The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg) (1964)
Written and Directed by Jacques Demy.
Stars a very young New Wave Catherine Deneuve and five o’clock shadowed, puppy-eyed Nino Castelnuovo.
I’ve decided to use the lockdown, which may actually be easing now, as a chance to catch up on some classic and recent films I’ve been meaning to watch but never had the chance. All 1,222 of them. The first is Unbrellas of Cherbourg. I think I even own a copy, but somehow never managed to get past the first act. Anyway, movies are not meant to be collected and displayed on a shelf. They are meant to be brought to life: played, watched, thought about, discussed and interacted with.
First off, this is a classic film that I think everyone needs to see. It’s pretty universal in its characters: the horny man, the dreamy small-town girl, the meddling mother. It is a thoroughly modern love story that feels at home in the 21st century, or at least late 20th century, despite being released in 1964. It features beautiful cinematography of the seaside town of Cherbourg, an iconic musical theme that I’ve heard many times but could never place it. The story was intelligently told with a lot of symbolism and visual story telling.
I recognized a lot of Francois Ozon (my favorite director) in this film, and it’s not surprising that Ozon must have been influenced by director Jacques Demy and this classic film in his own story telling about modern relationships in France, but also in general. For example, dividing the story into four acts, each act with a distinct phase of the relationship, is a lot like Francois Ozon’s, “5x2.” The inherent freedom of his characters to make their own choices. They are guided by fate and meddling influences, but ultimately make their own decisions and must live with the consequences.
This story also reminded me parents always meddle in their children’s affairs: it’s not just a gay thing. Parents think they know what’s best for their children and that they are doing things for their own good. But does that make it right? I would say no.