Classic Film Spotlight: The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac

The Girls of Rochefort (1967) was directed by Jacques Demy and starred Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac. Deneuve and Dorléac play twin sisters in the film and in real life they were sisters. Sadly it would be their last film together as Dorléac tragically passed away from a car accident four months after the film was released at the age of twenty-five. 

This film is set in the seaside town of Rochefort where Delphine (Deneuve) and Solange (Dorléac) are two talented and gifted young women who are both eager to explore of the world.  Then a fair comes to town for the weekend bringing a host of characters including Etienne (played by George Chakiris as Etienne) and Bill (played by Grover Dale), who get dumped by their girlfriends as soon as they get into town. Then quickly you get introduced to the sisters mother who regrets losing contact with the father of her son, a lonely man who recently opened a music shop, and Andy Miller (played by Gene Kelly) who is pining for a girl he just encountered (Solange). 

Then in the midst of all of these characters you get introduced to a young sailor named Maxence (played by Jacques Perrin) who painted a portrait that looks exactly like Delphine that hangs in the local art gallery. He sings about his unrequited love for this mystery girl and although their paths cross multiple times, Maxence never meets Delphine, or does he?

You get a smorgasbord of musical numbers, love found and lost at all ages, and when you least expect it Demy throws in an odd murder mystery for good measure. This film is visually stunning with costumes celebrating a pastel palette and dance sequences that make you just want to leap in the air with joy. Jacques Demy has a wonderful way of blending multiple storylines and wrapping them up with song and dance all the while having it make complete sense.

The beauty of this film is that although it seems like there is a lot going on with different characters and storylines, the stories of these characters are simple and easy to follow. Demy makes falling in love and finding your way through life like a magical adventure painted in bright blues, pinks, and yellow. 

How can you not enjoy a Jacques Demy film? Have you ever seen The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)?

A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac
A Vintage Nerd, Vintage Blog, Classic Film Blog, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Sixties Film Review, Jacques Demy Movies, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac

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