Cahiers du cinéma No. 187 - February 1967 (1967-02)Cahiers du cinéma
Jacques Demy's The Young Girls of Rochefort holds a special place for the Cahiers du cinéma team, as evidenced by its appearance on the cover of their February 1967 issue (number 187), marking it as one of their most beloved films.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
« Do you fancy dancing? »
Though all of his movies are full of these influences, a musical properly takes shape in The Young Girls of Rochefort, which has now become a classic within the genre. From Stanley Donen to Robert Wise, Jacques Demy was a great lover of musicals.
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The Transporter Bridge where the film begins, Rochefort, France.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
Capturing the genre's standards
One of the richest genres of classic Hollywood—just like film noir or westerns—musicals adhered, in their golden age, to very specific formal standards.
Demy started exploring them in his first feature film, Lola (1961). A musical filmed in color using CinemaScope, this project failed for budgetary reasons. The director instead fell back on black and white, and used the cabaret scenes to insert a singing sequence.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) was closer to the genre, but as it is completely sung, it stands out as a cinematic subject in its own right.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
It's therefore with The Young Girls of Rochefort that Demy captured the genre's standards most faithfully with alternating spoken and sung/danced sequences, opening and closing with a medley, lip-syncing, the use of flamboyant colors as a mode of expression, etc.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
Sailors and sequins
Other elements refer more specifically to musicals. The sailors, already present in Lola and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, evoke in particular Anchors Aweigh (1945) by George Sidney and On the Town (1949) by Stanley Donen.
The Chanson d'un jour d'été (A Summer's Day Song) pays direct homage to George Cukor's movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), thanks to Delphine and Solange's choreography, the contrast of their hair color, and their red sequined dresses.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
Gene Kelly
The knowing presence of Gene Kelly, an iconic figure in Hollywood musicals, also confirms Demy's desire to be a part of this legacy.
The choreography of 'Andy's Song' is a direct homage to his career, particularly the tap-dancing scenes performed in the street, as seen in Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Sunny Days Over New York (1953).
He also exchanged steps with children in films such as Vincente Minnelli's An American in Paris (1951), which features the signature movement of The Airplane, and Busby Berkeley's For Me and My Honey (1942).
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École de Boubou where Gene Kelly dances, on Bazeilles Street, Rochefort, France.
West Side Story (1961)Cahiers du cinéma
West Side Story
Released in France a year after Lola, West Side Story marked the end of the golden age of the Hollywood musical. The genre adapted to new cultural influences and the social issues of America in the 1960s.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
Influenced by this movie, Demy introduced particularly eloquent references, be it the presence of George Chakiris, the silent opening of the movie, or Norman Maen's choreography, which is reminiscent of Jerome Robbins' work, choreographer of West Side Story.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
The tragedy of existence and the comedy of happiness.
At first glance, The Young Girls seems to arouse a form of joy and exaltation; a lightness bordering on silliness, which is a characteristic often attributed to musicals.
However, like Minnelli, Demy explored tragedy in this movie.
Cahiers du cinéma n°438 - December 1990 (1990-12)Cahiers du cinéma
Two months after the director's death, Cahiers no. 438 dedicated a tribute piece to him in which filmmaker Paul Vecchiali, interviewed by Frédéric Strauss, looks back on his discovery of the movie during the preview, and on the visible joy that captivated viewers.
"I saw Jean Marais again, after the screening, saying to Jacques, 'We leave happy.' But I left almost in tears[...] Jacques then told me that in the first version of the movie, Jacques Perrin was crushed by the fairground trucks. That's the essence of Demy's work. The window is gleaming, with bold colors, but the back of the store hides a cruel, tragic look at life and at the characters. Tragedy destroys the harmony of the facade." (pp. 42–43)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
« Yes, but with love. »
... tragedy linked to the main theme: love.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)Cahiers du cinéma
Even though, at the end of the movie, Maxence appears to get into the same truck as Delphine, their meeting is not shown on screen. And for good reason; everyone dreams that the other is perfect.
According to the French philosopher, Gilles Deleuze, Minnelli treated dreams as a dangerous trap with irreversible consequences. "Beware of dreaming about someone, because if you get caught up in the dream, you're screwed." (Qu'est-ce qu'un acte de création ? [What is the Creative Act?] 1987)
It's this same big idea that Demy used here. Solange and Andy expect nothing from each other and meet. Delphine and Maxence dream of each other and we never see them in love. The director plays with this decision to not to show everything by making them almost cross paths in Madame Yvonne's café.
In his musicals, Minnelli took the ideal to the extreme. Cinema is indeed "a world that suits our desires," a means of touching perfection. The endings are happy, sometimes almost dreamlike, and, by analogy, reflect the tragedy of existence. Demy was undoubtedly influenced by West Side Story, and therefore was more direct and realistic in his concept of the musical by bringing it closer to life.
Just as the departure of the truckers marks the end of the two days of excitement in Rochefort and leaves residents to their daily lives, it also takes the viewer away from the imaginary world of the movies. The choice not to show the meeting between Delphine and Maxence is a return to reality, referring to the tragic and very real idea that an ideal should remain an ideal.
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Avenue Jacques Demy where the film ends, Rochefort, France.
