Damien Chazelle Loves This 97%-Rated Musical So Much He Saw It 200 Times: "It Hits You"

In 2016, when the world fell in love with La La Land, Damien Chazelle did more than create an homage to golden-era Hollywood musicals – he wrote a personal love letter to a specific film.

The director, who is also known for Whiplash and Babylon, admits that his main source of inspiration was the 1964 French movie, which he has watched over 200 times.

Damien Chazelle Is a Die-Hard Fan of 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'

It is Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the musical that conquered Cannes, changed the genre, and still captivates viewers today.

For Chazelle, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg isn't just a favorite film – it's a kind of creative tuning fork. In an interview with Elvis Mitchell, Chazelle admitted that he has seen the film over two hundred times and that it still brings tears to his eyes:

“I'm not the only one who cries during this movie. It hits you like a ton of bricks.”

Chazelle is not alone in his admiration – the movie's vibrant color palette inspired Greta Gerwig to create Barbie.

What Is 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' About?

Geneviève is a young woman who works in her mother's haberdashery. She is madly in love with Guy, a modest auto mechanic. Their idyll is shattered when Guy is drafted into the army and sent to Algeria. As they part ways, the lovers vow to wait for each other.

However, life takes its toll. Geneviève learns she is pregnant, and Guy's letters stop coming. Pressured by circumstances and her mother, the young woman accepts a marriage proposal from a wealthy but unloving man.

60 Years Ago, 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' Redefined the Musical Genre

In 1964, Jacques Demy and composer Michel Legrand revolutionized the musical genre. They abandoned the traditional Broadway approach, in which songs were standalone showpieces.

In The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the characters sing everything, from declarations of love to discussions about gas prices. Every line and everyday dialogue becomes part of a continuous musical flow.

This marked a radical shift, transforming the musical from grandiose spectacle to poetic everyday life. Demy showed that ordinary people's lives, with their joys, worries, and disappointments, are worthy of being sung about.

'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' Is a Visual Feast & Life-Affirming Story That Will Brighten Even the Gloomiest Day

Demy's movie is a delight for cinephiles. Each frame is composed like an Impressionist painting, with a palette of pastel tones and perfectly chosen colors in costumes and interiors that create the sensation of a living, breathing canvas.

But behind this visual beauty lies a deep, poignant humanity. The story of Geneviève and Guy is both a hymn to and an elegy for first love, a tale of how life moves forward, taking some dreams and giving others.

The brilliant acting debut of the young Catherine Deneuve adds incredible depth and persuasiveness to the story as she journeys from a fragile girl in love to a woman who has accepted her destiny.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'?

• The Umbrellas of Cherbourg has 97% from critics and 87% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg scored 4.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'?

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.