The Young Girls of Rochefort persists because it is joyful without being shallow; stylized without being abstract. It synthesizes French New Wave sensibilities—playful self-awareness, location shooting, youthful focus—with the spectacle and craftsmanship of classic musicals. Its influence is visible in later filmmakers who combine music, color, and romance with an auteur’s visual precision.

In the pantheon of movie musicals, there are the stone-cold classics of the Golden Age (Singin’ in the Rain), the gritty rock operas of the 1970s (Tommy), and then—suspended in a bubble of pure, phosphorescent joy—there is Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort).

Released in 1967, this film is the sunlit counterweight to Demy’s own heartbreaking The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). While Umbrellas used sung-through dialogue to explore the tragedy of lost love, Rochefort explodes onto the screen with the vibrancy of a freshly opened box of crayons. For decades, accessing this masterpiece in its full, intended glory was a challenge. That changed definitively with the release of The Young Girls of Rochefort -1967- Criterion edition.

The Criterion Collection, known for its laser-focused restoration and scholarly extras, has not merely released a film; they have resurrected a world. Here is why the 1967 Criterion release is the gold standard and why The Young Girls of Rochefort remains a vital, necessary work of art.

Catherine Deneuve (Delphine) and Françoise Dorléac (Solange) are luminous and complementary. Deneuve’s restrained melancholy contrasts with Dorléac’s brighter vivacity, giving the film a central emotional axis. Their chemistry—both sisterly and distinct—grounds the film’s more fanciful elements. Supporting turns (Jacques Perrin, George Chakiris, and Michel Piccoli among them) add charm and poignancy, while Gene Kelly’s role as a worldly American choreographer provides a playful bridge to classic Hollywood musicals.