Berri, Claude

Jean De Florette / Manon of the Spring (MGM World Films)

Disc 1 Side A: **Widescreen Feature Film - Jean de Florette

Disc 2: **Widescreen Feature Film - Manon of the Spring

Manon of the Spring

Less a sequel than a seamless continuation of its predecessor, Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring brings with it a more epic scope as it depicts the growth to womanhood of the daughter (Emmanuelle Béart) of the doomed farmer of the first film. As she discovers the truth of what happened to her father as a result of the scheming of their neighbor (Yves Montand), who took the land for himself, she vows revenge, realizing that the neighbor's deeds have irrevocably shaped the course of her life. Her moves toward avenging her father's demise provide an ironic twist to this harsh and thought-provoking saga, and French director Claude Berri perfectly illustrates the lasting consequences of deceit, greed, and revenge. Manon of the Spring is a very special foreign film choice, destined to be revered for years to come. --Robert Lane

The Two of Us (Criterion Collection)

The hilarious Rik Mayall (The Young Ones Bottom) stars as the cunning politician Alan B'Stard in this outrageously satirical British TV series. In his ruthless pursuit of power and money there are no depths to which B'Stard will not happily sink no plot too dastardly. With the help of his equally deceitful wife and his wimpy assistant B'Stard schemes his way through his career. You'll be gasping with laughter through all 26 irresistible episodes of this award-winning series plus the feature-length special Who Shot Alan B'Stard?EPISODES: Happiness Is a Warm Gun - Passport to Freedom - Sex Is Wrong - Waste Not Want Not - Friends of St. James - Three Line Whipping - Baa Baa Black Sheep - Labour of Love - The Party's Over - Let Them Sniff Cake - Keeping Mum - Natural Selection - Profit of Boom - Fatal Extraction - Live from Westminster - A Wapping Conspiracy - The Haltemprice Bunker - California Here I Come - May the Best Man Win - Piers of the Realm - Back from the Mort - H*A*S*H - Speaking in Tongues - Heil and Farewell - A Bigger Splash - The Irresistible Rise of Alan B'StardSystem Requirements:Running Time: 700 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 715515024129 Manufacturer No: CC1696DVD

Jean De Florette

A truly impressive French film destined to become a modern masterpiece, Jean de Florette is an evocative adaptation of the highly regarded French novel. Two 1920s farmers engage in a bitter rivalry as one tries to tend to a plot of land and the other deviously undermines his efforts in order to conceal a valuable spring. The peasant farmer (Gérard Depardieu) who comes to the countryside to tend the land he has inherited is a naive and trusting soul seeking only to provide for his wife and daughter, while his neighbor (Yves Montand) is intent on doing whatever he can to discourage and demoralize the farmer so that he can take the land for himself. This simple tale unfolds in a wrenching fashion to a tragic conclusion, bringing forth questions about human nature and the prevalence and price of greed. Along with its follow-up, Manon of the Spring, this film will leave an indelible impression on anyone who sees it. --Robert Lane

The Housekeeper

The Housekeeper

After his wife leaves him for another man, Jacques hires a housekeeper to keep his apartment in order. As he spends more time with her, he is torn between the pleasure of her company and its intrusion in his new bachelorhood.

Manon of the Spring [Region 2]

Australia released, PAL/Region 4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o English (subtitles) o French (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: This sequel to 1986's JEAN DE FLORETTE stars Emmanuelle Beart as Manon (the daughter of JEAN DE FLORETTE's protagonist). Manon has grown up to become a beautiful woman, a shy and resourceful shepherdess who lives in relative seclusion from the townspeople of her provencal village, haunted by the tragic death of her father (played by Gerard Depardieu in part one). An outsider, like her father, Manon stays high up in the rugged hills preferring the company of her sheep to her nearby neighbors César (Yves Montand) and Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil). One fateful day, Manon discovers the real reason why her father's spring ran dry and comes up with a powerful revenge to exact on the men responsible for her father's downfall. Manon's action changes her life forever and uncovers long-hidden family secrets that powerfully affect the local villagers. This charming and poignant fable, based on Marcel Pagnol's classic story is a richly filmed tale of a small triumph over tragedy. Emmanuelle Beart's beauty radiates throughout the film, she delivers a subtle and captivating performance. Once again, director Claude Berri films with a sensitive eye for the wild beauty of the French countryside that perfectly compliments the seductive and earthy beauty of its nubile young star. Special Features: o Interactive Menu o Trailer(s)

Less a sequel than a seamless continuation of its predecessor, Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring brings with it a more epic scope as it depicts the growth to womanhood of the daughter (Emmanuelle Béart) of the doomed farmer of the first film. As she discovers the truth of what happened to her father as a result of the scheming of their neighbor (Yves Montand), who took the land for himself, she vows revenge, realizing that the neighbor's deeds have irrevocably shaped the course of her life. Her moves toward avenging her father's demise provide an ironic twist to this harsh and thought-provoking saga, and French director Claude Berri perfectly illustrates the lasting consequences of deceit, greed, and revenge. Manon of the Spring is a very special foreign film choice, destined to be revered for years to come. --Robert Lane

Lucie Aubrac [Region 2]

Carole Bouquet stars as Lucie Aubrac, a heroine of the French resistance during World War II. Her husband Raymond (Daniel Auteuil) is a resistance fighter who helps sabotage Nazi trains. At a meeting, he and some compatriots are arrested, but believed to merely be black-marketeers. Lucie secures his release and enables them to fulfill their oath to spend every May 14 together, the anniversary of the first night they made love. The arrest of a resistance leader causes divisions; a meeting called to resolve them is raided, and Raymond is arrested again, along with an important resistance figure known as Max. Raymond endures brutal interrogations but is sentenced to death. With steely determination, Lucie plots to rescue him.

Lucie Aubrac is part thriller and part romance, but both halves are handled with a subdued discretion that doesn't prevent the movie from being deeply engaging. Meticulous and skillful, director Claude Berri paces his story carefully, paying attention to the details of life in occupied France. The fully developed atmosphere, never overstated, gives just the right frame to Lucie and Raymond's passionate marriage. Auteuil is solid, but it's Bouquet's film; her performance is as low-key as the movie, yet completely compelling and deeply affecting. Based on a true story. --Bret Fetzer

Germinal [Region 2]

Emile Zola's novel of a rural mine town and a perilous worker's strike becomes a big-budget film of grit and torment in Germinal. The first half of the movie captures a world just this side of prison where whole families work in the Voreux mines with a daily dose of coal dust covering their skins and clogging their minds. Escapes are rare: a drink at the company bar or a carnival. An outsider provokes talk of a strike, something the failing owners want as well. When the workers revolt, it becomes a monster. While true to Zola's passion for the worker and social change, the movie cannot recover from the operatic drama that turns the action into mere motion, failing to draw in the audience (although this is an impressive-looking film, with Voreux passing as the real thing). Viewers will be moved by the workers' plight, the daily grime that they must rinse away, and their efforts to instill a normal life in this industrial hell--and will surely learn to appreciate their own jobs, whatever the inadequacies. --Doug Thomas

Jean De Florette

A truly impressive French film destined to become a modern masterpiece, Jean de Florette is an evocative adaptation of the highly regarded French novel. Two 1920s farmers engage in a bitter rivalry as one tries to tend to a plot of land and the other deviously undermines his efforts in order to conceal a valuable spring. The peasant farmer (Gérard Depardieu) who comes to the countryside to tend the land he has inherited is a naive and trusting soul seeking only to provide for his wife and daughter, while his neighbor (Yves Montand) is intent on doing whatever he can to discourage and demoralize the farmer so that he can take the land for himself. This simple tale unfolds in a wrenching fashion to a tragic conclusion, bringing forth questions about human nature and the prevalence and price of greed. Along with its follow-up, Manon of the Spring, this film will leave an indelible impression on anyone who sees it. --Robert Lane

Claude Berri's highly acclaimed "Jean de Florette" is one of the most loved French films of all time. Stars Yves Montand, G,rard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil & Elisabeth Depardieu. Includes the original trailer. In French with English subtitles. (PAL/Region 4. You must have an all region capable player to see the material on this DVD.)