Jacquou le Croquant is a 1969 French miniseries in 6 episodes: five 90-minute episodes and one 120-minute episode. The series was directed by Stellio Lorenzi and aired from October 4, 1969 to November 8, 1969 on Office de radiodiffusion télévision française channel 1.
It was based on Eugène Le Roy's 1899 novel of the same name which was based on 19th-century peasant revolts in Southwest France.
Contents
Plot
1819: Jacquou Féral is an 8-year-old boy in the Périgord region of France. His father, Martin Féral, also called Martissou, is a tenant farmer for the Count of Nansac, who lives in Château de l'Herm and exploits peasants under contract to him. Nansac's steward, Laborie, doubles the Féral family's dues on a whim, and when his wife, Marie, successfully negotiates back to the original dues, Laborie then accuses Martin of illegally owning a hunting dog. Laborie kills the dog, his bullet ricocheting and injuring Marie, at which Martin, furious, kills Laborie. Aware of the potential consequences, Martin escapes into the nearby forest, leaving his family at the farm.
Nansac eventually has Martin Féral sent to prison, where he dies. Meanwhile, he evicts Marie and Jacquou, and seizes their sheep and remaining wheat, effectively condemning them to poverty and itinerancy. In time, Marie dies of hunger and sorrow. Jacquou, now an orphan, is taken in by the parish priest Bonnal, who gives the young man an education. As an adult, Jacquou continues fighting the injustice brought on his family, and dreams of avenging them. As increasing numbers of peasants are no longer able to survive the harsh rule of landowners, Jacquou leads a peasant rebellion against Nansac. His desire for revenge is transformed into a fight for justice, in which he proves that a simple "croquant", which means "yokel", is the equal of lords and ladies.
Cast
Eric Damain: Jacquou Féral, child
Daniel Le Roy: Jacquou, adult
Claude Cerval: Count of Nansac
Simone Rieutor: Marie Féral
Fred Ulysse: Martin Féral
Elisabeth Wiener: Galiote de Nansac
Paloma Matta: Lina
Isabelle Ferrand: Bertille
Francis Claude: Galibert
Henri Nassiet: Bonnal parish priest
Noël Roquevert: La Ramée
François Vibert: Cassius
Héléna Bossis: La Mathive
Robert Bazil: Jean
Lucien Barjon: Geral
Luce Fabiole: Fantille
Denis Manuel: Lawyer Fontgrave
Yvon Sarray: Don Engelbert
Fred Personne: Villar parish priest
Étienne Several: Guilhem
Charles Moulin: Laborie
Jacques Danoville: Mascret
Edmond Ardisson: Antoine
Lucien Hubert: President
Production
Title: Jacquou le Croquant
Director: Stellio Lorenzi
Written by: Stellio Lorenzi et Michèle O'Glor, based on Eugène Le Roy's novel
Music composed by: Georges Delerue
Photography: Roger Dormoy et Jean Graglia
Editing: Claude Dufour et Paul Loizon
Sets: Jacques Chalvet
Costumes: Christiane Coste
Sound: Jacques Merrien
List of episodes
Les Métayers des Nansac
La Nuit de la Chandeleur
La Tuilière
Le Curé Bonnal
La Révolte de Fanlac
1830
Novel
Eugène Le Roy's novel of the same name was published in 1899, itself based on true events of 19th-century peasant revolts in Southwest France. The story occurs in 1815 in the Périgord region.
Videography
zone 2 : Jacquou le Croquant, May 15, 2002, ASIN B00006471B
zone 2 : Jacquou le croquant, TF1 Vidéo, 2002, 3 DVDs, EAN 3-384442-021654.