JEAN DE FLORETTE ❘ FRANCE ON FILM
“PASSING COUNTLESS FIELDS OF POPPIES THAT ARE CURIOUSLY SUGGESTIVE OF RED CARNATIONS, WE DRIVE TO MIRABEAU”
some of his favourite anecdotes and memories about the making of the film. Not surprisingly, the main theme is that of starstruck villagers and pampered, egotistical actors.
Clockwise from this image: The Font de Mai with the mighty Garlaban behind; Daniel Galli crafting a santon; a
grape press at the Font de Mai; the Église Saint-Martin at Ansouis; local guide Georges Mérentier; Emmanuelle Béart in Manon des Sources; Daniel Auteil and Yves Montand in Jean de Florette; inset, a scene from Jean de Florette
Next, passing countless fields of poppies that are curiously suggestive of red carnations, we drive to the village of Mirabeau just a short distance to the east. This became Les Bastides Blanches in the film and provided the fountain around which the whole story pivots. Entering the small square in the centre, we immediately catch sight of this and a small female figure perched on its wall. This turns out, of course, to be a statue of Manon, which the village commissioned from a local artist and inaugurated in 2018. Whether it does justice to Emmanuel Béart’s beauty is debatable but, in combination with the inscription commemorating the making of the film on the fountain itself, it has a certain charm that draws me closer. As I dip my hand in the water like Manon, I suddenly see the extraordinary scene in my mind’s eye where the fountain runs dry and the villagers… Wait, no spoilers, I said. What I will say is that one of the things I love most about the story is how Pagnol imbues water with a deeper meaning: it is not only the lifeblood of a poor Provençal community, but a symbol of the human connection with nature, and the dramatic ebb and flow of life as a whole.
CLOSING CREDITS Our final stop is the pretty village of Vaugines, nestled between Cucuron and Lourmarin. As well as providing the exterior of the church where Manon was married (a nice bit of film trickery), the Chapelle de Saint-Joseph here was used for the climactic scene where César is confronted in the churchyard with the truth of his past. Sitting on a stone bench at exactly the same spot where the broken man talks to the old blind woman, Delphine, I notice from the image on my smartphone that the match is remarkable. It’s as if the film crew and actors have only just left!
Which brings me finally to the wider question of Jean de Florette’s authenticity. It is true that the film has been criticised as ‘heritage cinema’, heavily funded by the state in order to promote French
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ON SET IN THE SOUTH We stay overnight in the historic town of Aix-en-Provence and the next morning set off northwards for the Vaucluse département. A short while later, we arrive at the first of our film location destinations in the southern Luberon: the charming medieval village of Ansouis, which can trace its history back to the 10th century and is listed as one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages. Here, we meet up with our guide, Elodie Burgé. Unfortunately, the imposing château is closed due to Covid restrictions but it’s mainly the 12th-century Saint-Martin church we’ve come to see. Inside, it isn’t difficult at all to picture the marriage of Manon as it looks practically identical to the film, while outside there are glorious views from the balcony of the Luberon landscape with its rolling hills and vineyards. Later, Elodie takes us to the atelier of Daniel Galli. Daniel makes santons, delightful clay figurines used for festivities that are emblematic of Provence and feature in the Petit Monde de Marcel Pagnol museum in Aubagne. The museum pays homage to Pagnol’s literary and filmic creations, and includes scenes from Jean de Florette. After a quick demonstration of his skills, Daniel shares
DID YOU KNOW? • Marcel Pagnol trained for a teaching career and obtained his teaching diploma at the University of Montpellier.
• Pagnol decided to become a film-maker in 1931 and was elected to the Académie Française in 1946, becoming the first film-maker to receive this honour.
• Le Petit Monde de Marcel Pagnol is a miniature world of figurines created by Aubagne craftsmen as a tribute to Pagnol. Visitors to the museum can see
the figurines acting out scenes from his books and films, as well as being engaged in traditional Provençal rituals including playing pétanque and drinking pastis.
• Le Circuit Marcel Pagnol in La Treille on the outskirts of Marseille is a walking route that takes in all the main locations that feature in the writer’s works. It also incorporates his grave in La Treille cemetery.
Aug/Sep 2022 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 105
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