Germinal (1993) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1993 · 160 mins · French

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Starring

Bernard Fresson, Gérard Depardieu, Yolande Moreau, Fred Ulysse, Claude Berri, Judith Henry

Set in a bleak northern‑French mining town in the mid‑19th century, the film follows a community of coal workers crushed by a ruthless mine owner. As their suffering deepens, the miners organise a desperate strike, only to have the authorities brutally crush the uprising, exposing the stark clash between poverty, faith and the fight for dignity.