I watched Jacques Demy's "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" last night. A friend and filmmaker, Michael Wilson, recommended this film and cited it as "a movie that changed my life". The film was made in 1964 and re-released in 1990. The story centers on two main characters, Genevieve (a young Catherine Deneuve) and Guy. Genevieve is 16 years old and works in her mother's umbrella shop where business is barely afloat. Genevieve loves Guy, a 20 year old mechanic who works at Aupin's gas station who gets drafted for the Algerian War. The two are very much in love but when Guy gets drafted, Genevieve doesn't have the emotional fortitude to wait it out for his return. Genevieve and Guy make love together on their last night and the next day he goes off to war. Genevieve gets pregnant and her mother tries to set her up with Roland, a traveling businessman in the jewel business. For Roland, it was love at first sight - Genevieve and her mother, Mrs. Emery had walked into a jewelry store and tried to sell her mother's pearl necklace to make rent on their shop. The owner of the jewelry store offered to consign the piece, but wouldn't purchase it outright. Mrs. Emery gets upset, and Roland, who is a friend of the jewelry merchant and observes the entire interaction, offers to buy Mrs. Emery's necklace. Mrs. Emery keeps Roland on the hook and doesn't tell him about Genevieve's pregnancy hoping that in time, her daughter will come around to Roland's overtures. And she does, she eventually marries him, after Roland tells her that they will raise her child together as their own. Months later, Guy returns from the war and learns of Genevieve's news from his dying Aunt Elise. Guy has been injured in the war and loses his job at the gas station shortly after returning for losing his temper. Aunt Elise dies when he is out drinking and spending the night with a different Genevieve. His Aunt's caregiver, a young beautiful woman named Madeleine, delivers the news to Guy. Guy is all alone and asks for Madeline to stay and help him. Eventually, he decides to use his inheritance from his dead Aunt to go into business for himself, opening his own gas station. Guy turns his life around and credits Madeleine for her support and faith throughout the hardships. He asks her to marry him, and Madeline who has always clearly had affections for Guy accepts. Years later, they are married and have a young child together, Francois. It's Xmas eve and Guy is working at the filling station. Genevieve pulls up in fancy car, wearing a fur coat, with her daughter (also Francois) in the passenger seat. Genevieve gets out of the car to talk to Guy in private, few things are said, and she gets back in her car and leaves. The movie ends shortly thereafter.

"Umbrellas of Cherboug" is an opera, Demy's tribute to the Hollywood musical. Michel LeGrand composed the score. The interior scenes are beautifully shot in vivid color - rich French wallpapers, peeling outer walls -- the saturated colors in this film evoked for me the beauty of Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love", and the same general historical period. What works for this film - a simple plot centering on a few key characters, the timeless theme of love and loss, and the hardships of war.