The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Play trailer

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Released Feb 19, 1964

1h 31m

Musical

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), a beautiful young Frenchwoman who works at a small-town boutique selling umbrellas, falls for dashing mechanic Guy (Nino Castelnuovo). Their brief romance is interrupted when Guy is drafted to serve in the Algerian War. Though pregnant by Guy, Geneviève marries an older businessman, Roland (Marc Michel), and begins to move on with her life. Throughout the musical film, all the characters' dialogue is conveyed through song.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Jacques Demy elevates the basic drama of everyday life into a soaring opera full of bittersweet passion and playful charm, featuring a timeless performance from Catherine Deneuve.

Read Critics Reviews

Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Charm may be in the eye of the beholder, but if you don't find this movie irresistible, you should get your eyesight checked.

Apr 6, 2020

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Yet the hits, when they come, are immense.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 9, 2019

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Deneuve brings to the film her own subtly erotic discontent and muted sadness.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 6, 2019

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

The stunning design, vivid candy colours and Catherine Deneuve's ethereal performance only add to the fairy-tale qualities of the haunting love story between a teenage shop girl and a garage attendant.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 6, 2024

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

It’s one of the best movies to come out of the 1960s, a devastating almost romance compete with some of the most gut-wrenching musical numbers you’re ever likely to see.

Jul 20, 2023

Full Review

Judith Crist

New York Herald Tribune

It is all so sweet, so sentimental, so artsy, so craftsy, so pretty, so pretentious, so abysmally simple-minded.

Aug 15, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Anastasios A. P

My all time favourite film. Demy directs, Deneuve stars and the music adds so much more when the cinematography has already left you speechless. There is no time to be pretentious in this film. It’s the 60s. One of the best films ever made and definitely one of the best owls from that decade. Poetry.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/11/24

Full Review

julie b

I can’t get over how gorgeous every single tiny thing looks in this!!!! Right from the first frame, the cinematography, production design, and costumes are beautiful and full of vibrant colours. These aesthetics play up the sweetness in this cute but tragic story, set against an unforgettable orchestral score. Maybe I’m just in a mood but the thing that doesn’t fully work for me is the nonstop singing; while I applaud the creativity and experiment, I think it masks the true emotions which would have been more powerful with spoken dialogue.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/24/24

Full Review

Jonathan M

When people ask me my favorite film, picking one is too hard...but this is a title I often include. The score and production design are exquisite, and Demy was at the height of his craft.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/23/24

Full Review

Dani G

Magnificent, different style of musical romance. A wonderful production design, a very original singing-dialogue, a very charming and touching love story. I can't help to think this is where La La Land was based on

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Alec B

I question the necessity of having every single line of dialogue sung but Demy's brightly colored melodrama is still vibrant and achingly sad.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

Fred N

Interesting for its period and music, considered a classic by many. There is unintended irony after singing "I will wait for you all my life" that she ends up impatient after three months and married to someone else after six. Back then we could sing over unwed teen pregnancy, prostitution, and a colonial war of oppression. Pretty music and scenery, though.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/20/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jacques Demy

Director

Catherine Deneuve

Geneviève Emery

Nino Castelnuovo

Guy Foucher

Anne Vernon

Madame Emery

Marc Michel

Roland Cassard

Ellen Farner

Madeleine

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Young Girls of Rochefort

98%

84%

The Young Girls of Rochefort

Watchlist

Blue Hawaii

22%

67%

Blue Hawaii

Watchlist

Lili

100%

82%

Lili

Watchlist

Young at Heart

90%

78%

Young at Heart

Watchlist

An American in Paris

95%

79%

An American in Paris

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Hirokazu Koreeda’s Five Favorite Films

David Goyer’s Five Favorite Films

Now Streaming: Scream, While We’re Young, Halloween TV Episodes, And More

View more photos

Synopsis

Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), a beautiful young Frenchwoman who works at a small-town boutique selling umbrellas, falls for dashing mechanic Guy (Nino Castelnuovo). Their brief romance is interrupted when Guy is drafted to serve in the Algerian War. Though pregnant by Guy, Geneviève marries an older businessman, Roland (Marc Michel), and begins to move on with her life. Throughout the musical film, all the characters' dialogue is conveyed through song.

Director: Jacques Demy
Producer: Mag Bodard
Screenwriter: Jacques Demy, Jacques Demy
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films, Criterion Collection, Wellspring Media
Production Co: Parc Film, Beta Film GmbH
Genre: Musical, Romance
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 19, 1964, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.4K
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16mm, Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now