Manon des Sources (Manon of the Spring) (Jean de Florette II ) (1986)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Pierluigi P

  
  Poetic, endearing, heartbreaking. the second part of Jean de Florette's tragedy deals with the consequences of the greed and hypocresy shown among the villagers in the first part and how it affects their lives. Some surprising things come up as well. I never thought that not only… More
  Poetic, endearing, heartbreaking. the second part of Jean de Florette's tragedy deals with the consequences of the greed and hypocresy shown among the villagers in the first part and how it affects their lives. Some surprising things come up as well. I never thought that not only the characters, but myself as well, would all be changing our indignation and contempt for forgiveness.

• David L

  
  In this sequel to `Jean de Florette', ten years have passed. Jean's daughter, Manon, has been living in the area near where her father died, she has been tending goats, has a dog, but has been living in poverty. At the end of ?Jean de Florette', we see Manon… More
  In this sequel to `Jean de Florette', ten years have passed. Jean's daughter, Manon, has been living in the area near where her father died, she has been tending goats, has a dog, but has been living in poverty. At the end of ?Jean de Florette', we see Manon realizing that the Soubeyran's had blocked off her father's water supply, the movie ended with a horrified Manon. Early on in this concluding installment to the story, Manon realizes that the people in the nearby village knew about the water spring on their land but did not say anything. Some of these people were even distant cousins to Jean, but only the Soubeyran's knew this at the time and did not share this information. Near the halfway point in this movie, Manon discovers the source of the water for the whole village, she has her revenge by cutting off the water of those who killed her father. A bold and brazen move, but one that sends a strong message. This all seems very sensational and theatric, but the director's message of philosophical justice comes across in a satisfying way. The climax of the movie contains surprises that I won't mention here. While shocking, the viewers will find themselves thinking that they should have realized these plot points during the first movie. Manon of the Spring is just as good as the first installment, It would be great if these two movies could be cut together and released as one long epic, Highly recommended

• Doctor S

  
  Simple story masterfully told, <i>Manon</i> is the sequel to <i>Jean de Florette</i> in which the reclusive daughter of the hunchback who was killed for the water on his land learns the truth and sets a course for revenge. These stories might comprise the best… More
  Simple story masterfully told, <i>Manon</i> is the sequel to <i>Jean de Florette</i> in which the reclusive daughter of the hunchback who was killed for the water on his land learns the truth and sets a course for revenge. These stories might comprise the best 2-part package in French cinema history; knowing the events of the first is required to understand the motivations in the second, and absolutely essential to experience the shocking revelation to its fullest. As with <i>Jean de Florette</i>, everything about this production is superlative, from the gorgeous countryside visuals to the rich orchestral soundtrack to the artistic compositional framing to the outstanding acting. Aged Yves Montand gives a towering performance of a character who ranks among the all-time greatest screen villains and pays an ultimate price of regret. Equally memorable is Daniel Auteuil who has never been better as Montand's nephew, bringing to life a pathetic simpleton who is both loathsome and pitiable. Another shining performance comes from the incomparably beautiful Emmanuelle Béart who shot to stardom as Manon the goat shepherdess. She doesn't have many lines in her solitude, instead reflecting her curiosity and distrust through her wondrous eyes, but when she does speak her outbursts carry that much more impact. Perhaps her finest achievement is racing up and down those precarious goat trails without tumbling into the emergency room! I watched this last night for the first time since sitting in a college theater 20 years ago and could still vividly recall the big revelation scene as it unfolded which again packed an emotional punch as momentous as Darth Vader's at the end of <i>Empire.</i> If I had to choose, I'm inclined to say <i>Jean de Florette</i> is slightly better because of Gerard Depardieu's galvanizing presence, but with <i>Manon des Sources</i> we get Béart and a resonating conclusion to this 2-part masterpiece.

• hawk l

  
  Revenge, love, and shocking irony highlight this sequel to Jean de Florette. Though deeply tragic, the story unfolds with charm, wit, and high spirits. Emmanuelle Béart is magnificent as Manon.

• Anthony V

  
  For those who thought the guys from Jean de Florette got away with anything, wait until you see the ultimate karmic payoff.