of her father.
What she doesn't realize is the possibility of an even more potent revenge that lies beyond her control, but which arises near the end of the film. The two films are great without the last half hour of the film, but it is the last half hour that makes the two-film sequence a truly magnificent masterpiece. We find near the end revelations that make the story that the two films tell almost impossibly tragic. I can say no more than this without giving away key elements of the plot.
The two films are both quite superb in the picture they paint of rural France. The idyllic beauty of the countryside belies the hidden blackness in the hearts of many of the characters. Yves Montand's character, especially, displays the karma attaching to a petty, mean-spirited viciousness. If the first film belonged to Gérard Depardieu, the second one, and as it were retrospectively both films, to Yves Montand. Although Montand made a few more films before his death, this was far and away the greatest thing he did in his last years, and in a way stands as the last great achievement in a grand career. I'm not certain he was ever better than in the last half hour of this great film.
I cannot urge strongly enough for anyone who loves movies to see these two films. Even those who do not normally enjoy foreign films with love these. The story told is too grand, and the performances too stellar, not to adore them.
Movie Review: The continuing saga, greed, deception, lust, destruction, etc. etc.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you happen to plan to view Manon of the Spring, do yourself a favor and see Jean De Florette first. It is the beginning of this family saga of greed, destruction, evil, hope, deceit. Claude Berri is a writer, producer, actor and director. His best work is the two films in part one and part two.
Jean de Florette is the story of a hunchback man who has inherited land with a home for his wife and daughter. Unbeknownst to him, a greedy landowner and his nephew have engineered a plan to block access to the water for his farming. Tormented by the two, Florette is driven to devastating consequences.
Manon of the Spring continues 10 years later landowner Soubeyran has asked his only relative Ugolin to find a wife in that Soubeyran can leave his inheritance. Ugolin has his eye on Florette the hunchback's beautiful daughter Manon, a sheepherder. But her mission is to seek revenge against Ugolin and his uncle Soubeyran for the torment that lead to demise of her father's farm with devastating consequences. In turn, she cuts of the water supply to the entire village which leads to very angry townspeople. The two men are publicly accused and also, Ugolin can't bear Manon's rejection.
This film is with beautiful mountainous scenery, brilliant acting, period costumes, and moves at an even pace. It is engrossing with an important revelation nearing the end. The double films have won numerous awards. This is a wonderful saga and you can view the DVDs separately or together Jean De Florette / Manon of the Spring (MGM World Films)! ...Rizzo.
Movie Review: Beautiful film....
Summary: 5 Stars
Oh this is a beautiful film, shot in Provence, with the absolutely lovely Emmanuelle Beart playing Manon of the title role, and her husband Daniel Auteuil playing the opposing lead. Manon de Florette is the grown daughter of JEAN DE FLORETTE. To follow the storyline and understand Manon's actions, you must see part one of this two-part story.In part two, Manon has become a "shepardess" who lives with her goats on the hillsides in Provence. When we first see her, she garbed in a quaint shepherdess costume Marie Antoinette would have envied, and tinkling through the brushes with her herd. Auteuil, the young cousin of Jean de Florette sees her and realizes he has fallen in love with the adult Manon whom he first met in JEAN DE FLORETTE.
One day, owing to someting Manon does, a handsome stranger comes to the village. Auteuil's chances with the beautiful Manon are dimmed by the arrival of this handsome young man who also falls in love with Manon. Beart is so beautiful it's hard to imagine why all the young men in the village aren't in love with her.
However, other obstacles exist for Auteuil. I cannot say much more without giving away the storyline, but it has to do with an unresolved issue set up in the first part of the story told in the film JEAN DE FLORETTE. Let's just say it has to do with water, thus the title, MANON OF THE SPRING.
JEAN DE FLORETTE and MANON are wonderful films, and although the latter film is the better one, you cannot understand the latter without the former.
Storyline aside, if you love Provence, then these films will appeal to you. It is hard not to feel the sunlight on your cheeks and smell the wild Thyme, Fennel, Rosmary and other herbs growing on the hillsides where Manon and her goats wander.