CineVerse

If you joined CineVerse this past Wednesday, you were probably intrigued by the French classic "Jean de Florette." For a better understanding of the film, here are some of our group discussion talking points:

WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE ABOUT THIS FILM? DOES ANYTHING STAND OUT TO YOU AS DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, UNCOMMON AND INTERESTING?

• Who is the main character? Arguably, it could be nature or the land itself.
• Also interesting that the 2 villains are given such strong focus; they are not cut and dried simple bad guys—they have complex layers and shades of gray and are capable of kindness and all range of emotion instead of being simply heartless and hateful
• The direction is somewhat invisible: director Claude Berri chooses to keep the camera at an objective, detached distance and not rely on closeups and fancy camera moves or edits for emotion.
• This is a film that requires patience, as it moves quite slowly, but builds strong characters and relies on esthetic touches like vibrant cinematography and accurate period settings and costumes to help tell the story
• The movie seems less an exercise in dramatic plot and suspenseful storytelling than a Greek or Shakespearean tragegy
• It is a deceptively simple tale and for that reason likely appeals to a broader and more adult base.
• It contains "realism" in that it's principally about people, their lives, and the implications of choices we make, and can therefore apply to anyone's life - as opposed to science fiction, wild adventure etc..
• The film depicts cruelty without violence

WHAT THEMES ARE EXAMINED IN JEAN DE FLORETTE?

• The cruelty and relentlessness of human nature and greed
• It’s in our nature to act to the detriment of others
• The universality of fate
• Man is responsible for his fellow man
• Townfolk vs. countryfolk and city vs. pastoral life
• A man’s destiny that comes into focus over a number of years

OTHER WORKS THAT REMIND YOU OF JEAN DE FLORETTE

• Tess
• La Vida Que te Espera
• Places in the Heart
• The Field starring Richard Harris
• Masterpiece Theater