-1967- Criterion -... — The Young Girls Of Rochefort
The film's casting is nothing short of miraculous, bridging the worlds of French cinema and the classic Hollywood musical. At its center are real-life sisters and Françoise Dorléac , playing twin sisters Delphine and Solange Garnier.
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.
Dorléac burned through the screen. She improvised physical stunts that terrified the crew. She chain-smoked between takes. She was, by all accounts, the heart of the production. When she died in a fiery car crash at age 25, the film became a eulogy. The Criterion edition captures this poignancy without wallowing in it. When Solange boards a train to Paris at the film’s climax, you feel the weight: she made it, but the actress did not.
The American icon plays Andy Miller, a visiting musician, providing a direct link to the Hollywood musical tradition Demy admired. The Young Girls of Rochefort -1967- Criterion -...
For this production, Demy expanded his canvas significantly. He moved away from the tightly framed realism of his earlier work to embrace the wide, sweeping geometry of the widescreen frame. Working once again with legendary composer , Demy crafted a score that fused classical arrangements with American big-band jazz, creating a relentless sonic energy that propels the characters through the streets. The Magic of the Cast
The lifeblood of The Young Girls of Rochefort is its iconic, jazzy score, composed by the legendary with lyrics by Demy himself. The film forgoes the operatic, dialogue-free style of Demy's earlier The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , instead using songs to punctuate and elevate the joy of everyday life. The most famous tune, "Chanson des Jumelles" ("A Pair of Twins"), is a giddy, contagious celebration of sisterhood, while Maxence's ballad was later reworked by Alan and Marilyn Bergman into the beloved standard, "You Must Believe in Spring".
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The Young Girls of Rochefort is not merely a tribute to the classic Hollywood musical; it is a profound expansion of the genre that balances effervescent optimism with the bittersweet realities of human connection. A Pastel-Hued Symphony of Human Connection
Decades after its premiere, The Young Girls of Rochefort remains an antidote to cinematic cynicism. Demy proved that art does not need to be bleak to be profound. By infusing the melancholy of missed connections with the euphoria of song and dance, he created a utopian vision of cinema where love is always just around the corner. For cinephiles and casual viewers alike, the Criterion edition of this masterpiece is an essential celebration of life, art, and the magic of the movies. Its initial release was a box office disappointment,
The Criterion Collection edition of The Young Girls of Rochefort is an essential addition to any cinephile's shelf. It captures a fleeting moment in cinema history where Hollywood glamour perfectly synchronized with French artistic freedom. It is a celluloid antidepressant—a film that acknowledges the melancholy of life but chooses, defiantly, to dance anyway. To help you get the most out of this cinematic masterpiece,
The Criterion release is known for its extensive supplemental content that provides deep context for Demy’s work:
Whether you are a lifelong cinephile or a newcomer to French New Wave, Demy’s masterpiece—available on the Criterion Channel and in physical formats—is an essential watch that proves happiness can be just as profound as sorrow. General | FAQ | The Criterion Collection