Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) is a vibrant, jazz-infused tribute to Hollywood musicals, available in a 2K digital restoration from The Criterion Collection
You can find the film in several formats through the Criterion Collection: Standalone Edition : Available on and Blu-ray, featuring a 2K digital restoration. Essential Jacques Demy Box Set : Included alongside other Demy classics like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg : Periodically available to stream on the Criterion Channel Notable Bonus Content The Young Girls of Rochefort -1967- Criterion -...
: A booklet (or foldout) featuring "Not the Same Old Song and Dance," an essay by renowned film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum The Criterion Collection Technical Specifications Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967): A Pastel Masterpiece in the Criterion Collection Michel Legrand’s score (one of the greatest film
The Criterion Difference: Let’s be honest—this film has lived on murky VHS and sun-faded prints for decades. Criterion’s 4K restoration is a revelation. Michel Legrand’s score (one of the greatest film scores of the 20th century) pops like champagne. The pastel pinks, oranges, and mint-greens of Rochefort’s town square are so vivid you’ll want to lick the screen. Demy built an entire fake town square for this film, and Criterion makes you feel every brushstroke.
No discussion of The Young Girls of Rochefort is complete without confronting the tragedy of Françoise Dorléac. The elder sister of Deneuve, Dorléac had a feral, chaotic energy that balanced Deneuve’s glacial perfection. In the scene where Solange sings “Chanson des Jumelles” (“Song of the Twins”), the two women circle a tiny apartment like planets locked in orbit. Their harmonies are tight, but their eyes tell different stories: Deneuve’s longing for safety, Dorléac’s longing for chaos.
The Young Girls of Rochefort is a Technicolor musical romance that follows twin sisters, Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac), who dream of leaving their quiet Atlantic coastal town of Rochefort for the glamour and artistic opportunities of Paris. Delphine seeks true love; Solange aspires to be a renowned composer.
