THE UMBRELLAS OF CHEBOURG is not a movie about umbrellas or umbrellas on a rainy day. It is a love story from France's Jacques Demy, set in music. All dialogues are sung not spoken and moreover they are in French! But don't worry..There are English subtitles for the non Francophones like moi..
When it comes to love and all its aspects including maybe, love-making, nobody could beat the French . And as Henry Higgins said, in MY FAIR LADY "The French do not care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly.."
If you hear the song I WILL WAIT FOR YOU popularized by Connie Francis, know that the song came from this movie and it was nominated for an Oscar award. The complete music score of the whole film was written by Michel Legrand. You will hear several pieces here played in FM stations or in the elevator. Now to the story.
In the 50s there lived in Cherbourg a mother and her lovely teenaged daughter named Guenevieve. They owned this umbrella shop ( thus the title ). One day, a letter came from the bank telling the Mother the store will be foreclosed if they could not come up with 80,000 francs. The Mother do not have any recourse but to go to the jewelry store to sell some of her gems. While they were there, a young jewel businessman was around and he could not help overhearing the conversation of the owner and the Mother. Guinevieve was also there and the young jewelry merchant fell in love with the teenaged daughter at first sight.. No wonder. She was played by the very pretty Catherine Denueve.
The Mother wanted instant cash for the jewels. The owner said he could not afford to buy them for 80,000 francs. Then the young businessperson named Richard stepped in and offered to buy the jewels. The Mother handed her the stones and he said he will pay her the next night, at her house. She agreed.
Now Guinevieve has already a boy friend named Guy who worked as a mechanic in a local garage. On the night when Richard is supposed to visit them to pay for the jewels, Guinevieve, much to the chagrin of her Mom went out of the house to have a date with her boy friend Guy. The mother could not stop her. Richard arrived minutes later and handed the Mother a check. She apologized for the absence of her daughter but Richard said its okay.He said he is going to America for some business deals but promised he will visit them again upon his return.
Guy and Guineviev that night made love for the first time in his apartment. Guy lived with his sickly Aunt who was being taken cared of by a pretty caregiver named Madeline.
Some weeks later, Guy received a letter from the government telling him to report for military duty. He told this to Guinevieve who felt very, very sad. But she can not do anythin except bring him to the train station during his departure Then the theme song I WILL WAIT FOR YOU was introduced.
One day Guinevieve recieved a letter from Guy who related to her his experiences in combat duty. Few of his friends were killed already.
Meanwhile, Guinevieve found out she was pregnant.
Then the letters from Guy stopped. Guinevievewas downtrodden. But her Mother said Richard would always be there for her.
The next time Richard visited Guinevieve and saw she was pregnant, he reiterated his love and promised he would raise her child as if it were his own. Guinevieve and Richard got married. After the wedding the newly weds left for Paris leaving Cherbourg for good. The Mother stayed in Cherbourg for two months . Then she sold the umbrella store and left for Paris also to join her daughter.
Months later, Guy returned to Cherbourg. His aunt was so happy to see him again and she said she can already die having seen him finally. Guy scoffed at the idea. Then Madeline arrived. She was happy to see Guy once more. She was still single because she has a secret love for Guy.
Guy's Aunt finally died. It was then that Guy professed his love for her and asked her to be his wife. She said she would accept his proposal if only he promised to completely forget Guinevieve. He said he would. Not long fterwards, they got married.
Guy fulfilled an early dream to buy a gasoline station. With his money for his medical disability ( he was hospitalized for being wounded by grenade during a fight, and that is the reason why he was not able to write Guinevere anymore)plus a bank loan.
Years passed by. Guy had a child with Madeline and his gas station was doing okay. Then one Christmas Eve, as he was about to close shop, a car stopped for a gas refill. The owner of the car was Guinevieve who was riding and her daughter Francois and their car driver.
Guy and Guinevieve recognized each other at the gas tank. The snow was falling so Guy invited Guinevieve inside his office for a short talk, since the attendant was still working on the car. I was wondering what will happen next if both of them would renew their old love.
Well, their next conversation ( or I would say singing ) was short, brief and their words were honest and sincere. The daughter did not enter the office but was left in the car with the driver.
Guinevere said they were on their way to another French City but just as they reach near Courbourg, the car was running out of gas. It was fate and a low gas tank that brought them together again.
She paid the bill, saidgood bye. No tears, no kisses but their faces revealed what they felt inside. Guy told her the reason he stopped writing.
Her car left. Then Madeline and her child also arrived to pick up Guy. Guy started to play with his child on a snowbank as the snowflakes started to fall heavier. It was some Christmas for all of them.
As the camera shifted away slowly, the end credits started to appear and roll up---#
(IF IT TAKES FOREVER)I WILL WAIT FOR YOU
English Words by Norman Gimbel and Music by Michel Legrand
If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you're back beside me, till I'm holding you
Till I hear you sigh here in my arms
Anywhere you wander, anywhere you go
Every day remember how I love you so
In your heart believe what in my heart I know
That forevermore I'll wait for you
The clock will tick away the hours one by one
Then the time will come when all the waiting's done
The time when you return and find me here and run
Straight to my waiting arms
If it takes forever I will wait for you
For a thousand summers I will wait for you
Till you're here beside me, till I'm touching you
And forevermore sharing your love
This haunting melody appeared in the movie several times: notably first when Guenevieve brought Guy to the train station to see him off as he reported for military duty. Then it came again in the last part of the movie when they bade good bye for the second ( and last ) time upon knowing that each one has already a separate family to look after. First love never ever dies. And somehow, to borrow another cliche, it is better to have loved and lost and never to have loved at all!
