has influenced countless filmmakers and musicians over the years, including Jacques Demy's own collaborations with composer Michel Legrand. The film's blend of music, dance, and narrative has inspired a range of musicals and films, from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) to Moulin Rouge! (2001).
His score is the heartbeat of the film, blending traditional French sensibilities with American big-band jazz. Why It Matters Today
: An episode from a 1966 Belgian television series documenting the making of the film, including behind-the-scenes footage of choreography and sets.
The essay touches on how the "pastel paradise" masks underlying themes of yearning, loss, and even a "cheery" axe-murder subplot mentioned casually by the characters. Special Edition Features
Criterion enriches the viewing experience with a wealth of archival and contemporary supplements: The Young Girls of Rochefort -1967- Criterion -...
Michel Legrand’s iconic jazz score is presented in a way that captures every nuance of the orchestration.
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.
The sparkling chemistry between Deneuve and Dorléac is incredibly moving, made poignant by the knowledge that Dorléac died in a car accident shortly after the film's release.
No discussion of The Young Girls of Rochefort is complete without confronting the tragedy of Françoise Dorléac. The elder sister of Deneuve, Dorléac had a feral, chaotic energy that balanced Deneuve’s glacial perfection. In the scene where Solange sings “Chanson des Jumelles” (“Song of the Twins”), the two women circle a tiny apartment like planets locked in orbit. Their harmonies are tight, but their eyes tell different stories: Deneuve’s longing for safety, Dorléac’s longing for chaos. has influenced countless filmmakers and musicians over the
The plot functions like a clockwork mechanism where characters constantly orbit one another without meeting.
: The digital restoration ensures the "candy-box" colors don't bleed or lose their saturation.
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) Criterion Collection, 2 DVDs
A brilliant composer seeking a grand musical career and her ideal partner. His score is the heartbeat of the film,
Archival interviews with Jacques Demy and Gene Kelly, discussing the challenge of creating a French musical 1.2.2.
A beautiful 1993 documentary by Demy’s widow, Agnès Varda, charting the film’s lasting legacy in the actual town of Rochefort.
A common misconception is that The Young Girls of Rochefort is simply Demy’s attempt to copy the glossy MGM musicals he admired. While the film is an undeniable love letter to that genre, it is a distinctly French creation—more wistful, more intellectual, and more concerned with the art of everyday life than Hollywood had ever been. It was shot on location in the quiet port town of Rochefort, a deliberate choice to place its soaring romance and fantasy against the backdrop of a very real, if now pastel-tinted, French commune.