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Germinal

R Released Sep 29, 1994 2h 38m History Drama List
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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Germinal

Critics Reviews

View All (12) Critics Reviews
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 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review 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 Full Review Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant Though never boring, this tale of miners' lives is too frequently beset by cave-ins and clinkers. May 22, 2018 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Rated: 3/5 Jul 8, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 29, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review Audience Member Legalz... mais c'est trop long! :-| Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Audience Member Ces prestations restent toujours aussi incroyable! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member don't know how I did it to the end Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Germinal

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Cast & Crew

Schindler's List 98% 97% Schindler's List Queen Margot 82% 88% Queen Margot Stander 73% 80% Stander Amistad 78% 79% Amistad TRAILER for Amistad The Land Girls 61% 52% The Land Girls Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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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