Germinal

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Germinal

R

1994

2h 38m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

An ex-mechanic (Renaud) finds work in an 1870s French mine, then fuels a strike for better working conditions.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3/4

For me, Germinal provided visual and dramatic images for 19th century history events that I only understood in an abstract way.

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Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

10/23/2019

As the 158-minute saga wears on, it is like spending too long in a reconstructed pioneer village. The film's didactic agenda undercuts the drama.

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Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

05/22/2018

Though never boring, this tale of miners' lives is too frequently beset by cave-ins and clinkers.

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Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

07/08/2005

3/5

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

06/29/2005

3/5

Daniel M. Kimmel

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

01/14/2005

4/5

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03/08/2015

This movie was ABSOLUTELY terrible. Too long. I had to sit through this movie for several class periods during a French film course. I can truly say, without exaggeration, that the time I spent watching the movie was some of the most torturous moments of my life. However, the scenery in this movie was beautiful. The director dealt with colorful landscapes, and I found this artistic detail refreshing amidst an otherwise terrible movie. However, this was not enough to compensate for this movie.

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04/05/2012

Legalz... mais c'est trop long! :-|

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01/31/2012

Vividly grim and grimy adaptation of the Emile Zola novel about unionization of French coal miners in the late 1800s. So realistic I contracted black lung from watching it.

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03/24/2011

Aside from the uneven acting, still a great movie! Excellent depiction of Marx's class conflict in a capatilist economy.

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03/01/2011

Ces prestations restent toujours aussi incroyable!

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02/04/2011

don't know how I did it to the end

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Claude Berri

Director

Renaud

Étienne Lantier

Gérard Depardieu

Toussaint Maheu

Miou-Miou

Maheude

Jean Carmet

Vincent Maheu dit Bonnemort

Judith Henry

Catherine Maheu

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Synopsis

An ex-mechanic (Renaud) finds work in an 1870s French mine, then fuels a strike for better working conditions.

Director: Claude Berri
Creator: Emile Zola
Producer: Pierre Grunstein, Bodo Scriba
Screenwriter: Claude Berri, Arlette Langmann
Production Co: DD Productions, France 2 Cinéma, Renn Productions
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 20, 2012
Runtime: 2h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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