Claude Berri’s 1986 adaptation of Marcel Pagnol’s Jean de Florette is a quietly devastating rural tragedy set in the sun-bleached hills of Provence. Though rooted in early 20th-century France, its themes—greed, manipulation, and the destruction of innocence—remain strikingly relevant.
The story begins with César Soubeyran, or Le Papet (Yves Montand), and his nephew Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil), who covet a neighboring farm with a hidden spring. Ugolin dreams of growing carnations—a profitable crop—but they need water. Rather than buy the land fairly, they secretly plug the spring, hoping to watch the property fail and then purchase it at a discount.
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