Pssst, want to check out Les parapluies de Cherbourg in our new look?
Information
- A.k.a.
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
- Year
- 1964
- Runtime
- 91 min.
- Director
- Jacques Demy
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Musical
- Rating *
- 7.9
- Votes *
- 18,775
- Checks
- 5,222
- Favs
- 566
- Dislikes
- 70
- Favs/checks
- 10.8% (1:9)
- Favs/dislikes
- 8:1
Top comments
-
Neville
Completely original and should have won the Oscar.
I remember as a teenager being deeply moved by it when it first came out; now many years later it again struck me as fresh.
It wears its formality lightly: even though every word is sung, the dialogue is close to natural, if slower than normal. Deep, rich, saturated (Eastman)color complements the depth of emotion. In the background is grand opera: Bizet's Carmen's tragic Romeo-and-Juliet theme in counterpoint. 7 years 11 months ago -
ClassicLady
Strange at first but when thought of as the most ingenious opera made, it takes on a whole life of its own. The words are more meaningful, the actions more deliberate and the romance more touching. Fabulous! 6 years 5 months ago -
Siskoid
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, the French musical now forever linked to La-La Land as inspiration, has some memorable melodies, even if it often avoids the easy rhyme, and its wall-to-wall singing can come off as silly in the more mundane moments (though they do wring some humor out of it, that poor mailman). What most people will pick up on is the look of the film, which is so vibrantly colorful and stylized that it's the proverbial feast for the eyes. More than that, the colors mean something. The four lovers in this unusually-structured romance are either in stark contrast - when they're love is free to manifest itself - or melt into the background - when something (doubt, others, circumstance) creates an obstacle - or else go to earthen brown - when the person isn't an object of affection - with transitions between them possible at crisis moments. The vivacious mother, for her part, is more ambivalent, surrounded by stripes that both match and contrast her colors. I think a whole essay could be written just on the use of color, which isn't to say I didn't like the music. As for the story, it moves from teenage naiveté towards a pragmatic, adult finale that's at once bittersweet, glorious and true to life. 2 years 7 months ago
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In 17 official lists
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This movie ranks #23 in IMDb's Musical Top 50
IMDb's Musical Top 50
23 -
This movie ranks #26 in TimeOut's 100 Best Romantic Movies
TimeOut's 100 Best Roman…
26 -
This movie ranks #30 in Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or
Cannes Film Festival - P…
30 -
This movie ranks #40 in Times' 100 Best French Films
Times' 100 Best French F…
40 -
This movie ranks #52 in Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film Nominees
Academy Award Best Forei…
52 -
This movie ranks #53 in TimeOut's 100 Best French Films
TimeOut's 100 Best Frenc…
53 -
This movie ranks #72 in 100 Musicals (BFI Screen Guide)
100 Musicals (BFI Screen…
72 -
This movie ranks #168 in Sight and Sound 2012 - Combined List
Sight and Sound 2012 - C…
168 -
This movie ranks #170 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?
They Shoot Pictures, Don…
170 -
This movie ranks #236 in 501 Must See Movies
501 Must See Movies
236 -
This movie ranks #310 in The British Film Institute: 360 Classics
The British Film Institu…
310 -
This movie ranks #421 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See…
421 -
This movie ranks #651 in Have You Seen? A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films
Have You Seen? A Persona…
651 -
This movie ranks #681 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
The Guardian's 1000 Film…
681 -
This movie ranks #843 in The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
843 -
This movie ranks #934 in NY Times' The Essential 1,000 Films to See
NY Times' The Essential …
934 -
This movie ranks #967 in TimeOut's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
TimeOut's 1000 Films to …
967