Manon of the Spring (1952 film)

Manon of the Spring
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMarcel Pagnol
Written byMarcel Pagnol
Produced byMarcel Pagnol
StarringJacqueline Pagnol
Raymond Pellegrin
Rellys
CinematographyWilly Faktorovitch
Edited byJacques Bianchi
Raymonde Bianchi
Music byRaymond Legrand
Production
company
La Société Nouvelle des Films Marcel Pagnol
Distributed byGaumont Distribution
Release date
  • 16 December 1952 (1952-12-16)
Running time
235 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

Manon of the Spring (French: Manon des sources, pronounced [manɔ̃ de suʁs]) is a 1952 French two-part drama film directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Jacqueline Pagnol, Raymond Pellegrin and Rellys. The diptych and the first film are both titled Manon of the Spring, while the second film is titled Ugolin. Marcel Pagnol conceived the film specifically as a vehicle for his wife Jacqueline to star in.

The titular protagonist is a young woman who lives in rural Provence, near a village where she is considered an outsider. As the story unfolds, it gradually reveals how Manon is taking her revenge on the man who tricked her parents out of their property and on the community who let that happen.

Ten years later, Pagnol adapted and expanded the story into the two-volume novel The Water of the Hills. The complete saga was adapted in 1986 as the films Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring.