Jean de Florette: The Score That Gets Under Your Skin (And Makes You Thirsty)

Okay, so I finally got around to properly watching "Jean de Florette" (followed immediately by "Manon des Sources", naturally). I'd seen bits and pieces before, but experiencing the whole, heartbreaking story in one go was something else. Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil are incredible, like, disturbingly good as César and Ugolin. Seriously, Ugolin's obsession with water... you almost feel bad for him, almost. But, as always, I'm here for the music! The score, composed by Jean-Claude Petit, is just perfect. It's this blend of rustic simplicity and growing dread. That recurring flute melody, especially, is so haunting. It starts off feeling innocent and hopeful, conjuring images of the French countryside, but then it gets twisted and warped as Jean's struggles intensify. There's this scene where Jean (Gérard Depardieu, who is fantastic btw) is desperately trying to find a new water source and the music is just churning, reflecting his mounting desperation. You can feel the heat and the exhaustion, all thanks to the score. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd have been quite so emotionally invested without the soundtrack. It just amplifies everything. It is interesting, a lot of the music is very source-dependant (like, if Ugolin is playing a record, you hear the record's song). But the score, when it's there, is so very good. Has anyone else been completely captivated by this film, and especially by the music? I'm itching to hear your thoughts! Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good flute melody, but this one really stuck with me. I'm gonna need to track down the isolated score, I think... and maybe a large glass of water!