From this evening, France 2 broadcasts “And the mountain will flower” with Hélène de Fougerolles and Guillaume Arnault. This historical saga against a backdrop of family drama and the French Revolution is the event of the new school year. But is it worth a look?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
1837, in Provence. Son of a wealthy landowner in the region of Buis-les-Baronnies, Jean-Baptiste lost his mother in a tragic accident. His father, a gruff man, jealous of his son and the relationship he had with his mother, replaces her with a prostitute he met a few months earlier. Shortly after, Jean-Baptiste is unjustly accused by his “stepmother” of having wanted to abuse her. So his father banishes him forever from the farmhouse of his childhood.
Jean-Baptiste has no choice but to go and live with his mother’s sister, Blanche, in Saint-Pancrace. He became a peddler and druggist and traveled all over France to sell medicinal and aromatic plants picked on the Montagne de Lure. When he meets Lila, daughter of dowsers and healers, he falls madly in love with her.
While he thinks he has overcome adversity, his happiness vanishes in the tumults of a Provence in revolt against the coup d’etat of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte. Disinherited, cursed by his father, Jean-Baptiste understands that he will only find peace on one condition: to regain his rights to the farmhouse where he was born.
Based on the novel Le Mas des Tilleuls, by Françoise Bourdon.
Monday August 29 at 9:10 p.m. on France 2. The six episodes are already available on Salto. Number of episodes seen: 6/6.
WHO IS IT WITH?
Viewers find in this historical and romantic saga an exceptional cast starring actor Guillaume Arnault, who plays Jean-Baptiste, known for his role as Zacharie in Germinal and for his recent appearance in the TV movie Pour l’honneur d’un son with host Stéphane Bern on France 3.
At his side, other well-known actors from the small screen stand out, such as Hélène de Fougerolles (Balthazar), who is making her comeback after more than two years of absence in the role of Séraphine. Philippe Torreton whose incarnation of Michel Fourniret had upset the public in La Traque plays Sosthène, the father of Jean-Baptiste. The actress Constance Dollé appeared in the mini-series Manipulations broadcast on France 2 is also in the game and interprets Blanche, the aunt of the main character.
Other talented actors complete the cast such as Claire Duburcq (After Blue, 1917) in the role of Lila, Jean-Baptiste’s wife, and Rio Vega (Stalk, L’enfant rêvé) who lends her features to Gaspard, the illegitimate son of Sosthène and Séraphine.
Et la montagne fleurira is written and directed by Eléonore Faucher, known for her work on the TV movie La maladroite, which tackled the theme of family violence.
WELL WORTH A LOOK ?
Through this historical and romantic saga, France 2 offers viewers a total immersion in a complex story between betrayals, ambitions and rivalries, all against a backdrop of family drama and revolution between the years 1837 and 1852 in Provence.
From the first minutes, Et la montagne fleurira jostles us and plunges us into the drama with the tragic death of Jean-Baptiste’s mother. This disastrous event is only the beginning of the spiral that will lead the main character to be banished forever from the lands of his childhood by his father Sosthène.
Throughout this mini-series, two stories with opposite tones are superimposed: on the one hand, the gentleness of Jean-Baptiste, who builds his own family surrounded by Blanche and his wife Lila; and on the other, the terror that rages at the farmhouse with Gaspard who turns out to be an odious character, violent and manipulative.
This striking duality proves that nothing is certain, since the prosperous farmhouse is transformed into an austere place and the house of Blanche, bruised by many bereavements, is illuminated thanks to the arrival of her nephew and his family.
Beyond being a family drama, the saga highlights strong themes such as the devastating cholera epidemic, the uprising of the Montagnards against the Second Empire and the desire of women to participate in the revolt. And if the series focuses on the desire of certain men to create a republican society, it extends more on the condition of women and their quest for freedom, issues centered around the character of Lila.
At the beginning of the saga, the young woman is perceived as an outcast on the fringes of society who lives at the top of the mountain with her grandmother. However, paradoxically, it is she who will convey over the episodes a real political conscience, with in particular her ambition to develop an egalitarian society between men and women.
The performance of the actress Claire Duburcq is remarkable, like a real breath of fresh air at the heart of this drama series. The actress gives her character a singular depth, both avant-garde and strong while being deeply rooted in the landscape of the 19th century.
This family drama is also captivating thanks to the powerful performances of actors Philippe Torreton, Constance Dollé and Guillaume Arnault. The chemistry between them is palpable, making the unfolding of the plot sincere and exciting.
And the mountain will flower is a thrilling saga without false notes, every detail of which has been thought out with great attention. Between the sumptuous landscapes of Provence, the authentic sets and the exceptional costumes, viewers will certainly be transported to the heart of a moving and ultimately very contemporary historical tale.