Jacques Demy’s film trilogy

Learn about three of the greatest French musicals produced by one of France’s best directors.

Jacques Demy is a French film director who made French musicals. Unfortunately, Demy has never as successful as Hollywood film directors like Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg, even with four Academy Award nominations throughout his career. His most prominent work was a famous French musical trilogy consisting of Lola (1961), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). His work directly impacted the lives of actresses Catherine Deneuve and Anouk Aimée, both of whom have received Academy Award nominations later on in their respective careers. Take a look at three films that Jacques Demy directed, all of which have impacted the nature of French cinema.

The first installment of the famed trilogy is Lola (1961). Starring Anouk Aimée and Marc Michel, Lola reunites with her former boyfriend named Roland Cassard. An interesting fact is that Roland Cassard reappears in another Jacques Demy film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Lola is a cabaret dancer and a single mother, and the film has a beautiful musical theme written by Agnès Varda. Demy’s direction is unique because he is able to create stylish musicals even when he films in black-and-white.

Released in 1964, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg follows the love story between Geneviève Emery and Guy Foucher as the war in Algeria attempts to tear them apart. A unique feature of this film is that all of the dialogue is sung. It also received five Academy Award nominations, including one for the hauntingly beautiful song, “I Will Wait for You.” This film did not win any Academy Awards, but it is actually Damien Chazelle’s favorite movie, and it inspired him to create La La Land. It is safe to say that Chazelle’s instant-classic would not have been made if Demy did not create his most famous film.

Demy advanced Catherine Deneuve’s career by making her the star of the delightful musical The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). She plays Delphine Garnier, who teams up with her sister, Solange, as they search for romance outside of Rochefort. The beautiful music in this film received an Oscar nomination even though it lost to another musical hit, the Best Picture winner Oliver! Demy might not have been as famous as other directors in the 1960s, but his work still received worldwide recognition.

Demy passed away in 1990, but his career revolutionized the movie musical because of his love for music. He went on to produce numerous films until his death, and he has made a lasting impression not just on French cinema, but world cinema. Many fans still adore this films and music compositions, and Demy’s work will truly stand the test of time as long as anyone is willing to enjoy his work.