Two sisters leave their small seaside town of Rochefort in search of romance. Hired as carnival singers, one falls for an American musician, while the other must search for her ideal partner... Read allTwo sisters leave their small seaside town of Rochefort in search of romance. Hired as carnival singers, one falls for an American musician, while the other must search for her ideal partner.Two sisters leave their small seaside town of Rochefort in search of romance. Hired as carnival singers, one falls for an American musician, while the other must search for her ideal partner.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 nominations total
- Solange Garnier
- (as Françoise Dorleac)
- Subtil Dutrouz
- (as Henri Cremieux)
- Pépé
- (as René Bazart)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDanielle Darrieux is the only actor who actually sings for herself.
- GoofsIn the dance sequences when Andy first arrives, the dancers are in full sun in the street, but by the end, the shadows have nearly covered the entire width of the street.
- Quotes
Delphine, Solange: [singing] We are a pair of twins born in the sign of Gemini, Mi fa so la mi re, Re mifa so so so re do, We're two demoiselles who took to the boys long ago, Mi fa so la mi re, Re mifa so so so re do.
Delphine: Our mama brought us up on her own, Working herself all her life to the bone.
Solange: To make sure our minds could expand, She's spent all her time behind a French-fry stand.
Delphine, Solange: Papa was somebody that we never knew, But when we undress one thing is true, In the small of our backs - in the very same place.
Delphine: There's the same beauty spot
Solange: He had on his face...
Delphine, Solange: We are a pair of twins born in the sign of Gemini, Mi fa so la mi re, Re mifa so so so re do, Who love catchy tunes, silly puns and repartee, Mi fa so la mi re, Re mifa so so so re do...
- Alternate versionsEach musical number was filmed twice, both in French and English, to make a French and an International version. However, in the International version, scenes with dialogues were only redubbed in English but not reshot. The International version has never been released physically.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Jacquot of Nantes (1991)
- SoundtracksChanson des Jumelles
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Jacques Demy
Performed by Anne Germain and Claude Parent
Watching the Hollywood musicals of Astaire and Kelly, one can't help but marvel at the skill and precision of the dancing and the mise en scene, and be buoyed by the very idea that the world could be so perfect, if only in a movie. "Rochefort" isn't perfect in the same way, but in pushing the musical to a different plane it achieves a kind of perfection, one dependent not on the talents of its cast or, as the popular Broadway musicals were, on the book & lyrics.
(Which is not to say that there isn't great music! Themes are repeated, to be sure, but Legrand's melodies delight, and there's more musical variance here than in "Umbrellas of Cherbourg".)
Musicals, like most popular entertainment, usually serve to reinforce our ideals. The 30 years since its release may have been kind, but "The Young Girls of Rochefort" is a rare thing, an entertainment that challenges, flies in the face of convention.
Of special note are the colors, delightfully absurd; the English subtitles, much of which read in perfect sync (including rhymes) with the music (a coinciding English-language verson was shot but never released); the macabre- this has to be the happiest musical with a song about an ax-murder.
The world in which this movie exists hasn't been seen on the screen before or since. Of course, all musicals are fantasy of a kind, but Demy takes it somewhere else. It is one of film's truly unique experiences.
- gurghi-2
- Feb 1, 1999
- How long is The Young Girls of Rochefort?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $91,837
- Gross worldwide
- $98,221
- Runtime2 hours 5 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1