Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me all about the musicals she loved watching in her youth, with her mother; stories where Gene Kelly was singing, Fred Astaire dancing, orchestra playing while Esther Williams was swimming. The Big Band era of the jazz scene was portrayed in almost every movie coming out of Hollywood. And the most unforgettable scene of Gilda is certainly Rita Hayworth seductively dancing and half-stripping while singing Put The Bame On Mame.

So where do French hold a place in that era among the musicals? I am not an expert on the history of movies, and partially because of my mother's stories, partially due to the Hollywood's glamour on the subject, I missed that place for a long while; a long while until I saw Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. And when I did, I realized that I had been familiar with a part of this movie for even a longer time; I had known Michel Legrand's music and had certainly heard of the famous I Will Wait For You.



The plot of the movie is not a very original one for us today's generation, a 17-year old young woman, Geneviève lives and works with her mother in their shop where they sell umbrellas (parapluies), and she is in love with Guy, a young man of 20 working in a service depot. While Geneviève's mother is very much against the idea of her daughter getting married to that man, at this such young age, she also has some financial problems and a handsome Parisian jeweler Roland Cassard helps her, falling in love with her beautiful daughter at the same time. Geneviève and Guy's love is put to a test as Guy is called to army to do his military service which would take for about two years. The night before he leaves, they go to Guy's apartment where he lives with his aunt Élise, they make love and two months later she finds out that she is pregnant. Worried about her relationship getting emotionally distant as the physical distance with her lover remains the same, she finally gives up and agrees to marry Cassard, who is willing to help her raise the child as his own and thus, gains her respect. After a while, Guy returns home with a leg injury, he rushes to Geneviève and her mother's shop, only to find out that she got married and they all left the town to live in Paris. Depressed by this news and then the death of his aunt, he finally finds comfort in Madeleine's love. The movie then passes to a future time of couple of years, Guy and his wife Madeleine own a gas station, living happily with their son. On Christmas eve, a car stops by at the station and to his surprise, it's Geneviève and her daughter. Shocked to see each other, they exchange a few sentences as they have been like two strangers forever, and Geneviève takes her leave, while Madeleine comes with their son François and movie ends with the happy family playing together.

LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG CLIP CHANSON DENEUVE FILM DEMY F
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This is certainly a heartbreaking story. It may not be a groundbreaking art piece, however, it is nonetheless a classic; it is the first French musical in colour, the film dialogue is all sung as recitative and it was nominated for several oscars. The events that occur in the film sometimes look absurd or pointless, especially in today's point of view, as a woman myself, but it sure must be evaluated according to its own period. The song I Will Wait For You has since been covered by many artists of different eras, from Nana Mouskouri to Cher, and here is another cover from French jazz musician Stephane Grapelli:



My mother does not like those movies anymore. She says that they were stupid fairytales and unreal at all levels, and one must face the reality even in the movies. This is sad really, for these movies are the most unforgettable icons of an era and of a generation. So, in addition to her stories, I am now building my own memories of movies, and Les Parapluies de Cherbourg is, for me, one of the 'must see's, even if you do not like musicals, or heartbreaking love stories, at least for the young and flawlessly and innocently beautiful Catherine Deneuve.