THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT

France, 1967, 127 minutes, Colour.
Francoise Dorleac, Catherine Deneuve, Gene Kelly, George Chakiris, Jacques Perrin, Michel Piccoli, Danielle Darrieux.
Directed by Jacques Demy, Agnes Varda.

The Young Girls of Rochefort is the second Michel Legrand- Jacques Demy musical. They made The Umbrellas of Cherbourg with Catherine Deneuve and it was a great success in 1964. With bigger budget, wide screen and many stars, this is an attractive French musical but lacks the simplicity of the earlier film. Sisters Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorleac are the heroines and Jacques Perrin, the protagonist of several of Demy's films is the hero. Gene Kelly makes a guest appearance. Michelle Piccoli and Danielle Darrieux also appear. The film gives an idea of the French approach to the American musical comedy tradition. It is attractive but does not translate well with its light touch to an audience outside France.

1. How enjoyable a musical? For what audience was it made? Impact for French audiences, for non-French audiences? Musical comedy entertainment? A tribute to the American musicals?

2. Comment on the characteristics of the French musical and the contrast with expectations from the American styles, the songs with their music and their being situated within the plot, the sense or non-sense of the lyrics? The role of dancing and choreography? The basic nature of the plot, heroes and heroines, contrived crises? The issues that were used about a small town carnival, ambition and success, the irony
of the psychopathic murderer? Impact on non-French audiences?

3. The contribution of widescreen colour, the detail of the town of Rochefort with its square, houses and cafes? The particular colours used for glossy and light atmosphere? The house of the twins, the cafe, the art gallery? The presentation of the carnival and its atmosphere? How particularly French?

4. The quality of the film as a musical: in its songs and dances, the themes of the songs and their relationship to the characters, the songs as revealing the hopes and the yearnings of the characters? The humour with the puns and irony? The styles of the dances? The combination of French and American Influences? The presence of Gene Kelly?

5. Audience interest in and response to the plots the atmosphere of romance, of hopes, the audience expectations? The presentation of the ideal woman? Ambitions and success? The irony of real life, newspaper headlines, the murderer? The happy ending?

6. What kind of town was Rochefort? The town itself, the people, the people involved in the carnival, the children at the ballet, the school children, the customers at the cafes, the art gallery? how real did this world seem? how much a fantasy world in the real world?

7. Audience response to Delphine and Solange? How attractive as heroines? Their musical world, Delphine and dancing, Solange and music? How attractive as heroines, the sex appeal as they were presented? Their innocence and guile? Their work and their hopes in Paris? Their relationship with their mother, with their brother? The humour of their encounters with Bill and Etienne - Delphine as the ideal? Such sequences as the party, their dance at the carnival, the dance of Solange with Andy? Delphine going off to meet the ideal lover? The heroines of a fantasy world? Why do audiences like this
kind of heroine?

8. Response to Maxence? How particularly French was his character and the expression of his character, his military service, the artist, his hopes, the plaintive sensitive personality, his ideal woman, the fact that it coincided with Delphine? The irony of the ending with his narrowly missing Delphine? Audience anticipation as the film ended?

9. Bill and Etienne as the ordinary workers, the charming young men the girls helping them with their show, their happiness, obliging Yvonne, Delphine and Solange? The carnival and the girls' dance? Their pleas for them to stay? Their leaving and Delphine going with them? These two as the basis for the plot and for audience enjoyment?

10. Simon and his name, the background of his love for Yvonne, her going away and his not succeeding? His shock and the singing of his story? His friendship with Andy and helping Solange? The happy ending? Yvonne and her story? Her love for Simon? Audience hopes for a happy ending for them both?

11. Gene Kelly as Andy his career in contrast with Simon's, Simon's building him up, his accidental meeting with Solange, his response to her as the ideal woman, his search, the fulfilment and their final dancing?

12. What audience expectations are excited by this kind of fairytale romance? Hopes for an ending? Happiness? The ending of the film with everybody singing and dancing in the carnival atmosphere?

13. Comment on the comedy touches of the film.

14. Comment on the sentiment, the danger of sentimentality in this kind of romantic confection? The value of this kind of entertainment?