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Jean de Florette

1986

Claude Berri

Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Margarita Lozano ...

7.7

2,384

Drama A greedy landowner and his backward nephew conspire to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell.

	Author	Review
United States	Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times	"The point of the film is not to create suspense, but to capture the relentlessness of human greed, the feeling that the land is so important the human spirit can be sacrificed to it (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of four)"	POS
United States	Desson Thomson The Washington Post	"'Jean de Florette' gives itself epic scope (...) But after "Jean," a rich residue of themes and images remains"	POS
United States	James Berardinelli ReelViews	"The twists taken by the narrative, the quality of the performances, the superlative cinematography, and Berri's masterful direction make this one of the best motion pictures ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Time Out	"It is Depardieu who supplies the heart and soul of the film with a performance of towering strength and heartbreaking pathos"	POS
United Kingdom	David Parkinson Empire	"A simple, elemental tale that makes breaking the heart seem like the easiest and most natural thing a filmmaker can do to his audience. Which, of course, it isn't. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Vincent Canby The New York Times	"Here's the kind of exuberant, French Midi, melodramatic comedy that no one has successfully brought off since Pagnol himself made ''Cesar''	POS
United States	Hank Stuever The Washington Post	"After 'Jean,' a rich residue of themes and images remains -- much as after reading a long but great novel or Greek tragedy."	POS
United States	Variety Staff Variety	"Berri’s sympathetic work with his small cast, and his subservience to Pagnol’s story and dialog are key factors in the film’s robust dramatic appeal"	POS

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