Jean de Florette

In Provence, shortly after World War I, Ugolin Soubeyran comes home and throws himself into a carnations project on his mountainside land. He collaborates with his uncle Papet, who is initially skeptical but becomes convinced when the market price rises. They decide to expand the project and seek better opportunities nearby.

Ugolin and Papet travel to the neighboring farmer Pique-Bouffigue to purchase his dry land, convinced that a hidden spring could solve their water problem. Papet is sure the spring exists and will make the investment worthwhile. The deal hinges on securing the land that could be watered by that spring.

Pique-Bouffigue refuses to sell, and a heated altercation erupts. In the fight, Papet kills him. After the funeral, Papet and Ugolin seal the spring with cement and earth, blocking it from the land that could have saved Jean’s future.

Pique-Bouffigue's sister Florette inherits the property but dies soon after, so the inheritance passes to her son, Jean Cadoret, who works in the city as a tax collector. Ugolin starts referring to him as Jean de Florette to undermine his claim, while Papet plans to keep him away.

Jean Cadoret arrives with his wife Aimée and daughter Manon, determined not to sell and to make the farm profitable within two years. He aims to live a more authentic life by farming and raising rabbits rather than remaining in the city. The family moves onto the land, hopeful but wary of the local obstacles.

Ugolin forms a casual friendship with Jean, yet continues to advance his uncle Papet’s plans. Papet remains distant, observing the city man’s attempts to adapt to rural life with a mix of irony and calculation. The alliance is fragile, built on deception more than trust.

Jean is unaware that the closest spring is blocked and only knows of another spring two kilometers away on his land. He must depend on rainfall to fill a cistern for livestock and irrigation. Ugolin and Papet keep the true situation secret to prevent him from discovering the water source.

Jean experiences early progress with rabbits and crops, but water problems persist. Rainfall falls elsewhere, not on his fields, and the sirocco dust storms worsen the crisis. The farm teeters on the edge of ruin as irrigation remains scarce.

Jean asks for help with obtaining water and ends up mortgaging the land to finance his dreams. Papet arranges the mortgage, intending to profit or drive Jean away depending on the outcome. With the funds, Jean buys dynamite to finish drilling the well.

During the first blast to finish the well, a flying rock knocks Jean into the cavity and he dies from his injuries. Ugolin reports the accident to Papet, who nonchalantly asks why Ugolin is crying as he responds, 'it's my eyes,' revealing their emotional distance and guilt.

Aimée and Manon cannot stay on the farm after Jean's death, so Papet buys them out. Papet and Ugolin go to the blocked spring and remove the plug, hoping to benefit from the water once it is unblocked. The family prepares to leave the land to its new fate.

Manon follows the men to the spring and realizes what they are doing when she sees the plug being removed. She screams in alarm, but the men dismiss it as the cry of a bird. Papet then conducts a mock baptism of his nephew in the spring's water, signaling a grim, ironic triumph.