| Photos (see all 27 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
| Catherine Deneuve | ... | Geneviève Emery | |
| Nino Castelnuovo | ... | Guy Foucher | |
| Anne Vernon | ... | Madame Emery | |
| Marc Michel | ... | Roland Cassard | |
| Ellen Farner | ... | Madeleine | |
| Mireille Perrey | ... | Aunt Élise | |
| Jean Champion | ... | Aubin (as J. Champion) | |
| Pierre Caden | ... | Bernard (as P. Caden) | |
| Jean-Pierre Dorat | ... | Jean (as J.P. Dorat) | |
| Bernard Fradet | ... | Gas Station Apprentice (as B. Fradet) | |
| Michel Benoist | ... | Umbrella Buyer (as M. Benoist) | |
| Philippe Dumat | ... | Garage Customer in 1957 (as P. Dumat) | |
| Dorothée Blank | ... | Girl in Cafe (as D. Blank) | |
| Jane Carat | ... | Ginny (as J. Carat) | |
| Harald Wolff | ... | Monsieur Dubourg | |
| Danielle Licari | ... | Geneviève Emery (singing voice) (as D. Licari) | |
| José Bartel | ... | Guy Foucher (singing voice) (as J. Bartel) | |
| Christiane Legrand | ... | Madame Emery (singing voice) (as C. Legrand) | |
| Georges Blaness | ... | Roland Cassard (singing voice) (as G. Blanes) | |
| Claudine Meunier | ... | Madeleine (singing voice) (as C. Meunier) | |
| Claire Leclerc | ... | Aunt Élise (singing voice) (as C. Leclerc) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Patrick Bricard | ... | Waiter (uncredited) | |
| Jacques Camelinat | ... | Garage Customer in 1959 (uncredited) | |
| François Charet | ... | Mechanic in 1959 (uncredited) | |
| Jean-Pierre Chizat | ... | Pierre - Mechanic (uncredited) | |
| Jacques Demy | ... | Le client égaré / Le serveur (singing voice) (uncredited) | |
| Bernard Garnier | ... | Mechanic in 1959 (uncredited) | |
| Gisèle Grandpré | ... | Madame Germaine (uncredited) | |
| Hervé Legrand | ... | Francois Foucher (uncredited) | |
| Michel Legrand | ... | Jean (singing voice) (uncredited) | |
| Myriam Michelson | ... | Girl in Cafe (uncredited) | |
| Paul Pavel | ... | First Removal Man (uncredited) | |
| Roger Perrinoz | ... | Cafe Owner (uncredited) | |
| Rosalie Varda | ... | Françoise Cassard (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Jacques Demy | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Jacques Demy | (scenario and dialogue) | |
Produced by | |||
| Mag Bodard | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Michel Legrand | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Jean Rabier | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Anne-Marie Cotret | (as A.M. Cotret) | ||
| Monique Teisseire | (as M. Teisseire) | ||
Production Design by | |||
| Bernard Evein | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Jacqueline Moreau | (as J. Moreau) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Christine Fornelli | .... | makeup artist (as C. Fornelli) | |
Production Management | |||
| Philippe Dussart | .... | production manager | |
| Maurice Urbain | .... | unit manager (as M. Urbain) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| André Flédérick | .... | second assistant director (as A. Flederick) | |
| Klaus Müller-Laue | .... | assistant director (as K. Muller-Laue) | |
| Jean-Paul Savignac | .... | assistant director (as J.P. Savignac) | |
Art Department | |||
| Maurice Bourbotte | .... | upholsterer (uncredited) | |
| Joseph Gerhard | .... | props (uncredited) | |
| Claude Pignot | .... | assistant set decorator (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| François Musy | .... | stereo sound consultant: Dolby (1992 remastered version) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Jean-Paul Lemaître | .... | camera operator (as J.P. Lemaitre) | |
| Leo Weisse | .... | still photographer (as L. Weisse) | |
| Pierre Willemin | .... | camera operator (as P. Willemin) | |
| Roger Delattre | .... | chief electrician (uncredited) | |
| Bernard Largemain | .... | key grip (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Real | .... | dresses: Catherine Deneuve | |
| Agnès Soulet | .... | costumer (uncredited) | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Gisèle Chézeau | .... | assistant editor (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Michel Legrand | .... | conductor | |
| Michel Legrand | .... | music publisher | |
| Michel Legrand | .... | musical director | |
| Francis Lemarque | .... | music publisher | |
Other crew | |||
| Annie Maurel | .... | script (as A. Maurel) | |
| Charles Chieusse | .... | location manager (uncredited) | |
| Jeanne Marie Olivier | .... | production secretary (uncredited) | |
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In 1964, filmmaker Jacques Demy made an audacious move by directing a deceptively simple love story completely in song. I would be hard pressed to call this movie a musical, opera or even an operetta since there are neither show-stopping production numbers nor soul-bearing arias on the soundtrack. Instead, we are presented everyday dialogue in a series of recitatives that bring a dramatic urgency to the most mundane of events. Why it works is that the story is not the happy-go-lucky romance one would suspect it will be from the bright colors of the production but rather a melancholy tale of love unfulfilled and the tenuousness of longing in the face of harsh realities. It is a Gallic version of "Romeo and Juliet" by way of William Inge's tale of teenage lust, "Splendor in the Grass" (in fact, Demy's ending bears a striking resemblance to the last scenes of Elia Kazan's film three years earlier).
The plot focuses on teen-aged star-crossed lovers Genevieve and Guy, who develop a relationship through clandestine meetings despite the disapproval of Genevieve's mother, who thinks a gas station mechanic is beneath her daughter. The lovers eventually consummate their relationship once Guy finds he has been drafted to serve for France during the Algerian conflict. With Guy away, Genevieve discovers she is pregnant and must decide whether to wait for Guy's uncertain return or marry the rich diamond dealer, Roland Cassard, her mother's preference given the failing business of her umbrella shop. The story develops in subtle strokes almost like a Yasujiro Ozu film in that there aren't really any melodramatic confrontation scenes but instead moments of revelation. The wondrous Catherine Deneuve, all of twenty, had her first important role as Genevieve, and it's no wonder her career seems assured from her ethereal performance. With his earthy good looks and open-hearted manner, Nino Castelnuovo complements Deneuve as Guy, and their romance is palpable even in an amusingly contrived shot where they are obviously on a conveyor belt moving down the street. Anne Vernon lends a robust presence as Genevieve's mother as she plots her daughter's fate, and Marc Michel is appropriately bland as Roland.
Along with the vibrant colors faithfully recaptured in a 1996 restoration, such artifices really add to the film's charm. However, just as essential is Michel Legrand's score with his swooning romanticism at its most cinematic (and a precursor to the music he composed for Barbra Streisand's 1983 "Yentl"), as it fills the dramatic arcs from start to finish. You will likely recognize the lounge standard melodies for the Americanized translations, "I Will Wait for You" and "Watch What Happens", as they are pervasive through the recitatives. I enjoyed the movie very much but realize this will not be everyone's cup of tea, especially those already alienated by the musical genre. One can see this as an even more exaggerated form, but you can probably tell by the first two minutes whether you will be enraptured by it. The DVD also includes an excerpt from Demy's widow Agnes Varda's illuminating 1995 documentary, "The World of Jacques Demy".