Overall, this film by Claude Berri and his sister and co-writer Arlette Langmann fully deserves to stand alongside Emile Zola's great novel. Then, on the scene when Maigrat the greedy shopkeeper gets emasculated, Zola wanted to raise the wild side of the miners, especially women and it's not palpable in spite of the commendable efforts of the actresses. This is cause for celebration. Friedman's belle-lettristic tone conveys the charm, warmth, and comfort of the film while also convincing us of its conventional and conformist message. Perhaps this is the answer to why Dorothy wants home so fast.
nest...