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Jean de Florette

Jean de Florette

Drama · 1986

In a rural French village, an old man and his only remaining relative cast their covetous eyes on an adjoining vacant property. They need its spring water for growing their flowers, and are dismayed to hear that the man who has inherited it is moving in. They block up the spring and watch as their new neighbour tries to keep his crops watered from wells far afield through the hot summer. Though they see his desperate efforts are breaking his health and his wife and daughter's hearts, they think only of getting the water.

Movie details

Jean de Florette

“For some men, land and water are more precious than flesh and blood.”

1986 Drama 2h 2m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.7 / 10

Community rating

In a rural French village, an old man and his only remaining relative cast their covetous eyes on an adjoining vacant property. They need its spring water for growing their flowers, and are dismayed to hear that the man who has inherited it is moving in. They block up the spring and watch as their new neighbour tries to keep his crops watered from wells far afield through the hot summer. Though they see his desperate efforts are breaking his health and his wife and daughter's hearts, they think only of getting the water.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Jean de Florette?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Claude Berri

Written by

Claude Berri · Gérard Brach

Yves Montand

Yves Montand

César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'

Gérard Depardieu

Gérard Depardieu

Jean Cadoret, hunchback, son of Florette

Daniel Auteuil

Daniel Auteuil

Ugolin Soubeyran, nephew of Papet

Elisabeth Depardieu

Elisabeth Depardieu

Aimée Cadoret, wife of Jean

Margarita Lozano

Margarita Lozano

Baptistine, Piedmontese of the cave

Ernestine Mazurowna

Ernestine Mazurowna

Manon Cadoret, daughter of Jean & Aimée

Armand Meffre

Armand Meffre

Philoxène, mayor

Court is in session

Put Jean de Florette on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.