The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) (1969)

97% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(4,091 ratings)

Jacques Demy directed this frothy tribute to the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s, a follow-up to his earlier success The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). Twin sisters Delphine and Solange (played by real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorleac) live in the small coastal town of Rochefort,… More Jacques Demy directed this frothy tribute to the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s, a follow-up to his earlier success The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). Twin sisters Delphine and Solange (played by real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorleac) live in the small coastal town of Rochefort, where they run a school teaching dancing and music. Both feel frustrated in Rochefort, and they dream of travelling to Paris, where they believe romance and opportunity awaits them. Meanwhile, their single mother, Yvonne (Danielle Darrieux), who runs a cafe in town, pines for her lost love, Simon (Michel Piccoli). One day, one of Yvonne's regular customers, a sailor with an artistic bent named Maxence (Jacques Perrin), shows her a painting of the imaginary girl of his dreams, and she looks just like Delphine, whom he's never met. Meanwhile, Simon has returned to Rochefort, bringing with him a close friend, American pianist Andy Miller (Gene Kelly); Simon has made friends with Solange and introduces her to Andy, who immediately falls in love with her. Sadly, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort was Françoise Dorleac's last film; she died in an auto accident shortly after completing the picture. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: G, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Agnès Varda, Jacques Demy
Written By: Jacques Demy
Genres: Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 11, 1968 Wide
On DVD: Jan 22, 2002
Studio: Miramax-Zoe

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
It has charm, sustained human observation, mixed with catchy music, dances and songs to come up as a tuner with grace and dynamism.
Renata Adler, New York Times
Certainly the best musical in some time.
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
Even in the midst of all those cheerful French blues and cherry reds, Demy has shown us his characters' longing so vividly that it can never quite be erased.
Octavio Roca, San Francisco Chronicle
Here is romantic intrigue served up with a knowing lack of shame, a musical boasting star power of the highest magnitude that satirizes the conventions of the movie musical with affection and wicked glee.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
My favorite musical.
Amy Taubin, Village Voice
Deneuve and Dorléac are stylish, smart, and spirited, and their awkwardness as dancers makes them even more winning.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The results are a bit like eating too much ice cream sundae.
Edward Porter, Times [UK]
The fondant-fancy colours make the film all the more escapist, yet some pop songs can pierce you to the core.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
A very welcome rerelease of Demy's delightful 1967 musical.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
The result is uncommonly pleasing or defiantly twee: take your choice.
Patrick Peters, Empire Magazine
An intriguing mix of French New Wave and Hollywood Musical, this still succeeds in sweeping you off your feet.
David Jenkins, Time Out
A luminous musical about dreams, romance and destiny which lovingly reworks the classic Hollywood 'putting on a show' template into an essay on the emotional rollercoaster ride that is movie-going.
, Film4
A decidedly old-fashioned delight.
Toby Young, Times [UK]
Reminiscent of a Shakespearean comedy and seems to tap into a romantic yearning that is hardwired into our DNA. Absolutely sublime.
Catherine Shoard, Guardian [UK]
There's something irresistibly swinging, even promiscuous, about the whole affair.
Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
What makes the film so lovable and still so gladsomely alive today is how closely it hews to Demy's distinctive, celebratory vision of life.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Life affirming dance routines, the wonderful music of Michel Legrand and effervescent presence of Catherine Deneuve, her real life sister Françoise Dorléac, George Chakiris and Gene Kelly; what more could you want?
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
I like it better than the decidedly more grim The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
Tom Milne, Time Out
Jolliest of the Demy-Michel Legrand operettas.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Elaborate, romantic French musical, follow-up to "Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Read all 21 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jennifer X

The musical numbers seriously look like they came out of a porno - but a charming, classy, softcore kind of porno (especially the twins one!). That's pretty much how I'd describe this entire movie - innocently, campily sexual.
Keysha H

Marvelous, whimsical and fun. I can only rank this film second to the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
Veronique K

"the young girls of rochefort" is the dynamic french musical classic with a fairly young angelic catherine deneuve. and it is restricted to people who have an acceptance to the cliched parisian naivete of french romanticism. the storyline is delineated with an innocent… More
"the young girls of rochefort" is the dynamic french musical classic with a fairly young angelic catherine deneuve. and it is restricted to people who have an acceptance to the cliched parisian naivete of french romanticism. the storyline is delineated with an innocent stroke of ever after fairy tale which could be mindless but exquisitedly cherographed and the music is brighteningly melodic. how about the story? absolutely corny and it's about "love"(amour) again. it's about two female ingenunes who seek for the ideal dream lovers. it shows its fatalistic belief in love and bond arranged in the heaven that is not a topic suited for cynist. but it's so contrived to the histrionic pretense that is meant not to be taken seriously for relaxation. but the stage effects of backset, constumes and techicolor tones are well-adjusted and that makes it highly watchable and warmingly cute if you disregard their smug poise to sing and dance on the streets and exclaims "i'm in love!" and this silliness requires the leads who are charismatic enough to sell it, catherine deneuve and francoise dorleac would be in this niche with their looks and light-weighted voice. it is amazing to see deneuve kicking her leg, holding her girlish hat in musical then stripped off naked as the masochist in "belle de jour" which is also released in 1968. "the young girls of rochefort" proves the diverse caliber of catherine deneuve.
Eric B

Enjoyed this film more than expected! Surprising how different it is from "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg." For starters, it's in color, and *what* colors! The hue of every shirt, pant and dress is carefully selected, and every shot is loaded with brightly painted walls,… More
Enjoyed this film more than expected! Surprising how different it is from "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg." For starters, it's in color, and *what* colors! The hue of every shirt, pant and dress is carefully selected, and every shot is loaded with brightly painted walls, cars, etc. Eye candy? You bet. The story is also considerably more upbeat than the melancholy "Cherbourg" -- wow, what a date movie this would be. Though I have no idea why Demy chose to include an incongruous subplot about an unsolved murder. Huh? In any case, the rest is all about love, love, love. Multiple characters are separated but destined to come together (not only potential lovers, but parents and children), so the ticklish suspense is waiting for this person and *that* person to meet or reunite. But the plot isn't especially important, because the fun is mostly about Michel Legrand's elegant, oh-so-French songs. And of course, it's touching to see Gene Kelly dancing on film for one of the last times in his career. An added emotional resonance of "The Young Girls of Rochefort" is that it stars Catherine Deneuve and her sister Francoise Dorleac, who are obviously having a ball singing and dancing together. And tragically, Dorleac was killed in a car accident during the same year. At the age of 25. I can't even imagine the intense mix of feelings which this film must arouse in Deneuve today.

Cast

            Catherine Deneuve as Delphine Garnier--sung by Anne Germain

            George Chakiris as Etienne--sung by Romuald

            Françoise Dorléac as Solange Garnier--sung by Claude Parent

            Jacques Perrin as Maxence--sung by Jacques Revaux

            Gene Kelly as Andy Miller--sung by Donald Burke

            Grover Dale as Bill--sung by Jose Bartel

            Danielle Darrieux as Yvonne

            Genevieve Thenier as Josette--sung by Alice Gerald

            Pamela Hart as Judith--sung by Christiane Legrand

            Henri Crémieux as Dutrouz

            Wendy Barry
            
            Dorothée Blanc as Passerby

            W. Earl Brown
            
            Jane Darling
            
            Albin Pahernik
            
            Michel Piccoli as Simon Dame--sung by George Blaness

            Jacques Riberolles as Guillaume Lancien--sung by Jean Stout

            Sally Stevens
            
            Bill Lee
            
            Agnès Varda as Nun

            Robert Tebow
            
            Jackie Ward as Singer

            Sue Allen
            
            Veronique Duval
            
            John MacDonald
            
See full cast