Jules is a shepherd who lives a humble and solitary life in rural Provence. From time to time, he is visited by a lonely widow, Fine, who longs to be his wife. One day, Jules comes across an unexploded bomb lying on the ground in open countryside. After a few foolhardy attempts to set the bomb off, Jules makes a surprising discovery. It is filled with thousands of bank notes…
Acting
Fernandel's expressive face does all the heavy lifting.
Direction
Giono adapts his own fable with gentle cynicism.
Production
Provence landscapes that make poverty look gorgeous.
Director
Jean Giono
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Giono adapted his own short story, and the film carries his signature tension between pastoral idealism and bitter social observation.
Fernandel was France's biggest box office draw for decades; this late-career role let him play against his jovial type with surprisingly dark notes.
FR
