"Jacquou le croquant" (1969) TV mini-series

Réalisateur:

Stellio Lorenzi

Scénaristes:

Eugène Le Roy (novel)
Stellio Lorenzi (writer)

Date de sortie:

4 octobre 1969 (France)

Genre:

Aventure | Drame

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series | Périgord | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Avis des utilisateurs:

Great series about French history, liberty and justice

Ensemble

Edmond Ardisson	...	Antoine
Lucien Barjon	...	Géral
Robert Bazil	...	Jean
Charles Blavette	...	Jansou
Héléna Bossis	...	La Mathive
Maurice Bourbon	...	Pierre Mion
Claude Cerval	...	Comte de Nansac
Francis Claude	...	Le chevalier Galibert
Léonce Corne	...	Le méchant curé
Eric Damain	...	Jacquou Féral enfant
Jacques Danoville	...	Mascret (as Jacques Dannoville)
Roger Desmare	...	Marc
Douchka	...	Jeannette Mion
Gérard Dournel	...	Le guichetier
Luce Fabiole	...	Fantille
Isabelle Ferrand	...	La Bertille
Jeanne Hardeyn	...	La Mion (as Jeanne Harden)
Lucien Hubert	...	Le président
Gilles Léger	...	Joseph
Daniel Le Roy	...	Jacquou adulte
Denis Manuel	...	L'avocat Fontgrave
Paloma Matta	...	Lina
Charles Moulin	...	Le régisseur
Henri Nassiet	...	Le curé Bonal
Pierre Nunzi	...	Le fils du comte
Raymond Pélissier	...	Le procureur
Fred Personne	...	Le curé Villar
Simone Rieutor	...	Marie Féral
Jacques Robiolles	...	Le jésuite
Noël Roquevert	...	La ramée
Hervé Sand	...	Le brigadier
Yvon Sarray	...	Don Engelbert
Séverine	...	Hermine
Etienne Sevral	...	Guilhem
Pascal Tersou	...	Le garde
Martin Trévières	...	Le gendarme
Fred Ulysse	...	Martin Féral
Guy Vassal	...	Le greffier
Maria Verdi	...	Madeleine
François Vibert	...	Cassius
Vaviva Vinitzki	...	Lina enfant
Elisabeth Wiener	...	Galiote

Durée:

90 min (6 episodes)

Pays:

France

Langue:

Français

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

1,33 : 1

Son:

Mono

Société:

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)

Connexions De Film:

Refait comme Jacquou le croquant (2007)

Great series about French history, liberty and justice

I stumbled upon this series by accident, and originally didn't expect much of it: I generally don't like social drama or history pieces, and since I'm not French I didn't really expect to identify much with the context. And certainly, the time investment (6 movies of around 1.5h each!) didn't do much to increase its appeal.

But once I started on the first DVD, I found it difficult to stop watching. The story of Jacquou Féral ('Jacquou le Croquant', which I understand translates roughly as 'Jacquou the Wretch') starts in 1819, after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, in the Restoration period where French nobles attempted to regain the privileges that the French Revolution had taken from them.

Jacquou's parents are tenant farmers, who owe half of their produce to the cruel Count de Nansac who owns their land, and are frequently robbed of more than they owe. Not having any legal means of defending his family against the frequent abuses, Jacquou's father rebels against the Count, and pays dearly for it. Being robbed of his father, the story focuses on young Jacquou (8 years old in the first four movies; 20 in the last two) as he tries to survive in a world that offers him no justice, and where he waits for an opportunity for vengeance against the Count.

The story is intriguing in much the same way as The Grapes of Wrath: it offers a touching social commentary of a fascinating period in time, and provides a valuable insight about the origins, spirit and convictions of a people. Having seen it, I felt a new appreciation for this part of French history.

More importantly, the story is also well told. While the whole story arc takes up over 9.5 hours, it doesn't feel slow or needlessly drawn out (which ironically is a criticism often levelled against the 2007 remake, which tells the whole story in under 2.5 hours...). To a large extent, this is due to the excellent acting from both Jacquous, Eric Damain (Jacquou as a child) and Daniel Le Roy (as an adult), but also the entire cast around them, especially Jacquou's mother (played by Simone Rieutor, who has great chemistry with Eric Damain) and Henri Nassiet as the kind vicar Bonal. There is scarcely a weak moment to be found in the series, which is quite an accomplishment given its length and the number of characters involved. It is precisely the strength of the performances and the depth of the story that distinguishes this rendition favourably from its more superficial 2007 remake.

Of course, the package isn't perfect. For one, the visuals look a little dated after almost 40 years, and the whole experience is certainly less slick and less pretty than its modern remake. And it is also clear that both the author of the original novel (Eugène Le Roy) and the director of this series (Stellio Lorenzi) firmly subscribe to the politics behind the struggle against privilege, and are willing to turn a blind eye to the less equitable or noble aspects of it.

But all in all, I'd recommend this series for anyone who has even an inkling of interest in French history, and especially where the roots of the French sense of solidarity lie. Or more generally, anyone who's willing to spend some time on a well told story.