Rent Manon des Sources (1986)

As good as the First - Manon des Sources review by CP Customer

This film is as good as the first in the duo. (Jean de Florette). I was concerned that it may not be as good because Gerard Depardieu did not feature in it as he did in the first, but that turned out to be no so. Although the plot seemed a bit predictable, it did not bother me as the film remained gripping

Superb, but do watch Jean de Florette first! - Manon des Sources review by CP Customer

These are really two parts of the same story. Beautifully filmed, the two together have a timeless quality, something like Shakespeare or Greek tragedy. Tragedy yes, but hugely enjoyable and satisfying in its ultimate conclusion.

Cut Off at the Source - Manon des Sources review by griggs

Sequel to the film that launched a thousand car ferries of Brits hunting for a second home in Provence, and somehow the follow-up is the one that worked on me.

Jean de Florette left me cold — gorgeous hills, precisely nothing happening. Manon des Sources fixes that by handing Manon a grudge and letting her run with it, cutting off the village's water at the source like a woman who's read the terms and conditions on revenge and decided she's fine with them.

The cast finally look like they're acting rather than modelling knitwear for a Provence tourist board. And that Verdi cue is still knocking about decades later, soundtracking every pint of Stella consumed in a beer garden the second the sun shows up.

Funnily enough, if you want a film about water, land and grudges that actually grips from the start, Dry Summer got there first and did it leaner and meaner. Marcel Pagnol's Provence is still a bit much for me — everyone's either cursed, furious, or weeping into a well.

A step up from its predecessor, even if that bar was on the floor.