Jacques Demy
(Copyright © 1999-2024 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use )

7.0 Lola (1961)
7.0 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
6.8 Les Demoiselles de Rochefort/ The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) 		Links:
If English is your first language and you could translate my old Italian text, please contact me.

Scroll down for recent reviews in English. 		Jacques Demy (France, 1931) debuted with the poetic neorelism of Le Sabotier du Val de Loire (1956).

Lola (1960) affermò il suo stile sfumato con una commedia-balletto ispirata a Ophuls in cui una ballerina dei bassifondi ritrova il padre di suo figlio, diventato ricco, che la sposa.

Sul tema (i giochi d'amore) Demy compose diverse variazioni, tutte contraddistinte da finezza di stile, tenero romanticismo, in bilico fra sogno e realtà, tentando sovente la carta del musical a partire da Les Parapluies de Cherbourg/ The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), musicato da Michel Legrand.

The entire dialogue is sung. Guy is a humble auto mechanic who lives with an elderly relative, Elise, and with her pretty nurse Madeleine. Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve) works in her mother's shop, selling umbrellas. She knows that her mother would never approve of their love, otherwise she is so in love that she would marry him right away. Genevieve's mother is in trouble: if she doesn't pay her debts, she will be ruined. She tries to sell her jewels but the local jewelry shop cannot afford to buy them. Luckily, a diamond dealer offers to pay cash for her necklace. He clearly does it only because of Genevieve's good looks. Guy is drafted into the army for two years. Madeleine, who is clearly in love with Guy, is as heart-broken as Genevieve. After he leaves, Genevieve finds out that she is pregnant. Roland declares his love and proposes. Her mother thinks that she should forget Guy and marry the rich gentleman. Genevieve is faithful to Roland, but Roland doesn't write as often as she hoped and eventually she gives up. Guy returns from the war and finds out what happened. He is so devastated that he loses his job and sleeps with a prostitute he found in a bar. Elise dies and Madeleine would like to leave, but Guy begs her to stay. She helps him start a new life. He buys a gas station and marries Madeleine. Years later, on Christmas' Eve, Guy is happily married to Madeleine and has a little son when Genevieve stops at the gas station. She drives an expensive car and wears an expensive fur, but does not look happy. She has her daughter in the car, who is also Guy's daughter but Guy does not want to see her.

The other musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort/ The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) was basically a parody of West Side Story, but perhaps more creative.

La Baie des Anges/ The Bay of Angels (1962) about a female gambler seducing a naive young bank clerk.

L'Evenement le plus Important depuis que l'Homme a Marche sur la Lune/ A slightly Pregnant Man (1973) is a satirical farce.

Model Shop (1969) is centered around a gorgeous model who lives in Los Angeles, possibly the former prostitute Lola, now stalked by a devoted student architect.

Peau d'Âne/ Donkey Skin (1970)

The Pied Piper (1972)

L'Evenement le plus Important Depuis que l'Homme a Marche sur la Lune/ A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973)

Lady Oscar (1979)

Demy returned to the musical with Une Chambre en Ville/ A Room in Town (1982).

Parking (1985)

La Table Tournante/ The Turntable (1988)

Trois Places pour le 26/ Three Seats for the 26th (1988) was his final musical, composed by Michel Legrand, in which Yves Montand plays himself as a star for whom a musical revue (about himself) has been conceived. During the rehearsals the main actress turns out to be Montand's illegitimate daughter.

Demy died in 1990

(Copyright © 2012 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use )