Sandrine: More than just "The Girl From Paris"

In preparing questions for class tomorrow, there were many topics and ideas that I had about this movie that I couldn't fit into my questions. One of those is discussing all the characteristics that Sandrine has that make her a woman worth studying and analyzing more deeply. Many of the men in the film, including Adrien, Jean and the men in town, simply refer to her as "The Girl From Paris." Although accurate, this nickname is used in a belittling way by these men, who believe that a city girl could never thrive on a farm. These men take great pride in their craft, and this is part of the reason they treat her in this way. They think their career is one of great intensity, strength and hardship. If any "girl from Paris" can succeed doing it, it would take away from this sense of pride. Adrien declares that Sandrine "doesn't deserve his farm" when they are arguing; later, after she leaves he has change of heart and realizes that he didn't deserve her and all the good things she brought to his farm and life. Sandrine is a woman of great courage and determination, as we see her struggle to prove herself to these men and learn how to manage her new life. These men are so blatantly naive and old-fashioned in their thinking that women cannot be successful in this way if she is not married or living with a man, and I greatly enjoyed seeing Sandrine and her calm determination show them that even if she struggles and makes mistakes, she is capable of holding her own on a farm.