If there ever was a musical that could sweep me off my feet and love the world, this would be it. Jacques Demy's THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT is the perfect musical -- a kaleidoscopic venture into pastel and spring-like colors, energetic dancing, and near non-stop singing, all tied up in a plot that really isn't a plot as much as a continuous expression of longing. Beginning with the fantastic opening montage that introduces George Chakiris and Grover Dale, two men involved in what seems to be a musical act that has come to town, surrounded by a pitch-perfect cast of sensual, very Sixties dancers, the camera then pans into the apartment of the two twin sisters, Solange and Delphine Garnier. Both are making do as music and dance teachers but long for more... excitement, experience, and of course, love. They're framed by other characters who get introduced one by one into the story, and each of them have a secret love they share for someone who they may not even know, as in the case of Maxence, the sailor who has painted Delphine's portrait without ever having seen her.
The great thing about THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT is how simple its story is, and how utterly beautiful it looks. All of the characters are looking for their other half, and all will in one way or another find themselves in that special someone's arms. Francoise Dorleac and Catherine Deneuve never looked more radiant together, paired in matching outfits, singing their anthemic introduction theme (which has apparently become a favorite theme song in France). It's a shame that Dorleac died at the conclusion of filming this film; she has a strong, sensual presence that outshines her sister's well-known (and loved) glacial sensuality. I wonder what kind of actress might she have become... but it's all speculation. Dorleac has actually more screen time than Deneuve and while her pairing with Gene Kelly may be a tad questionable (she was barely 25 at the time; he was thirty years her senior), what a pairing it is. Both are perfectly matched; both seem to be made for each other, and Kelly never looked or danced better. Note how he seems to be winking at the camera as he almost flies into a reverie after bumping into Dorleac, as if he were saying, "I still got it after all these years." And he's right... the perfect, consummate dancer.
Not one performance rings false in THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT. Danielle Darrieux's regal beauty enhances her characters sadness; Michel Piccoli is genuinely affecting; Chakiris and Dale are energetic; and Deneuve seems completely at ease even in her relatively smaller part. Watch how she, in her second number with Dorleac, affectionately reaches out to her. It's a small, yet perfect reaction to someone whom she would lose so soon.
The great thing about THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT is how simple its story is, and how utterly beautiful it looks. All of the characters are looking for their other half, and all will in one way or another find themselves in that special someone's arms. Francoise Dorleac and Catherine Deneuve never looked more radiant together, paired in matching outfits, singing their anthemic introduction theme (which has apparently become a favorite theme song in France). It's a shame that Dorleac died at the conclusion of filming this film; she has a strong, sensual presence that outshines her sister's well-known (and loved) glacial sensuality. I wonder what kind of actress might she have become... but it's all speculation. Dorleac has actually more screen time than Deneuve and while her pairing with Gene Kelly may be a tad questionable (she was barely 25 at the time; he was thirty years her senior), what a pairing it is. Both are perfectly matched; both seem to be made for each other, and Kelly never looked or danced better. Note how he seems to be winking at the camera as he almost flies into a reverie after bumping into Dorleac, as if he were saying, "I still got it after all these years." And he's right... the perfect, consummate dancer.
Not one performance rings false in THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT. Danielle Darrieux's regal beauty enhances her characters sadness; Michel Piccoli is genuinely affecting; Chakiris and Dale are energetic; and Deneuve seems completely at ease even in her relatively smaller part. Watch how she, in her second number with Dorleac, affectionately reaches out to her. It's a small, yet perfect reaction to someone whom she would lose so soon.