If you have searched for you are likely looking for validation. You want to know if the hype is real. Is it truly the best French musical ever made? Does it hold up against the Golden Age of Hollywood? The answer is a resounding yes , but not for the reasons you might think. It isn’t just the best French musical; for many cinephiles, it is the best musical of the 1960s, period.
In the pantheon of movie musicals, a few titans stand unchallenged: Singin’ in the Rain , The Sound of Music , and West Side Story . Yet, hovering just beneath the radar of mainstream American nostalgia—glowing like a pastel sunset over a cobblestone square—is Jacques Demy’s masterpiece: Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (known in English as The Young Girls of Rochefort ). les demoiselles de rochefort 1967 best
Here is the definitive deep dive into why, over fifty years later, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort remains the best of the best. At the heart of the film’s claim to being the "best" is its impossibly perfect casting. The film revolves around twin sisters—Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac). In real life, Deneuve and Dorléac were sisters. This is not a gimmick; it is a miracle. If you have searched for you are likely
Most musicals end with "Happily Ever After." Rochefort ends with "Maybe." The sisters leave Rochefort on a truck, waving goodbye to a town that failed to deliver its promise. Yet, they are smiling. The film argues that the hunt for love is better than the capture. That bittersweet, realistic existentialism—wrapped in a candy shell—is what makes it the best French film of its era. The "Best" Way to Watch It Today If you are searching for this keyword because you want to watch the best version available, do not settle for a grainy DVD. The 2017 4K restoration (completed for the film's 50th anniversary) is a revelation. Watch it on a screen that does justice to the color. Turn the volume up so the bass of the double bass vibrates your floor. Does it hold up against the Golden Age of Hollywood