Summary and notes in English about Jean de Florette The story takes place in a small village of Provence in Occitania, the south of France, shortly after the First World War. Cesar Soubeyran – also known as Papet – and his nephew, Ugolin, are desperate to buy a neighbouring farm after hearing of the death of its owner, for its water source. The farm is then inherited by Jean, a hunchbacked tax collector from the city. Learning this news, Cesar and Ugolin block up the spring with concrete to force Jean to sell his land.
Although Jean valiantly tries to reap the harvests of his land, struggling to bring water from a well many miles away and trying a modern approach to agriculture based on his book knowledge, the hunchback, his wife, and daughter are reduced to poverty and desperation by the lack of water, while Soubeyran and his nephew remain tight-lipped about the spring under Jean’s land. In the end, Jean is killed in an accident as a result of an explosion while attempting to dig his own well to supply water to his land. Jean’s young daughter, Manon, has always been suspicious of the Soubeyrans.
Her suspicions are proven right when,
Even the place it was set in is about love France; love is the first thing I think of when people talk about France. In this move almost every character has thoughts of love. Jean de Florette had the most passion for life in this movie. When he talked he showed so much life, with every word he spoke he expressed it as if it were his destiny. Jean loved his family, and he would have done anything for them. Through out the movie he showed many examples just out of love, for instance when they needed water for there farm, he would go to the stream down the hill packed with water pails on his back numerous times a day.
He did that because of love. Jean, Aimee, and Manon all shared a special bond between them, like they all understood how each other felt without even asking. The woman in Jean’s life was Aimee, she was a very strong hearted and honest woman. A former opera singer in the city, she moved out to Ruissatel because of her love for Jean. This wasn’t her favorite place but she was willing to give it a try for Jean. When Jean was going to the stream to get water for the farm she was right by his side. She was his sole partner and would be by his side forever. Manon was I love with one man, her father.
She loved him to death, and would have done anything for him. When they were on the farm she would ask to help just to be a part of her fathers dream. After he died she felt a lot of remorse, for a very long time. Manon started to float away from everything as she got older, her mother, the town, and friends. This stayed like this until a strange man came to town, he was the new teacher and she fell in love at first site. Eventually they became very close and both fell in love and got married. Now there have been only two men in her life that she as learned to love.
Ugolin is the most un-romantic person in the whole movie, but some how he finds a place in his heart and falls in love with Manon. With the first sight of her he had nothing else in his mind, but to find a way to get her. His whole life he had nothing else on his mind except farming and making a living. Before he saw her though he was all about growing carnations because of the money and he loved the look of them. Ugolin fell in love and failed in the process of capturing her love. Cesar probably had the most romantic heart out of all the characters, but he also had one of the most corrupted hearts as well.
His heart of love was the stronger of the two, he had a love of his life when he was younger but he let it get away from him because he was ignorant about continuing his quest for love. After Cesar lost his passion to love again he put his efforts into being an important person in the town. There was no other family besides Ugolin so he was the only other person that he had love for. Cesar tried to help Ugolin find love so he wouldn’t be alone like himself, and he almost succeeded but he forgot to teach him about perseverance. Florette Camoins was in love with Cesar and he loved her back.
She lost her love for Cesar the same way Cesar lost his love for her, not trusting each other that there love would never fade. After she lost her love she found a new person that was going to take his place. Love is a powerful gift that can not be taken for granted, with out love none of these people in the movie would have had a real purpose except to work and make money. Through love come many good and bad experiences, but overall with out love comes no joy at all. This movie was based on love because that is a way of life and the creator tried to show that by using examples, some good and some bad
