The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
d. Jacques Demy, 1964
Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is probably the coolest movie musical I've ever seen. A charming film of incredible beauty that is both largely refreshing and somewhat sad in its message. This is the kind of musical that could work as a real film. That can't be said for many movies, not even Singin' in the Rain.
This is isn't the kind of musical where the characters burst into songs, everything in the movie is sung. Because of that reason, particular songs are not as memorable (cerainly not as amazing as Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" or Gene Kelley's "Singin' in the Rain.") However, the added effect of the lyrics, music, set designs, colors, and a very particular mood is arguably (I certainly believe so) more brilliant and captivating than even the best of musicals.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg tells the story of Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve), who falls in love with a mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), and they make plans to marry and live happily ever after. Although Genevieve's mother diaspproves of the idea, they are set on spending their lives together. That is, until he is drafted to the army and must leave for two years. The film then becomes the story of the absence and ultimately of how apart they grew.
The first sequences of the film are so joyous that the later, sadder, ones gather more reasonance in the viewer. The Umbrellas is broken up into three acts. The first, called "Departure," begins with their relationship at a high point and ends with him leaving. The second, "Absence," deals with Genevieve's life while Guy is away. The last, "Return," is self-explanatory.
The way Demy presents his film is astonishing. The costumes and set-designs compliment the undercurrent of each particular scene, it's fantastic. The musical compositions of Michel Legrand are very cleverly set-up, and never do they grow old or lose their effect.
Ultimately, Genevieve and Guy end up in relationships that, though not perfect, seem plausible and adequate enough. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is about the bittersweet reaction of growing up, and growing apart.
