The 1960s marked a golden age for French cinema, giving birth to the avant-garde experimentation of the Nouvelle Vague. Yet, while his contemporaries were dismantling narrative structures on the streets of Paris, Jacques Demy was crafting a different kind of revolution in the coastal town of Rochefort. His 1967 masterpiece, The Young Girls of Rochefort ( Les Demoiselles de Rochefort ), stands as a towering achievement in the history of the movie musical. Through its inclusion in the prestigious Criterion Collection, the film has been preserved as a masterclass in visual design, musical composition, and pure cinematic joy.
The Criterion release is packed with supplemental material that dives deep into the film's production and legacy: The Young Girls Turn 25
To elevate the film's musical pedigree, Demy cast Hollywood royalty as Andy Miller, an American composer visiting the town. Kelly's breezy, effortless choreography instantly connects Rochefort to the lineage of Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris . The cast is rounded out by the legendary Danielle Darrieux as the sisters' mother, Michel Piccoli as a lovesick music store owner, and George Chakiris (fresh off his Oscar win for West Side Story ) as a wandering carnival worker. A Universe of Near Misses
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The Pastel Pastel-Colored Symphony of Jacques Demy: Rediscovering The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) on Criterion
For decades, The Young Girls of Rochefort was frustratingly difficult to see in North America. Its initial release was a box office disappointment, playing in a single, small Los Angeles theater for just four days. It wasn't until a Miramax re-release in the late 1990s, restored under the supervision of Demy's widow, the great filmmaker Agnès Varda, that it began to find the wider audience it deserved. The Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray is the definitive high-definition presentation of this restored version.
The Young Girls of Rochefort remains an antidote to cinematic cynicism. It acknowledges the existence of melancholy, heartbreak, and even a bizarre subplot involving a local murder, yet it actively chooses to prioritize joy, connection, and art. Jacques Demy’s masterpiece reminds us that while life can be a series of frustrating near-misses, the music keeps playing, the dancers keep moving, and love is always just around the corner. Through Criterion’s definitive presentation, this cinematic euphoria continues to shine as brightly as it did in 1967. If you would like to explore this film further, tell me: The 1960s marked a golden age for French
Jacques Demy’s ( Les Demoiselles de Rochefort ), released in 1967, is a radiant, candy-colored explosion of joy, music, and yearning. While its predecessor, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), was a heart-wrenching opera of loss, Rochefort represents the peak of Demy’s aspiration: a full-scale, Hollywood-style French musical set in the bustling town of Rochefort. With the Criterion Collection’s definitive Blu-ray release, this masterpiece of French New Wave-adjacent cinema is preserved in its vibrant, pastel-hued glory.
The following supplements are included in the Criterion edition: The Young Girls Turn 25
Criterion’s two-disc edition offers deep dives for cinephiles: The cast is rounded out by the legendary
Buy the physical 4K disc if your setup permits. The bitrate on the dance sequences—particularly the opening "Arrival of the Fair" number—demands the highest possible resolution. Streaming compression often flattens the background dancers into smears of color; the disc keeps every sequin distinct.
The Criterion Collection has worked tirelessly to restore to its former glory. The film has been meticulously restored from the original camera negative, ensuring that its vibrant colors and textures are preserved for modern audiences. The 2K digital transfer offers a level of clarity and detail that brings the film's charming settings and memorable performances to life.
While The Young Girls of Rochefort is often celebrated as the ultimate "feel-good" movie, Demy subtly laces the background with real-world anxieties. The town is filled with military police, a quiet nod to the lingering tensions of the Algerian War and the global Cold War climate of the late 1960s.
Their quiet lives are disrupted by a traveling fair that arrives in town, introducing two charismatic showmen, Etienne (George Chakiris) and Bill (Grover Dale). Meanwhile, a famous American pianist, Andy Miller (Gene Kelly), visiting his old friend Simon Dame (Michel Piccoli), becomes entranced by Solange’s musical talent. Delphine searches for the sailor Maxence (Jacques Perrin), having been captivated by a portrait he painted of his "dream girl." Their mother, Yvonne (Danielle Darrieux), runs a café and pines for her long-lost love, Simon, unaware that he has recently returned to town. As the characters weave through a series of coincidences and near-misses, the film builds a palpable tension, leading to a fairground finale where fates are finally decided. It is, as one critic puts it, "the cheeriest movie ever made featuring an axe murder." The plot is a delightfully contrived, Shakespearean comedy of errors that demonstrates Demy’s ability to "leap from mundanity into effervescent flights of fancy."
The Criterion Collection Blu-ray (release #751) restores the film to its original brilliance, highlighting the incredible work of cinematographer Ghislain Cloquet. Special Features Highlight: