The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - Storytelling through color

Written & directed by Jacques Demy

Composer: Michel Legrand

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon

(Spoilers below!)

20th Century Fox

Following his debut film 'Lola', French director Jacques Demy created an opera-like musical with a beautiful color scheme. The film follows the story of a young Geneviève, whose relationship with Guy is put on hold when he is sent off to war. Besides the intoxicating and heartbreaking story, the film has a mesmerizing color scheme that tells the story itself.

The film starts off by using primarily 'blue' and 'pink'. From an initial thought, these colors are the gender signifiers for 'boy' and 'girl', which matters to the story. However these colors are used for setting the state of the relationship as well. Blue can be used to symbolize tranquility which is used in many of Guy's scenes at the beginning of the film, whereas pink can symbolize love and romance. Geneviève is first seen in her family's umbrella shop which has a bright pink wallpaper. Shortly after the first couple of scenes, Geneviève and Guy meet up outside the shop and share an intimate scene together.

Once Guy is sent off to war, Geneviève is left to configure her thoughts and emotions about waiting for him to return home. A specific scene that stood out to me after his departure was back in the umbrella shop when Geneviève is telling her mother that she is willing to wait for Guy to return home. During this scene Geneviève is wearing a light-blue dress, signifying her desire to still be with Guy. Later on, Geneviève's mother attempts to set her up with a wealthy jeweler where she later runs off to her room. As she lies in bed, Geneviève's mother shares the possibility that Guy might not return any time soon. Her room is covered with a blue-patterned wallpaper with pink roses all around it.

Madeleine Films

Geneviève is still pondering the idea of Guy returning home to her and their unborn child. As time goes by, Guy stops writing to Geneviève and his absence creates a bigger strain on her emotions, making her question if waiting for Guy is worth it. After a few months go by, Geneviève is now wearing white clothes. She's now accepted the fact that she needs to move on with her life, especially with her baby on the way.

Eventually when Guy returns home almost two years after his departure, he discovers that 'Les Parapulies de Cherbourg' (the umbrella shop) is now vacant. Geneviève and her mother have sold the shop and moved out of Cherbourg. Guy now needs to adjust to a new world without Geneviève.

Madeleine Films

After aimlessly loafing around, Guy returns back to his sick Aunt's house to find out that she has passed away. In this scene, he's wearing a dark blue shirt under a black jacket. The tranquility that was once there, has now disappeared. It's now Guy's turn to accept fate and move on in his life.

Over 4 years later Guy has purchased a gas station in Cherbourg and started a family with Madeleine, a young woman who looked after his aunt before she died. All seems to be going great for Guy, until Geneviève stops to put gas at his pit stop. Both Geneviève and Guy are now wearing only black colors. They have now completely moved on from each other but once we glance over to Geneviève's daughter, she is wearing a pink dress with a blue bow on top of her head. Their daughter has that special connection/love that her parents once shared with each other.

The Color Yellow:

Throughout the film, the color yellow has been sprinkled throughout. Either the color of an umbrella in the shop or a piece of clothing worn by the main characters. The color usually represents happiness or enlightenment, and for majority of the first act there are many inferences of this. However as the film enters the 3rd act, the color begins to disappear. It's not until the final minute of the film where we see Guy's son wearing a bright yellow raincoat in a white blanket of snow. The love that is the color 'pink' is shared with their daughter, and the happy 'yellow' is with Guy's son. Happiness is spread throughout Guy's new family, and love is with Geneviève's new family as well.

Madeleine Films

Les Parapulies de Cherbourg is my favorite musical and one of my favorite films of all time. The use of color, score, and cinematography is incredible especially for the 1960s.

Rest in peace, Michel Legrand (2/24/1932 - 1/26/2019)

Sources:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058450/?ref_=nv_sr_3