Highest Rated Review by the Community
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community Aug 2, 2001
Pros: Incredibly moving story. Superb acting
Cons: None
Summary:
I am a relative newcomer to the world of foreign films. It is only in the last five years or so that I have discovered the world of subtlety and nuance that is provided in so many of the sub-titled movies from abroad. I have even ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Feb 4, 2008
Pros: Brilliant acting, directing, music - breathtaking viewer involvement....
Cons: ... ... ... really, none!
Summary: This film double-pack is absolutely amazing. When my wife picked it out one day I hadn’t even heard of either film, but I’m glad she had. The first film is very good and the second is absolutely incredible! Even though I’m not generally ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Oct 7, 2005
Pros: Brilliant stories, brilliant acting, brilliant cinematography
Cons: I tried to find some, but didn't
Summary: The film Jean de Florette (1986) and the one which followed it, Manon des Sources (1986), are the screen rendition of Marcel Pagnol's exquisite novel, L'eau des Collines (The Water from the Hills, 1963). It is the story ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Feb 27, 2004
Pros: An epic tragedy, great performances, beautiful Manon, great cinematography, fine score and plot twists
Cons: Viewer must have tolerance for subtitles
Summary: The relationship between Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring is very much like the relationship between foreplay and climax. You can have either one without the other, but the enjoyment will be less than in combination. The first by ... read more
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Rated a Somewhat Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Aug 10, 2001
Pros: Excellent films; outstanding acting; Powerful and uplifting story.
Cons: None.
Summary: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring are complex and poignant tales of trust, betrayal, and remorse. The films are outstanding and project beauty alone. The story is beautifully crafted within each character. These films are without a doubt the best ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Apr 23, 2001
Pros: Great story, strong acting, beautiful cinematography, perfect musical score.
Cons: May be too slow and thoughtful for American tastes, subtitled.
Summary: One Provençal farmer's desire to grow carnations leads to the untimely deaths of four men, the near ruin of an entire village, and the shocking revelation of a long kept secret. Jean de Florette and Manon des Source (Manon of the Spring) ... read more
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Rated a Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Nov 8, 2000
Pros: Shows you how good movies really can be
Cons: No other movie can live up to the standards set here.
Summary: The first time I saw this film,in 1991, I sat in front of the TV open mouthed at the sheer quality of what I was watching. Since then I've scoured hundreds of celluloid efforts vainly searching for something to match this standard of film excellence. ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Aug 4, 2000
Pros: Good acting, story, and themes, entertaining
Cons: Some culture shock to dumb Americans, English subtitles
Summary: As part of French IV my senior year in high school our teacher showed us these two films as part of the cultural aspect of class.
These are two great films that are only comparable to American "art" movies. They deal with the human ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Apr 10, 2000
Pros: Acting, photography, plot
Cons: none
Summary: I generally like 'Foreign' films (I am an Englishman), as they usually explore emotions on a sensitive level, as an alternative to providing the thrills of action movies - no value judgement intended.
Jean de Florette and the sequel, Manon des ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Mar 13, 2000
Pros: An undeniable classic with greatness everywhere you look
Cons: Manon is a slight comedown from Jean in storycraft
Summary: Seeing Jean De Florette and Manon of the Spring is like watching two Shakespearian plays back to back. Marcel Pagnol, himself a filmmaker of some renown in the 1950's, wrote the two books these movies are based upon and over time, this has become one of ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Feb 3, 2000
Pros: Splendid sets, scenery, and superb cinematography Impressive performances by Auteuil and Montand.
Cons: Implausibility of character actions.
Summary: No more than a handful of films I've seen even come close to exhibiting the level of artistry of Claude Berri's film Jean de Florette, which combined intense emotion, phenomenal cinematography, outstanding acting, a poetically tight script, and an ... read more
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Rated a Somewhat Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Jan 29, 2000
Pros: Easy to follow, but NOT a simple story
Cons: none
Summary: "Jean de Florette" was the first foreign film I saw (except for Monty Python's Holy Grail, of course). I was in college and International Cinema was just a dollar (perfect for a student's budget). I was hesitant about seeing a movie I ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Jan 27, 2000
Pros: Fine drama, great cinematography
Cons: Some may find its pacing slow, or its scope constricting.
Summary: Manon of the Spring (in French, with subtitles) continues the story of its predecessor, Jean de Florette, and is if anything even more powerful and exquisitely done. While the films seem intended to be viewed together, each can stand well ... read more
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Rated a Very Helpful Review by the Epinions community
Jan 27, 2000
Pros: Wonderful production values, absorbing drama.
Cons: Some may find it too slow-paced.
Summary: Jean de Florette, together with its continuation, Manon of the Spring, is a magnificent example of filmmaking craft, with mesmerizing drama spun from what is really the simplest of tales, exceptional acting, and beautiful photography of a ... read more
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