OmnibusThursday, April 14, 198811
'Manon' is compelling
saga of love, revenge
By RICHARD SMITH
Staff Writer
"Manon Of The Spring"
Directed by Claude Berri.
Screenplay by Claude Berri and
Cerard Brach from the novel
by Marcel Pagnol. starring
Yves Montana. Daniel Auteuil
and Emmanuelle Beart.
At last, "Manon Of The Spring"
has come to Chapel Hill. Fans of
"Jean de Florette" (and there are
many) can finally see the final act
of this remarkable French epic. No
one should be disappointed.
Ten years have passed since the
manipulative Cesar Soubeyran
(Yves Montand) and his unwilling
nephew Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil)
succeeded in acquiring Jean de
Rorette's land that contained the
natural water source they kept
hidden from the hunchbacked
farmer, and the evildoers are now
reaping the benefits. Little do they
know that they will fall victim to
the consequences of their actions.
"Jean de Rorette" is very much
a prequel to the events of
"Manon." which takes the drama
a step further and beyond, it is
of little wonder that critics have
drawn parallels between this saga
and the popular stories of Dickens.
General College
After Courtney receives a note
from Jason on how to deal with
cocaine addicts, she visits Anne,
who asks her to go in on an eight
ball from Tessa When Courtney
refuses, Anne furiously tells her
she wants nothing more to do
with her.
As Alex leaves Cobb to meet
Jack for an afternoon date,
Trisha is waiting to harass her.
Before long, the two are
exchanging punches and scratch
marks in a heated cat fight. When
Alex wins, Trisha screams in
anger that she'll pay.
in preparation for the eminent
nuptials, Brendan and Mary Cath
erine take wedding attendants
Billy and Sarah on a jaunt to the
mall.
Anne's money dilemma is easily
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Everything is here: revenge,
intrigue, guilt, love, death and,
most importantly, the unmistak
able smell of fate.
For the Soubeyrans will pay for
their misdeeds, however mis
guided. Manon, the hunchback's
daughter who has grown into a
stunningly beautiful shepherdess,
exacts her revenge by blocking
the entire village's water supply.
Only now do we really see that
the guilt from de Rorette's death
has aff ected not just the Soubey
rans but most of the village's
leaders.
But revenge is not this cheap.
Nature and fate also have some
thing to say. ugolin sees it - he's
the only character who can - and
it affects him deeply. He has not
been able to deal with the guilt,
a disability made all the more
painful by the fact that he falls
in love with Manon. His love is not
passionate so much as frenzied, as
is his reaction to the village's loss
of water.
And it does not stop here.
Soubeyran himself falls victim to
the events he personally set in
motion. The revenge is so total,
so complete and out of anyone's
control that it is almost too
excruciating to watch. The drama
solved when fellow dorm resi
dent Lisa confides that a dia
mond necklace worth more than
a grand is hidden in her room,
the lock of which is broken for
the night. Smiling sweetly, Anne
assures Lisa that she need not
worry.
As Meg sleeps fitfully, Paige,
Jason and others visit her
dreams, taunting her with the
suggestion that she wanted to
be raped. When she awakes
screaming, an alarmed Paige
finally convinces her to admit
what's wrong, in tears, Meg
recounts the rape to her
roommate.
Who's caught? Who escapes?
Who's betrayed? Who dies?
Answers next week on the sea
son finale of STV's "General
College," Monday through Thurs
day at 11 p.m. on Carolina Cable
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Yves Montand
is tied up perfectly with not a
loose end in sight. It is an exquisite
production.
Collectively titled by Marcel
Pagnol as 'fEau des Collines" ("The
Water Of The Hills") it is a wond
erful story told as beautifully on
the screen as it is in book form,
it has all the qualities of a one
dimensional myth, yet Claude Berri
and Cerard Brach lend a rich
characterization to "Manon Of The
Spring," more so than in the
prequel.
Road Trip
ville has its own late-night equi
valent of Hector's. Instead of gyros
or Creek grilled cheeses, the big
late night snack is the Cus Burger
at White Spot Restaurant.
Although White Spot gives the
term "greasy spoon" a new mean
ing, people still pack the restaurant
from 12 to 2 a m. and on into the
night.
. Of course, Charlottesville has a
lot to offer on sunny afternoons,
too. Humpback Rock, a huge
boulder at 2,000 feet elevation,
makes a nice hike and offers a
spectacular panorama of the
Virginia countryside. Humpback
Rock is located on Rt. 64 and is only
20 miles away from Charlottesville.
Another favorite nature spot is
Pancake Falls; apparently there are
Thursday, April 14
The Bad Checks
Friday, April 15
The Amateurs (Reggae)
Saturday, April 16
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Sunday, April 17
Henry Rollins Band
Monday, April 18
l-TAL (Regge)
Wednesday, April 20
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as Cesar Soubeyran in "Manon
"Jean de Florette" had a simple,
essentially primal feel. "Manon"
expands on this, and although we
never leave the fictional village of
Provence, Berri shows a bigger
view. Destiny and fate are in the
air, and not just in the form of
thunderclaps. The film required
scenes to be shot in all four
seasons. Time very definitely
passes in "Manon" and the lack of
control of human nature is
explored to an uncanny degree.
Exemplary acting by Montand,
a lot of other amazing little
waterfalls, you just have to know
where to look. A good idea is to
get a blanket, some tunes, and a
good companion and have a picnic
at one of the many scenic spots
right outside of the city where
you can go exploring.
Charlottesville is as tradition
ridden as Blue Heaven, and a
favorite is the Foxfield Horse
Races. Held once every semester,
FoxfieJd Races is a huge social
gathering for the sororities and
fraternities held under the pre
tense of watching horse races, if
you go. be sure to bring a feast
and plenty of alcohol, because the
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RETURN TO
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PARTD
the legend continues
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Of The Spring"
Auteuil, Beart and their supporting
cast make "Manon Of The Spring"
a further joy to watch. "Jean de
Florette" and "Manon Of The
Spring" are great examples of how
popular foreign films can be. This
is due at least in part to the visions
of individual filmmakers and the
quality of some recent foreign
films. Bern's double here is a
remarkable cinematic achieve-
rnent; there is no doubt in my
mind that this is about as good
as it gets.
from page 5
party lasts all day. if you're really
interested in the races, pool your
money together with some
friends and bet on some horses.
Who knows, you might even pick
up a few extra bucks. If you're
planning on blowing off studying
for exams, the next Foxfield may
be a good way to do it, as it's
scheduled for April 30.
Although uva may not be as
much of a thrill as the Hill, it's a
great place to get away from it
all. Co sightseeing, catch a lacrosse
game, or just visit some friends.
Just remember that you will
always be true blue instead of
Wahoo orange.
THI StNTS
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