Germinal

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Germinal

R

Released Sep 29, 1994

2h 38m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

75%

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12 Reviews

76%

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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

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

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

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.

Oct 23, 2019

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Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

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

May 22, 2018

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Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Jul 8, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 29, 2005

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

Ces prestations restent toujours aussi incroyable!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

don't know how I did it to the end

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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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: France 2 Cinéma, DD Productions, 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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