Movie Night: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a French Movie released in 1964 written and directed by Jacques Remy and starring Catherine Deneuve.
Miss Deneuve plays Geneviève who is a shop girl who is in love with a grease monkey down the road.
The grease monkey fixes cars to the snazzy jazz tunes of somebody or other.
I had heard that this movie was a musical. All the dialog is sung to some sort of music, but none of that music has any melody to it. This is no Sondheim or Rogers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Lowe type musical. It is sort of like an opera where characters sort of scat dialog to some collection of notes before they jump into the noted aria that has drama and a tune and a melody. Only in this movie, the aria never comes. This is not a musical that you walk away from humming the tunes. There are no tunes.
My viewing companion, brijeana, and I found it to be rather monotonous. "Where is the show stopping number?", we wondered. There isn't one. So don't wait for it. This ain't Glee.
Geneviève is In Love! In Love! with the Grease Monkey Guy whose name just happens to be Guy. Amazing isn't it?
So you figure that Geneviève and Guy will sing each other some silly love songs that have no tunes and flirt with the umbrellas. So far it is not looking too promising except for the cinematography and the set design, those are absolutely gorgeous and they are why this post will have many screen caps. Because this movie is as pretty as Miss Deneuve and that is pretty damn pretty.
Geneviève's mom owns the umbrella shop that Geneviève works in. I don't know who owns the garage that GM Guy works in.
Geneviève's mom isn't too keen on GM Guy and I can see why. Who would want his greasy monkey hands on that wallpaper?
But Geneviève is all, "Mom! I LOVE HIM! You don't understand how much I LOVE HIM!"
I don't know where Geneviève's dad is. She might not have one which would invalidate that bit about her mom not understanding Geneviève's LOVE of THE CENTURY for GM guy.
Anyway the umbrella shop isn't doing that great a business even with a shop girl like Geneviève in it. Cherbourg is a port town and is full of sailors. Don't tell me that those sailors aren't all lining up in the umbrella shop and buying umbrellas just to get a shot at Geneviève. Well, they aren't. Incidentally, I don't think that all those sailors that we see in this film are sailors. They aren't acting like it.
Geneviève's mom needs money so she sells some of the family jewels. I guess that Geneviève's mom did save some mementos of Geneviève's dad.
Some rich Mustache Guy whose name isn't Guy buys the family jewels because he would like to be part of the family. He has got the hots for Geneviève. I suppose he was once a sailor.
That is why he is hanging around Cherbourg. Geneviève's mom likes him and his money.
Geneviève likes her GM Guy.
And they make out in some beautiful alley ways and joints until GM Guy gets drafted and goes off to be a soldier in the Algerian War.
But GM Guy leaves not only his picture behind, but his baby. Geneviève is knocked up. But that doesn't stop her from partying with Mustache Guy.
What is a girl to do? Geneviève lights up and mopes to her mom.
There is a party going on outside and I and my viewing companion were all for Geneviève to have a few drinks and join in, but, and I give you fair warning, there is NO DANCING in this film.
DANCING would have really brought something to this sort of musical film, but no DANCING. We were all for the Sailors to declare themselves SHARKS and the Grease Monkeys to declare themselves JETS and for the Rumbling and the Dancing to begin. They could throw Geneviève and her mom around and twirl them too, but NOPE. No Dancing in this Movie.
Geneviève decides to get married before the baby comes and since GM Guy is out of the country, she takes Mustache Guy for a husband. But first Geneviève Dear Johns or Cher Jeans GM Guy.
Then it is off to the Church for a Shot Gun Wedding.
And the Happy Couple drive away in a hearse, because it is the Death of True Love.
GM Guy gets out of the Army and comes back to find out that Geneviève really did dump him and just didn't write him a pissy letter. His Tante who is suffering from Puffy Duvet Syndrome dishes the dirt on Geneviève.
GM Guy goes PTSD and fights with the Garage Guys and loses his job and then fights with the Sailors for a Hooker.
Then GM Guy gets loaded and marries a girl named Madelaine who wears purple polka dots and makes love to his hand.
My viewing companion wanted to know why Madelaine was in love with GM Guy's hands. "Everybody has a kink," says I.
Despite Madelaine's obsession with GM Guy's hand; they do manage to make their own baby.
The baby boy is played by a very young Jensen Ackles. So I guess we can add this to his Village People Collection.
GM Guy buys a Gas Station, can't keep him away from cars.
And on one dark and stormy night, guess who the Hearse drove in?
Geneviève and the Kid!
Geneviève has BIG Hair and some big regrets---about the Kid and GM Guy and her hair, no doubt.
But GM Guy gives her the Cold Shoulder and turns her out in the Cold. Don't worry folks, Geneviève has got a nice Mink coat to keep her warm.
C'est La Vie!
This movie could have used some catchy tunes and dancing---lots of dancing with umbrellas.
If you want to watch it---The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
It is a very pretty movie.
But if you want to see a French movie musical with tunes and dancing, this is the one to watch.
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
Screen Caps by ooh1a1a