Manon des Sources

Jean De Florette and Manon des Sources (Manon of the Spring) are a French movie duology concerning a city man and his family after they inherit a plot of land rich in resources in the French backcountry.

The first movie, Jean de Florette, involves the plotting of the farmer Ugolin and his cunning uncle he calls Papet, as they work to subtly drive a young city man named Jean off the plot of land he has inherited from his mother, Florette.

The second movie, Manon des Sources, takes place 10 years later and involves Jean's daughter, Manon, as she solves the mystery of what happened to her father and deals justice to the village that condemned him.

The two films were originally conceptualized as one, also called Manon des Sources, but due to the author's dissatisfaction the story was rewritten as a novel with the addition of a prequel, called Jean de Florette. The two volumes are known together as L'Eau des collines (The Water of the Hills). From these two books, the two films were eventually made.

Both films were critically acclaimed, and were nominated for and won numerous awards, including 10 BAFTAs.

---

Tropes used in Manon des Sources include:

• Abhorrent Admirer: In Manon of the Spring, Manon thinks this of Ugolin. The effect is only intensified once she finds out he helped plot her father's death.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: Ugolin for Manon, in Manon of the Spring. She is horrified.
• Bad Samaritan: Ugolin in Jean de Florette.
• Blue Eyes: Manon. In both films, many of the shots with her are closeups of her face, with lighting to make her eyes seem especially incandescent.
• Confessional: Used and referred to several times in Manon of the Spring, as the village is Catholic.
• Death Seeker: Papet, once Ugolin kills himself. He is very successful.
• Did Not Get the Girl: Papet , though the circumstances for this were not what he first thought.
• Fish Out of Water: Jean in Jean de Florette. The movie centers on him, an ex-tax collector from the city, trying to adapt to country farming life. He believes he can learn and succeed at anything with enough preparation. He can't.
• Gossipy Hens: The village men, who gather around and drink while discussing farming. They are also crucial to the downfall of Jean, as Papet convinces them to not talk with Jean, thus not making him aware of the water spring buried on his land.
• Hair of Gold: Manon.
• Heel Realization: Twice. In both cases they knew that they were being selfish/evil, but did not realize to what extent. First, the villagers finding out that the man they refused to help was not a stranger, but Florette's son. Second, Papet finding out that the man he drove insane and eventually caused to die was his son, and Manon his granddaughter.
• Hopeless Suitor: See Triang Relations.
• Identical Grandson: Florette and Manon.
• It Got Worse: Jean's attempts to have a successful farm. It ends with him at the edge of sanity, then becoming impatient during a dangerous activity and getting himself killed.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In the end, Ugolin for Manon.
• Justice Will Prevail: Manon's revenge.
• Kissing Cousins: In Jean de Florette, Papet explains to Ugolin that the family line was ruined because of cousins marrying cousins. In Manon of the Spring the woman that Ugolin wants to marry, with Papet's support, turns out to be Ugolin's first cousin once removed.
• Love Before First Sight: Bernard for the mysterious goatherder that almost no one has seen.
• Love Makes You Crazy: Ugolin for Manon. So crazy that he sews a ribbon of hers he found in the hills to his chest.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Rather heartbreakingly for Papet in Manon of the Spring. Much of Papet's motivation for the plot against Jean was spite, as he's the son of the woman who left Papet while he was fighting in the war. He only realizes the true extent of his despicable actions when Delphine tells him that Jean is his child, too -- the letter Florette sent him on this topic was lost in the war.
• My Greatest Failure: Papet's, involving Florette.
• Nature Spirit: Manon in Manon of the Spring can be seen as playing at this.
• Nude Nature Dance: In tandem with the Outdoor Bath Peeping. Manon's dance is a rare example of this trope being played non-cheesily.
• Outdoor Bath Peeping: In Manon of the Spring, a particularly creepy example occurs when Ugolin stumbles upon and watches Manon.
• The Patriarch: Papet, who engineers the plot of Jean de Florette to the advantage of his nephew Ugolin and himself.
• Redemption Equals Death: Ugolin and Papet, each of whom wills his property to Manon at their deaths.
• Scenery Porn: The movie was filmed in Provence, France, and has since brought many tourists to the region.
• Secret Keeper: Manon, the villagers, Papet and Ugolin, and the old blind woman.
• Shallow Love Interest: Though you'd rather have Manon be with Bernard than Ugolin, Bernard is definitely this.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Jean and his wife; Manon and Bernard, over Ugolin who disgusts her.
• Stalker with a Crush: Ugolin, concerning Manon.
• This Means War: In Jean de Florette, this is Papet's response to another farmer disgracing the family name.
• Too Dumb to Live: Ugolin sews one of Manon's ribbons into his own skin, right above his heart as a symbol of his love. He dies of the resulting infection.
• Triang Relations: Type 4 in Manon of the Spring. Manon, Ugolin, and Bernard.
• Twist Ending.
• Villain Protagonist: Both Ugolin and Papet have pretty despicable motivations -- greed and petty vengeance, respectively. And although the deaths they cause are accidental, both times they show little remorse and quickly jump to how to take advantage of the situation.
• Wild Child: Manon by the time of Manon of the Spring gives this impression to the village people. However she still has the good education her father gave her, and spends much of her time reading.
• You Killed My Father: Manon toward Papet and Ugolin.