The Young Girls Of Rochefort -1967- Criterion -... May 2026
Director: Jacques Demy
Starring: Françoise Dorléac, Catherine Deneuve, Gene Kelly, Michel Piccoli, and George Chakiris
Label: The Criterion Collection
The Synthesis of Song and Sea If The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) was Jacques Demy’s tragic opera in candy-colored pastels, then The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) is his euphoric American musical dropped into the heart of provincial France. Released in 1967 and now preserved in stunning high-definition by the Criterion Collection, this film is a dazzling celebration of chance, coincidence, and the unstoppable rhythm of life.
Unlike its predecessor, where every line of dialogue is sung in recitative, Rochefort utilizes a more traditional musical structure—spoken dialogue intercut with elaborate song-and-dance numbers. Yet, Demy’s signature touch remains: the colors are hyper-saturated, the romance is destined, and the melancholy of missed connections lingers just beneath the surface of the brightest smile.
A Town Painted in Primary Colors The film takes place over a single weekend in the seaside town of Rochefort. The setting is a character in itself; Demy famously had the town repainted for the shoot, dressing the gray French architecture in vibrant blues, pinks, yellows, and greens to match the costumes of his actors. Under the cinematography of Ghislain Cloquet, the screen vibrates with energy.
The plot weaves together the lives of twin sisters, Solange and Delphine Garnier (played by real-life sisters Françoise Dorléac and Catherine Deneuve). They teach piano and dance, respectively, but dream of finding success and true love in Paris. Around them orbits a kaleidoscope of characters: a charming fairground worker (George Chakiris), an American composer passing through (Gene Kelly), a lovelorn shopkeeper (Michel Piccoli), and a mysterious murderer subplot that adds a jarring, almost Hitchcockian tension to the whimsy.
The Score of a Lifetime The music by Michel Legrand is nothing short of iconic. The main theme, with its distinctive clavichord hook, is one of the most recognizable melodies in French cinema history. The songs drive the narrative forward, expressing a longing for "the ideal man" or the excitement of "the fair." The choreography, led by Norman Maen, is robust and athletic, utilizing the open spaces of the town square and the traveling fair in a way that feels distinctly un-theatrical yet entirely staged. It captures the 1960s optimism where pop art and jazz collided.
An All-Star Crossover The Young Girls of Rochefort serves as a bridge between French New Wave cinema and the Golden Age of Hollywood. The casting of Gene Kelly—a legend of the American musical—opposite rising French stars creates a magical friction. Kelly’s presence grounds the film in the tradition of MGM musicals, while Deneuve and Dorléac represent the chic modernity of swinging sixties Europe.
A Bittersweet Legacy Watching the film today, particularly through Criterion’s meticulous restoration, is a bittersweet experience. It captures the luminous Françoise Dorléac (Catherine Deneuve’s older sister) at the height of her talent and beauty. Tragically, Dorléac died in a car accident shortly after completing the film. Her presence adds a layer of haunting poignancy; every smile and every note she sings feels preserved in amber, a testament to a star extinguished too soon.
The Criterion Treatment The Criterion Collection release restores the film to its original Technicolor glory, stripping away years of faded prints to reveal the bold palette Demy intended. The audio is crisp, allowing Legrand’s complex orchestrations to breathe. The release typically includes essential supplements, such as archival interviews with Demy and Legrand, a documentary on the making of the film, and discussions on the film’s restoration, providing context for the labor of love that preserved this masterpiece.
Conclusion The Young Girls of Rochefort is a film about the "what ifs" of life—lovers who pass on the street, missed glances, and the precise timing required for destiny to take hold. It is a work of unadulterated joy, polished to a high gloss, yet possessing the soul of a true artist. For cinephiles, it remains the ultimate French musical—a movie that doesn't just ask you to watch, but asks you to dance along. The Young Girls of Rochefort -1967- Criterion -...
The Criterion Collection release of The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) features a key critical piece titled "The Young Girls of Rochefort: Not the Same Old Song and Dance", an essay by renowned critic Jonathan Rosenbaum.
In this piece, Rosenbaum explores the film's "giddy, indefatigable élan" and how it serves as a "tribute to Hollywood optimism" while remaining uniquely French. Key Insights from the Criterion Piece
The "Tragic" Missed Connection: Rosenbaum argues that despite the film's sunny appearance, the split second by which Maxence misses Delphine at the café is "the most tragic single moment in all of Demy’s work".
A "Continuous State of Being": He describes the musical form here not as a story with "musical eruptions," but as a "continuous state of delirious being" where pedestrians might suddenly start dancing around a walking star.
Dialogue with Hollywood: The piece highlights the film as a "love letter to American cinema," specifically noting the presence of Gene Kelly and how the film engages with the idealized France seen in An American in Paris.
Hidden Darkness: 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
The Criterion edition (Spine #717) also includes several visual "pieces" that complement the essay: Learn More - Sounding Cinema
Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) is the ultimate cinematic dessert—a candy-colored, jazz-infused masterpiece that stands as one of the most joyful expressions of the French New Wave. While its predecessor, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, was a "sung-through" tragedy of lost love, Rochefort is its exuberant, optimistic twin.
The Criterion Collection edition preserves this spectacle with the reverence it deserves. Here is an exploration of why this film remains a pillar of world cinema. The Vision: Hollywood Glamour meets French Chic If you have only ever seen The Young
Demy conceived the film as a tribute to the classic MGM musicals he loved as a child (Singin' in the Rain, On the Town). To bridge the gap between Hollywood and France, he even cast the legendary Gene Kelly.
Set over a single weekend in the seaside town of Rochefort, the plot follows twin sisters Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac)—sisters in real life as well—who dream of finding big-city love and artistic success. The town is transformed into a literal stage: Demy had hundreds of shutters painted pink and blue to ensure the real-world location matched his stylized palette. The Michel Legrand Score
The film’s soul is the score by Michel Legrand. Moving away from the operatic style of Cherbourg, Legrand leaned into jazz-pop fusion. The melodies are complex, rhythmic, and relentlessly catchy. From the soaring "Chanson des Jumelles" (The Twin Song) to the recurring "Arrivée des Camionneurs," the music doesn't just support the story; it drives the physical movement of every extra on screen. The Criterion Restoration The Criterion release is essential for several reasons:
The Visuals: The 2K digital restoration restores the vibrant primaries (the "Demy Palette") that often looked washed out on older home video releases.
The Sibling Connection: This was the only time Deneuve and Dorléac starred together before Dorléac’s tragic death in a car accident shortly after filming. The Criterion supplements provide a moving look at their relationship.
The Documentary Work: It includes Agnès Varda’s 1993 documentary The Young Girls Turn 25, which captures the town of Rochefort reuniting to celebrate the film's legacy, proving how deeply the production impacted the local community. Why It Matters Today
The Young Girls of Rochefort is a film about missed connections. Characters constantly walk past their soulmates by a matter of seconds, separated only by a door or a street corner. It suggests that while life is a series of "almosts," the dance itself is worth the effort. In an era of cynical cinema, its unapologetic sincerity and technical perfection make it a "feel-good" movie of the highest intellectual order.
Jacques Demy’s 1967 musical masterpiece, The Young Girls of Rochefort Les Demoiselles de Rochefort ), is a centerpiece of the Criterion Collection
. A colorful homage to Hollywood’s Golden Age, the film stars real-life sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac as twins seeking love and adventure in their seaside town. Amazon.com Availability and Features Dorléac had a feral
You can find the film in several formats through the Criterion Collection: Standalone Edition : Available on and Blu-ray, featuring a 2K digital restoration. Essential Jacques Demy Box Set : Included alongside other Demy classics like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg : Periodically available to stream on the Criterion Channel Notable Bonus Content
The Criterion release is packed with supplemental material that dives deep into the film's production and legacy: The Young Girls Turn 25
: A 1993 documentary by Agnès Varda (Demy's widow) capturing the town’s anniversary celebrations. Behind the Screen : A 1966 episode showing rare behind-the-scenes footage of the production. Archival Interviews
: Discussions with director Jacques Demy, composer Michel Legrand, and costume designer Jacqueline Moreau. Critical Essays
: Includes "The Young Girls of Rochefort: Not the Same Old Song and Dance" by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. The Criterion Collection Cultural Impact High and Low - The Criterion Collection
Jacques Demy’s 1967 film The Young Girls of Rochefort is a stylized, pastel-colored musical that operates as both a joyous tribute to and a subversive take on the Hollywood musical tradition, set against a backdrop of complex human connection and fleeting chance. Despite its vibrant, romantic exterior, the film, starring sisters Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac, explores underlying themes of existential anxiety, missed connections, and the somber realities of life, often described as a "darkly French" comedy. For more insights into this classic, visit the Criterion Collection.
If you have only ever seen The Young Girls of Rochefort on a worn VHS tape or a fuzzy television broadcast, you have not seen it. The film’s entire philosophy is built on color.
Production designer Bernard Evein painted entire city blocks of Rochefort in pastel pinks, yellows, and aquamarines to match the costumes. The 1967 Criterion digital restoration, sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, is revelatory. The previous home video releases often leaned toward a muddy orange or faded pink. The Criterion edition restores the original Technicolor brilliance.
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.
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.