---
title: "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
year: 1964
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg"
fi1m_id: "the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg"
imdb_id: "tt0058450"
tmdb_id: 5967
wikidata_id: "Q163868"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-26T15:38:58.246297+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T15:38:59.378105+00:00"
region: "AU"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

Directed by Jacques Demy · 1h 33m · Drama, Romance

## Identity

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg
- **IMDb ID:** tt0058450
- **TMDB ID:** 5967
- **Wikidata ID:** Q163868
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058450/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5967, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163868

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 82 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Every line is sung, including the one about hating opera, and the walls have been painted to agree with the coats

> Jacques Demy’s sung-through romance about a Cherbourg mechanic and the girl from the umbrella shop is as lovely as its reputation says and sadder than its colours let on. Michel Legrand’s score circles a few tunes for 93 minutes; we did not mind.

## Synopsis

Cherbourg. Geneviève Emery (Catherine Deneuve) works in the umbrella shop her widowed mother, Madame Emery (Anne Vernon), keeps. Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo) is a mechanic at a garage across town and lives with his ailing aunt Élise (Mireille Perrey) and Madeleine (Ellen Farner), the young woman who nurses her. Geneviève and Guy want to marry. Her mother thinks she is too young and he has no money. The shop is behind on its bills, and Madame Emery goes to sell a necklace, which is how she meets a diamond dealer, Roland Cassard (Marc Michel), who starts calling at the shop for reasons that are not entirely about umbrellas. Then Guy’s call-up papers arrive, and he must leave within days. Every line of it is sung.

## Review

Jacques Demy set himself a task in 1964 that sounds like a dare. Every line of *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*, from a declaration of love to a request to fill the tank, is sung. There are no dance numbers and no chorus. The story is a shopgirl and a mechanic in a Channel port, and it runs 93 minutes. It is one of the loveliest films France made in that decade, and we would recommend it to people who say they dislike musicals, with one caveat about the music that we will come to.

The first thing you see is the town from above: wet cobbles, and umbrellas crossing the square in reds and yellows and blues, arranged for the camera. Jean Rabier then comes down to street level and stays beside the characters, gliding along the pavement as they walk and talk, and he hardly ever cuts away. Bernard Evein has painted the umbrella shop pink and lime, and the wallpaper in Geneviève’s bedroom matches the coat Jacqueline Moreau has put her in, so closely that we could not tell which had been chosen first. It should look like a toy. It does not, because the people in the rooms have bills to pay and say so.

Michel Legrand’s score is where the film divides people. He writes perhaps half a dozen themes and passes them around: a brassy jazz tune for the mechanics knocking off at the garage, a slow waltz for Roland Cassard, the jeweller, and for the lovers a rising theme that the film returns to whenever they are alone. Everything in between is sung recitative over the same harmonies, and some critics have found it thin. We were on the other side. When Guy sang that he hated opera and preferred the cinema we laughed out loud, and about ten minutes later the same manner had us near tears, and we had not noticed the switch. The faces do the work.

Catherine Deneuve plays Geneviève as a girl who has not yet been told that anything can go wrong, and the film is about her finding out. Nino Castelnuovo’s Guy is open, decent and not much more than that, which is right; he has not had time to be anything else. Anne Vernon has the best-written adult part as Madame Emery, a widow keeping up a shop she cannot afford, who wants her daughter married to money and is not a villain for it. Mireille Perrey, as Guy’s aunt Élise, and Ellen Farner, as Madeleine, the quiet girl who nurses her, sit in a small flat across town and wait, and Farner gets a great deal from almost nothing.

What got us was the departure. Guy has his call-up papers, and on his last night the two of them walk home through streets that have been painted like a sweet shop, singing the one theme, with Rabier’s camera moving alongside them. Then the platform, the train, and the camera pulling back and up as Geneviève is left standing in a wide grey space. It moved us more than a man getting on a train has any right to, and the reason is the design: something ordinary and bad is happening in rooms built for a fairy tale, and nobody on screen remarks on the difference.

The second half moves quicker than the first. Monique Teisseire and Anne-Marie Cotret cut across whole months in a single dissolve, and once or twice we wanted a scene Demy had decided not to write. We will not say what happens after Guy leaves. We will say that the army stays off screen, mentioned in the same breath as the bills, which some will call evasion and we think is how a town talks.

It is 93 minutes and not one of them is spent on a dance number. Watch it with the subtitles on, and do not skip the first five minutes for the umbrellas. They are the point.

*Fi1m score 88, published 26 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is The Umbrellas of Cherbourg worth watching?**

*The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* is worth watching, and we scored it 88; it is one of the loveliest films France made in that decade, and we would recommend it even to people who say they dislike musicals. The one caveat is Michel Legrand's score, which circles half a dozen tunes for 93 minutes with no dance numbers. Some find it thin; we did not.

**How long is The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and what is it rated?**

*The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* runs 1h 33m. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch The Umbrellas of Cherbourg in Australia?**

*The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* is not on any streaming or rental service in Australia at the moment. It is available in 32 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does The Umbrellas of Cherbourg compare to Brief Encounter?**

*The Umbrellas of Cherbourg* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) both put a decent person on a railway platform to leave, but Demy's film is sung throughout and painted pink and lime, while Lean's is spoken, English and in black and white. Brief Encounter is the sharper of the two and the one we would urge on a stranger; Cherbourg is the lovelier, and suits anyone who can take 93 minutes of sung recitative.

**What should I watch after The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?**

After *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*, try [*The Young Girls of Rochefort*](https://film.one/film/the-young-girls-of-rochefort) (1967, Fi1m 84): Demy and Legrand again, another painted port, this time with dancing and a happier temper. Then [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): Another railway platform, another decent person leaving; England in black and white instead of pink; and [*Meet Me in St. Louis*](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis) (1944, Fi1m 87): Minnelli’s family musical, where colour and song carry a year of ordinary loss.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): The review calls the film an enchanting, haunting love story that reaches dizzy romantic heights. It praises the vivid candy-coloured design and Catherine Deneuve’s ethereal performance. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nneklj/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (90/100, inferred): Newman regards the film as pure cinematic magic, blending wistful romance with resigned cynicism. He praises the ravishing visual world and Michel Legrand’s memorable orchestration. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/umbrellas-cherbourg-review/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Elizabeth Sussex (90/100, inferred): Sussex finds the musical spellbinding, praising its blend of sweetness and emotional sting. She especially singles out Michel Legrand’s haunting score and its interplay with the film’s vivid colour design. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/glimpse-perfection-imperfect-world-umbrellas-cherbourg-reviewed-february-1965)
- **Slant Magazine**, Bill Weber (4.5/5): Weber praises the UHD release as one of Criterion’s finest 4K presentations. He singles out its gorgeous transfer, especially the radiant pastel colors and natural detail. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-jacques-demy/)
- **The New Yorker**, Terrence Rafferty (90/100, inferred): Rafferty warmly praises the film as a beautiful, emotionally honest romance that has been unfairly dismissed as sentimental. He singles out its vivid colors, graceful camera movements, and Catherine Deneuve’s sensitive performance. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/04/15/the-past-recaptured)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Turan finds the restored film as charming and delightful as ever, with a bittersweet emotional core. He praises its delicately restored visuals and the daring choice to sing every line of dialogue. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-umbrellas-cherbourg-review-story.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (85/100, inferred): The review finds the film touching and lovely, praising Demy for balancing emotion and compassion without becoming mawkish. It singles out Michel Legrand’s tuneful score, along with the bright sets and excellent color work. [Read](https://variety.com/1963/film/reviews/les-parapluies-de-cherbourg-1117793861/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (65/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its critical verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the supplied page. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg-2004)
- **Time Out**, BW (64/100, inferred): The critic’s verdict is unavailable because the article text is missing. No feature singled out for praise or complaint can be identified. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg-les-parapluies-de-cherbourg-1964)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (60/100, inferred): Bradshaw is somewhat ambivalent about the film, warming to its charm while finding the score thin and repetitive. He singles out Deneuve’s subtly erotic sadness as the quality that keeps the film from becoming merely sugary. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/06/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg-review-catherine-deneuve-jacques-demy)

## Details

- **Director:** Jacques Demy
- **Director:** Jacques Demy
- **Screenplay:** Jacques Demy
- **Writer:** Jacques Demy
- **Cinematography:** Jean Rabier
- **Editor:** Monique Teisseire, Anne-Marie Cotret
- **Music:** Michel Legrand
- **Production design:** Bernard Evein
- **Costume design:** Jacqueline Moreau
- **Producer:** Mag Bodard, Gilbert de Goldschmidt, Pierre Lazareff
- **Cast:** Catherine Deneuve as Geneviève Emery; Nino Castelnuovo as Guy Foucher; Anne Vernon as Madame Emery; Mireille Perrey as Tante Élise; Marc Michel as Roland Cassard; Ellen Farner as Madeleine; Jean Champion as Aubin; Jean-Pierre Dorat as Jean
- **Runtime:** 1h 33m
- **First release (Sweden):** 3 February 1964
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Palme d'Or winners](https://film.one/collections/palme-dor.md) (Winner, 1964)
- **Budget:** $200,000
- **Box office:** $8 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imCOi7pqKh0

## Where to watch in Australia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Australia at the last check.

Also available in: AE, BE, BG, BR, CA, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IL, LT, MY, NL, NO, PH, PL, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1966: Best Original Score (nominated); Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated)
- Academy Awards 1965: Best International Feature Film (nominated)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 1965: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- Cannes Film Festival 1964: Palme d'Or (won)
- Louis Delluc Prize 1963: Louis Delluc Prize (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Young Girls of Rochefort* (1967), Fi1m 84: Demy and Legrand again, another painted port, this time with dancing and a happier temper. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-young-girls-of-rochefort.md)
- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: Another railway platform, another decent person leaving; England in black and white instead of pink. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), Fi1m 87: Minnelli’s family musical, where colour and song carry a year of ordinary loss. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis.md)
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: Wong Kar-wai’s corridors and dresses do what Demy’s wallpaper does, with almost no singing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)
- *La La Land* (2016), Fi1m 81: Chazelle borrows the colours and the ending’s mood wholesale; see where he got them. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/la-la-land.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-umbrellas-of-cherbourg