Manon des Sources (1986)

Directed by: Claude Berri | 113 minutes | drama | Actors: Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, Hippolyte Girardot, Margarita Lozano, Yvonne Gamy, Ticky Holgado, Jean Bouchaud, Elisabeth Depardieu, Gabriel Bacquier, Armand Meffre, André Dupon, Pierre Nougaro, Jean Maurel, Roger Souza, Didier Pain, Pierre-Jean Rippert, Marc Betton, Chantal Liennel, Lucien Damiani, Fransined, Françoise Trompette

‘Manon des Sources’ is the sequel to ‘Jean de Florette’, which was played at the same time, but is set ten years later. It is said that the parts can be seen separately from each other, but that is strongly discouraged. Only in combination do the films get their full power and effect. And looking at them a second time after that will make the strengths stand out even more. Anyone who has enjoyed ‘Jean de Florette’ will certainly enjoy ‘Manon des Sources’ as well. It is the last film that is perhaps a little better, because here all the puzzle pieces fall into place. The first film is retroactively enriched by this sequel and closing piece. The dominant personality of Gérard Dépardieu in the title role of ‘Jean de Florette’ is hardly missed. This can mainly be attributed to the person who replaces him as the central character: Emmanuelle Béart as Jean’s daughter Manon. Where he was unsurprisingly optimistic, she is irreconcilably vindictive. Béart is giving away an acting masterclass and it is right that this film marked her big breakthrough as an actress. She displays a wide spectrum of emotions (mainly with her eyes) and her actions are fascinating and utterly convincing from start to finish.

Her big opponents (adversaries would be too banal, because there is no traditional good-evil ratio) have still not learned anything. Old César Soubeyran, superbly played by Yves Montand, has had his way. Jean’s land is now in the hands of him and his cousin Ugolin. Although César’s actions are sometimes inhumane, his character is developed so deeply and richly that the viewer comes to understand why he does this (even if it is difficult to understand). Ugolin, meanwhile, is played with a heartbreaking intensity by Auteuil, who once again proves to be one of the best actors of his generation. His character takes on an extra dimension in this film, because he falls in love with Manon after seeing her bathing naked.

But Manon is more interested in Bernard (Hippolyte Girardot), a newcomer to the village. The other villagers get much more attention in this part. They suspect that César and Ugolin’s lucrative carnation farm was established in an unfair manner, but they have kept their mouths shut all along. She will break that up badly, because if Manon carries out her plans to take revenge on the tormentors, a lot of people will be the victims. One of the lessons here is that collaboration through silence is also punished.

What makes these films so special is how the nature of the human mind is exposed. The forces that can evoke emotions like love and hate and to which greed, envy and revenge can lead. That is the most intriguing aspect of human nature and it is almost nowhere better filmed than in these masterpieces by director Claude Berri. Taking as source material the two-part novel “L’eau des collines” by writer and director Marcel Pagnol, Berri manages to create a world that feels epic despite the fact that the film is set in a village in Provence. Bruno Nuytten’s camera work is once again magnificent. Yet there is nowhere to be found a triumphant tone, even if justice is handed out in a raw, elemental way. It’s the strength of both parts that things go further and deeper than a black-and-white story with heroes on one side and villains on the other. Manon is also not exactly squeaky clean when she goes to work to meet César and Ugolin. And with that, the characters are so nuanced and layered that the final ending is more tragic than a climax. Because when all the entanglements of the two parts come to a revealing conclusion, this leads to a melancholy state of mind and a bittersweet taste in the mouth. ‘Jean de Florette’ and ‘Manon des Sources’ are indisputably among the best French films of all time and should certainly not be missed by true film buffs.