Manon of the Spring

Manon of the Spring (1986) starring Yves Montand, Emmanuelle Beart, Daniel Auteuil. Ten years after his death, Jean de Florette's daughter, Manon (Beart), still lives and tends goats on the land where he died. When she learns that the source of water was cruelly hidden from her father by her neighbors (Montand and Auteuil), she is heartbroken. But then one of her goats wanders into a cave, and she finds the secret source of the spring -- giving her the power to exact revenge, not only on her two neighbors, but on the whole village which helped them carry out their plan. In its last third, the film takes an additional twist which absolutely blows away all that went before. Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring, taken together, make up one of the most powerful and moving movie-viewing experiences I have ever had. They are simply two great films. (In French, with English subtitles.) Grade: A