A sprawling tale of greed, betrayal, and revenge plays out amid the bucolic splendor of the French countryside in Claude Berri’s masterly two-film adaptation of a literary work by the legendary Marcel Pagnol. Spanning three generations in the lives of two families, Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring vividly recreate the provincial world of an early-twentieth-century village, where an outsider’s arrival sets in motion a devastating chain of events. With gorgeous cinematography, keen insights into human nature, and superb performances from icons of French cinema (Gérard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, and Emmanuelle Béart), these richly absorbing moral tales—at the time of their production, the most expensive French films ever made—are triumphs of epic storytelling in the classical tradition.
Jean de Florette – The sun-dappled beauty of the Provence countryside belies dark motivations, in the first installment of Claude Berri’s monumental pastoral tragedy. When the naively idealistic tax collector Jean Cadoret (Gérard Depardieu) unexpectedly inherits a family farm, he leaves the city for a new life in the agrarian community where his mother, Florette, grew up—though she moved away decades ago. His neighbors, however, the scheming Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) and his proud uncle César Soubeyran (Yves Montand), have plotted to divert the flow of water away from Jean’s land. Brought to extraordinary life by acting legends Depardieu, Auteuil, and Montand, Jean de Florette draws viewers into a fully realized vision of 1920s rural France in which the culture clash between modern ideas and the rustic older codes of the country takes a heartbreaking turn.
Manon of the Spring – Shot simultaneously with Jean de Florette, this second chapter in the epic story of the intersecting fates of the Cadoret and Soubeyran families unfolds ten years after the events of the first film, as Jean Cadoret’s daughter, Manon (Emmanuelle Béart, in a César-winning performance), now a teenage shepherdess, learns of the circumstances that drove her family to ruin—and seeks revenge on those responsible. A stirring portrait of a young woman’s awakening to her own agency, Manon of the Spring brings to a close Claude Berri’s sweeping Marcel Pagnol adaptation with a devastating power that approaches Greek tragedy.
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Video Quality
Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring come to 4K UHD Blu-Ray in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with a 4K restoration conducted by Pathe from the 35mm Original Camera Negatives and 35mm Interpositive supervised by director of photography Bruno Nuytten. These films were last released on Blu-Ray as a set in 2015 courtesy of Shout! Factory from older masters. We do not have that release to compare, but these new transfers are exceptional. Each film is housed on individual discs for an impeccable viewing experience that fans will love. These films are interchangeable in the best way in terms of providing A+ quality.
Stylistically, the aesthetic remains the same across both parts of the epic story, even with the leap forward in time. The French countryside is visually sumptuous with its vegetation and exquisite production design that appears notably textured in 4K UHD. The frame also coaxes out a lot of ridges from the costumes and perspiration within the facial details. The presentations are as close to immaculate as you could wish for, as the new transfers look tremendous throughout each film. There were no serious instances of print damage, and overall clarity and detail are a marvel in all settings.
Some will be slightly disappointed that these 4K UHD Blu-Ray discs are presented in SDR, but the lack of high dynamic range does not prove to be a shortcoming in the least. Colors are rich and deftly saturated in a visually inspiring manner. The color grade leans towards the warmer side of the spectrum, a stylistic choice made on behalf of Berri and Nuytten. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in close-ups. Black levels hold up swimmingly with nothing in the way of crush. Highlights are never overbaked in any lighting. There does not appear to be any hiccup with digital noise due to compression limitations or other such nuisances, thanks to the considerate allocation of disc space. This new collection is of the highest quality from beginning to end and is a welcome sight for fans of French cinema.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray set comes with remastered DTS-HD 5.0 Master Audio tracks for each of these films in the original French with optional English subtitles. Throughout this robust narrative, the remastered audio shows its skill with the absence of any instances of age-related wear and tear. Dialogue comes through clearly with no significant signs of distortion or other weaker elements. The music on display within each feature sounds lovely throughout the set with endearing fidelity. It intermingles quite well with the dialogue and never comes close to overshadowing it. Environmental sounds, such as the flowing of water or the chatter of villagers, are rendered well alongside everything else. The Criterion Collection has given this collection the faithfully preserved, top-tier audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring: Two Films by Claude Berri includes a substantial booklet featuring the essay “Eternal Springs” by author Sue Harris in which she delves into the career of Claude Berri and Marcel Pagnol, thematic breakdowns of the films, and much more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:
Jean de Florette
- Claude Berri – The Card Dealer: An hour-long documentary from 2018 focusing on the career of Claude Berri featuring interviews with Berri and his key collaborators, including filmmakers François Truffaut and Claude Zidi; editor Arlette Langmann; and actors Michel Simon and Agnès Soral.
- Trailer (2:50)
Manon Of The Springs
- The Force Of Destiny: A 47-minute documentary from 2017 that details the production of both films including the decision to adapt the material, the casting process, bringing this village to life, the score, and more. This features interviews with director Claude Berri; actors Yves Montand and Gérard Depardieu; assistant director Xavier Castano; editors Hervé de Luze and Arlette Langmann; executive producer Pierre Grunstein; and composer Jean-Claude Petit.
- Trailer (2:54)
Final Thoughts
Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring are a beautiful pair of films that tell one of the most satisfying narratives in French cinema that we have had the chance to view. Marcel Pagnol has an uncanny way of getting to the heart of characters with his text, and Claude Berri confidently translates it to the screen in a manner that is never less than gripping. The story is evergreen with its themes of greed, loss, regret, love, and so much more that cannot be condensed down to a single sentence. The performances are formidable from our main fixtures to the tertiary characters who make up this village. There are moments of heartbreak, yet the movie never stops feeling like cinematic comfort food. The Criterion Collection has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray set that features the films with a stunning A/V presentation and a strong assortment of special features. If you are new to French cinema and want a compelling entryway to its offerings, this is a great starting point. Highly Recommended
Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring: Two Films by Claude Berri will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and 4K UHD Blu-Ray on April 22, 2025.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
