The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
"Les parapluies de Cherbourg" (original title)

An umbrella shop girl is separated from her mechanic boyfriend when he is called for military service. Alone, she faces a life altering decision.

Director:

Jacques Demy

Writer:

Jacques Demy (scenario and dialogue)

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Geneviève Emery
Nino Castelnuovo	...	Guy Foucher
Anne Vernon	...	Madame Emery
Marc Michel	...	Roland Cassard
Ellen Farner	...	Madeleine
Mireille Perrey	...	Tante 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 Blanck	...	Girl in Cafe (as D. Blank)
Jane Carat	...	Ginny (as J. Carat)
Harald Wolff	...	Monsieur Dubourg

Storyline

Geneviève, 17, lives with her widowed mother, who owns an umbrella shop in Cherbourg. She and Guy, a twenty-year-old auto mechanic, are secretly in love and want to marry, but when she reveals this to her mother, her mother objects on the grounds that Geneviève is too young and Guy is not mature or well-established enough, particularly since he has not yet done his required military service. Shortly after this, Guy is drafted to serve in the war in Algeria. Before he leaves, he and Geneviève consummate their love for each other, which results in her becoming pregnant. While Guy is away they drift apart, and Geneviève, strongly encouraged by her mother, accepts a marriage proposal from a well-to-do gem dealer named Roland Cassard, who has fallen in love with her at first sight and has promised to bring up her child as his own. (The character of Cassard is continued from Demy's earlier film Lola.) Guy is wounded and is discharged before his two-year term is up, but when he returns to ...

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Plot Keywords:

love | aunt | military service | mechanic | umbrella | 

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Taglines:

FOR ALL THE YOUNG LOVERS OF THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD...

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

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Details

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 December 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Filming Locations:

Cherbourg, Manche, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$18,425 (USA) (13 February 2004)

Gross:

$18,425 (USA) (13 February 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parc Film, Madeleine Films, Beta Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (restored version) (1992) Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the beginning, a black car rolls into the garage where Guy works, and Guy is asked to assist with the car's problems. This car is actually Roland Cassard's and it can be seen two more times: when Roland visits the umbrella shop to give Ms. Emery the money for her pearl necklace, and again as the wedding car. The license plate is the same and can be seen in this latter scene and in the very first.

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Quotes

Guy Foucher: Are you in mourning?
Geneviève Emery: Mother died last autumn.
Guy Foucher: What did you name her?
Geneviève Emery: Francoise. She's a lot like you. Do you want to see her?
Guy Foucher: I think you can go.

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Connections

Referenced in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010)

User Reviews

Beautifully sad; a must-see! (SPOILER)

I heard so much about this film but missed seeing it in 1964 during its first release simply because it was never shown here. I finally got to see it 40 years after its debut and it remains as fresh and enchanting as I imagined it to be. The film is quite heartbreaking because Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve) did not persevere in her love for Guy. I can only imagine what pain Guy had to bear facing war in Algeria knowing his fiancée back home was pregnant with his child and he couldn't do anything about it. The blaze of colors in the movie was a contrast to the somber atmosphere of infidelity and lost love. I suppose they both had fairly good marriages but we can gleam that they did not reach the pinnacle of joy and had to settle for second best in the end. It sort of reminded me of Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass"--Warren Beatty's character and Natalie Wood's character--they did not "live happily ever after"--they just settled for second best.

It is very clear that Genevieve continued to carry the memory of her lost love--otherwise she would not have made the detour to Cherbourg and meet Guy "accidentally"...It was such a heartbreaking scene--they meet each other after many many years and they have named their children with the same name--the name they planned to give their first-born as they made their future plans together before he leaves for his army stint. I wonder, would it still be as beautiful if it ended happily? In any case, it is one of the most unforgettable films I have ever seen. Try to get hold of the DVD copy for your collection. :-)