The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at Hawaii Theatre

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2. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Geneviève , 17, lives with her widowed mother, who owns an umbrella shop in Cherbourg. She and Guy, a 20-year-old auto mechanic, are secretly in love and want to marry, but when she reveals this to her mother, her mother objects on the grounds that Geneviève is too young and Guy is not mature or well-established enough, particularly since he has not yet done his required military service. Shortly after this, Guy is drafted to serve in the war in Algeria. Before he leaves, he and Geneviève consummate their love for each other, which results in her becoming pregnant. While Guy is away they drift apart, and Geneviève must choose between waiting for Guy’s return or accepting an offer of marriage from a wealthy diamond merchant.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg was the antithesis of the French New Wave, when it was released 50 years ago. Rather than subverting cinematic conventions like his peers Alain Resnais and Jean-Luc Godard, director Jacques Demy embraced them, and like the later works of Francois Truffaut, created a self-contained fantasy world, drawing from musicals, fairytales and the golden age of Hollywood. The beloved film has been beautifully re-mastered to commemorate it’s golden anniversary.

Authors

• Charles Burr
• Jacques Demy
• Michael Legrand
• Michel Legrand
• Norman Gimbel
• Sheldon Harnick