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★★★★★ 5
My favorite movie musical
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, Jacques Demy, Director) is a very straightforward love story that’s fairly predictable, but that doesn’t take away from its absorbing allure. In fact, I love this film so much that I’m willing to overlook some of the minor flaws in the blu ray transfer from Criterion. This transfer is somewhat grainy/hazy in picture quality, and the sound isn’t exactly clear; in fact, it can be slightly muffled at times. However, I’m not going to dwell on these few minor imperfections. Now, for the heart of the review: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is so unique in that all of the dialogue is sung. This is definitely an acquired taste, but about 15-20 minutes in, I was used to it and all-in. The next thing that becomes obvious is its rich color; it’s sort of pastel-like, with some backgrounds that are quite striking. Finally, the last thing that jumps out is the continuous upbeat music in the film, with the exception of the main theme, which is an emotionally-charged melancholy number by Michel Legrand that is the heartbeat of the film. This film is really a heartfelt love story where fate is the prevailing narrative and force. It’s a film about important decisions and their outcomes. Along the way, there are familial issues, death, rebuilding with emotional crutches, and some humor injected at just the right times. Some of the dialogue is cliched, but I guess that’s par for the course in a love story? Finally, while watching this film, I could definitely see where the 2016 film, La La Land took so much inspiration from, especially the ending sequence and the upbeat musical numbers. Overall, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a masterpiece of a film that’s essential to your blu ray collection. The Criterion Collection usually does a stellar job with resorting older films, but for some reason this isn’t their best work. I was expecting better quality. The blu ray also contains some nice special features.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2025
