Main Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Jean Carmet, Judith Henry
Release Year: 1993
Country: FR
Run Time: 158 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Claude Berri's angry, ambitious epic, based on the 19th-century novel by Emile Zola, re-creates, as does the novel, the gut-wrenching poverty and the intense day-by-day struggles of striking French coal-miners in 1884 at the Voreux mines of France. The film centers upon the bitter toils of Maheu (Gerard Depardieu) and his family -- consisting of his iron-willed wife (Miou-Miou) and their daughter Catherine (Judith Henry), who also works in the mines. When a new miner, Etienne Lantier (Renaud), comes to Voreux to seek work, he is befriended by Maheu, who takes him on his mining crew and allows him to stay at his home. Etienne is also an organizer for a new miner's union and, as conditions in the Voreux mines worsen, Etienne convinces Maheu to organize a miner's strike. Meanwhile, Etienne is attracted to Catherine, and Catherine to him, but she doesn't act upon her feelings, taking up, instead, with Chaval (Jean-Roger Milo), a local ne'er do well. As conditions in the mines become more desperate and unsafe, and the owners propose to cut wages, Maheu at last stages a massive strike of the miners. When that happens, the owners send in armed soldiers to defend the mines. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Written in 1884, Germinal was instrumental in winning justice for workers that had endured years of suffering, and director Claude Berri brings this historic period to life in this film adaptation. Berri has made other exceptional French "slice of life" films such as Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring, and he was determined to keep the novel's detailed realism alive during filming. As a result, the director successfully transports audiences to the life and struggles of 19th century France. The camera accurately portrays the claustrophobic conditions of working in mines. Berri spent millions of dollars creating sets that make the audience feel as though they are climbing through a mine, and it's clear that the money was well spent. He's further aided by a cast with true insight into the hard work and determination of the miners -- stars Gerard Depardieu and Miou Miou have stated in interviews that they got involved with the film in memory of their own working-class parents. Berri previously worked with Depardieu on Manon of the Spring, with similarly successful results. ~ Laura Abraham, All Movie Guide
Jean-Roger Milo - Chaval; Laurent Terzieff - Souvarine; Jean-Pierre Bisson - Rasseneur; Bernard Fresson - Deneulin; Jacques Dacqmine - M Hennebeau; Anny Duperey - Mme Hennebeau; Annick Alane - Madame Gregoire; Gerard Croce - Maigrat; André Chaumeau - Company Cashier; Jenny Cleve - Rose; André Julien - Mouque; Yolande Moreau - La Levaque; Fred Personne - Pluchart; Yvette Petit - Veuve Desir; Anne Marie Pisani - La Mouquette; Delphine Quentin - Lucie Deneulin; Frederique Ruchaud - Honorine; Georges Staquet - Levaque
Credit
Bodo Scriba - Associate Producer, Caroline de Vivaise - Costume Designer, Sylvie Gautrelet - Costume Designer, Bernadette Villard - Costume Designer, Claude Berri - Director, Hervé de Luze - Editor, Pierre Grunstein - Executive Producer, Joel Lavau - Makeup, Thanh At Hoang - Production Designer, Christian Marti - Production Designer, Yves Angelo - Cinematographer, Claude Berri - Producer, Pierre Gamet - Sound/Sound Designer, Claude Berri - Screenwriter, Arlette Langmann - Screenwriter, Bruce Robinson - Screenwriter, Emile Zola - Book Author
It won the César Award for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, and was nominated for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best director, Best Writing, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Music and Best Production Design.
The film, set in the nineteenth century closely follows the plot of the novel, which is a realistic story of a coalminers' strike in northern France in the 1860s.
