Over the course of a single weekend during a summer fair, their paths cross—often narrowly—with several charming men: Maxence (Jacques Perrin), a sensitive painter and poet who has drawn the face of his ideal woman (who unknowingly resembles Delphine); Simon Dame (Michel Piccoli), a music publisher; and an American composer, Andy Miller (Gene Kelly). Meanwhile, their mother, Yvonne (Danielle Darrieux), who runs a café, rekindles feelings for a former lover. The film is a tapestry of missed connections, mistaken identities, and joyous coincidences, all leading to an exuberant, dance-filled finale.

The included booklet features an essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, who argues that Rochefort is Demy’s most deeply American film—not despite its Frenchness, but because it borrows the Hollywood musical’s utopian promise and subverts it with existential absence.

The film stars Catherine Deneuve and her real-life sister, Françoise Dorléac, who bring an authentic, dynamic chemistry to the roles 1.2.4 . Tragically, Dorléac died in a car accident shortly after the film's release 1.2.4.

The accompanying essays break down Demy's unique position in French cinema—a director who looked to the optimism of classic Hollywood rather than the cynical deconstruction favored by his contemporaries like Jean-Luc Godard. Conclusion

The 4K digital restoration restores the film's original color timing. The pinks are aggressively vibrant, the whites are crisp, and the audio transfer preserves the rich, multi-layered depth of Legrand’s orchestration without the tinny distortion common in older releases.

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The film’s joyful spirit is carried by a truly remarkable international cast. At its heart are the irresistible Deneuve and Dorléac. Tragically, died in a car accident just months after the film’s completion, making her radiant performance in Rochefort a poignant final tribute to a rising star.

The choreography, provided by Norman Maen, is a marvel of sixties style, blending athleticism with the simple, graceful movements of everyday life. As film scholar Jenny Oyallon-Koloski notes in the Oxford Handbook of Cinematic Choreography , "Demy’s rigorous staging of minimalist figure and camera movement makes even the simplest gestures during musical numbers part of the film’s intricate patterns". This approach allows the viewer to discover new details upon each viewing, making the Criterion edition an endlessly rewarding experience.

By 1967, Kelly’s star in Hollywood had waned. Demy, an obsessive fan of Singin’ in the Rain , wrote a role specifically for him: Andy, the American composer passing through Rochefort. Kelly, fluent in French, performs his own dubbing and choreographs his own solo number.

The film’s genius lies in its structure of ironic detachment: Everyone is searching for their ideal love, often standing just yards apart. Demy, who survived the Brittany bombings as a child, understood that life’s cruelties are often mundane—not tragic, just mismatched . Rochefort’s radiant surface is the film’s true darkness: a world so beautiful that pain becomes invisible.

A comprehensive documentary exploring the film’s production, featuring interviews with Agnes Varda, Catherine Deneuve, and Michel Legrand 1.2.2 .

: Discussions with director Jacques Demy, composer Michel Legrand, and costume designer Jacqueline Moreau. Critical Essays

The Criterion Collection release elevates The Young Girls of Rochefort from a cult classic to an essential piece of film history. Picture and Sound Quality

A lively carnival arrives in town, bringing unexpected romance, dancing, and intrigue, including a subplot involving a local painter (Jacques Perrin) and a darkly humorous storyline about a murderer.

The Young Girls of Rochefort is not just a movie; it is a mood, a place, and a feeling. It is a shimmering, pastel-drenched dream of art, love, and the idea that happiness is just around the corner, even if we keep missing it. The 2017 Criterion Blu-ray release is the definitive way to experience Jacques Demy's masterpiece, offering a pristine transfer, superb audio, and an essential collection of supplements that illuminate this unique intersection of French New Wave sensibility and Hollywood tradition.

Jacques Demy, Michel Legrand, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac, Gene Kelly, French musical, Criterion Collection, Technicolor, cinema du look, romantic coincidence.

A Pastel Masterpiece of Pure Joy: Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) on Criterion

For a film so utterly dependent on its sensory execution, the Criterion Collection’s presentation of The Young Girls of Rochefort is essential. Demy and his production designer, Bernard Evein, famously repainted the actual buildings of Rochefort in vibrant shades of pink, blue, and yellow to match the film's costume palette.

: Features a high-definition transfer with a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.