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Germinal

Play trailer Poster for Germinal R 1994 2h 38m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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

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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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant 05/22/2018
Though never boring, this tale of miners' lives is too frequently beset by cave-ins and clinkers. Go to Full Review
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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Audience Reviews

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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. See more 04/05/2012 Legalz... mais c'est trop long! :-| See more 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. See more 03/24/2011 Aside from the uneven acting, still a great movie! Excellent depiction of Marx's class conflict in a capatilist economy. See more 03/01/2011 Ces prestations restent toujours aussi incroyable! See more 02/04/2011 don't know how I did it to the end See more Read all reviews
Germinal

My Rating

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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
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