Jacques Demy’s Les parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) Is a visual wonder. Filled with primary colors it gives us a beautiful look at something very melancholic in nature. The characters quickly change from reflecting the primary colors to being a contrast to them. The emotions of the characters are a lot more in depth than the primary colors lead you to believe. It is a wonderful contrast that is made between the subjects and the world they live in. The colors however do reflect the emotions of some characters throughout but it is oddly rarely the main characters whose emotions are reflected. Which gives you a look into what it’s like to live as these characters, always surrounded by something that isn’t yourself, or a reflection of yourself. It is a unique contrast I haven’t seen done to this extent in a movie before.
There are also some deeply personal shots in this film. Close ups of characters that have an endless weight to them the more you look at the subjects of the frame. It is incredibly introspective in these moments and I have thought about them daily since I saw the film. I also found a very interesting use of depth in the locations the film shows. It is all very inviting in its presentation and very real feeling.
An example of the personal shots.
To move past the visuals, I’d like to say that these characters were all very interesting. And I don’t wish to spoil too much of the story. However it is safe to say that the two main characters start and end in two very different places. And it is devastatingly sweet. That is not a term I use lightly. It is an incredibly sad movie under the surface and I’m sure that is already well established given my previous writing. But it is a warm, comfortable, and depressing movie. Not a combination easily executed, but performed perfectly by the cast. The film stars Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo in the lead roles, Genevieve, and Guy respectively.
And now is when I should mention the three part structure of the film. It is divided into three parts indicated by title cards in the film. Part one is led by both characters, and to put it simply it begins happily and remains that way until it’s saddening end. Part two begins how the first ended, however it is led by Genevieve as her path goes away from Guy’s. This portion of the film is the slowest, yet also the most introspective. Genevieve is quietly conflicted throughout and you see every stage of her sadness, emptiness, and contentness. Part three begins the same way as two, and follows a very similar path for Guy. Only at the end of part three we have one of the most impactful endings I’ve seen in a long time. If you’re familiar with La La Land, this ending has 3 times the impact of that film, with a very similar ending. It is emotionally warm and heartbreaking.
I'd like to return to the colors of the film. They are beautiful, each shot is unique, unless it has intention of being a reflection of a previous shot. And with each comes a new emotion or sense of emotions surrounding each character. They fill each shot with something interesting, even if it is something uninteresting. Jacques Demy and cinematographer Jean Rabier created something uniquely beautiful and bold in this film.
I should mention that this film is a musical, that it is typically something I'd want to point
out at the beginning of the review but it totally slipped my mind. I believe that's the case because the music is so intertwined with the story and it feels like the music is all completely natural and it is amazing the feeling that gives. It feels like the movie and the music couldn't exist without each other. They are so flawlessly put together that at a certain point its hard to tell where one songs ends and another begins. And it's all put together so wonderfully.
French cinema has my full attention. Go watch this film, It's incredible. I'd love to rewatch this as soon as possible. It was wonderful, and I'm incredibly glad I chose to watch this masterpiece.
Enjoy some more beautiful shots from the film.
