During this holiday season, ARTE offers a DVD box set dedicated to musicals. We find the two masterpieces of Jacques Demy as well as the sensation of last year: La La Land. A curious object that brings together the master and his young American student.
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964, 91')
In 1964, Jacques Demy shook up the Croisette and the entire France with a daring bet: a musical film where all the dialogues are sung. The 7th art, initially skeptical, succumbs under the spell of this colorful and sung fresco rocked by the notes of Michel Legrand. A Palme d'Or and a true milestone of the genre, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is also the film that has seen the emergence of talents from our national cinema. The film is presented in its restored edition in 2K. The colors burst on the screen and the 5.0 sound sublimates and resonates the cult score of the composer.
Synopsis : Mrs. Emery and her daughter Geneviève run an umbrella shop. The young woman is in love with Guy, a mechanic. But he left for the Algerian war. Pregnant and pushed by her mother, Geneviève marries Roland, a wealthy jeweler.
Bonus : A panel of interviews clarifies the genesis of this crazy bet that is this film entirely sung:
- Chronicle of a restoration (6'): Agnès Varda and her children explain the process of restoring the film (image and sound)
- Once upon a time… (12'): period interviews that retrace the adventure of The Umbrellas, from its genesis to filming
- The world of Jacques Demy (7'): an excerpt from the eponymous documentary directed by Agnès Varda in 1993
- The film seen by Virginie Ledoyen (4'): the French actress shares her admiration for Demy and the influence of her films in her career
- Louis Delluc Prize (4'): the announcement of the winners as well as interviews with the actresses and the composer
- Catherine Deneuve and the Umbrellas (1'): an excerpt from a TV show dedicated to Catherine Deneuve where she looks back on the film that launched her career
- Jacques Demy and Mag Bodard (3'): the director and the producer talk about their meeting
- Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (Jacques Demy , 1967, 120')
After the success of his previous film, Jacques Demy is back in force with a new musical romance carried by the real Dorléac sisters, Catherine and Françoise. An international cast that includes Gene Kelly, George Chakiris but also Danielle Darrieux and a young Jacques Perrin. The box set offers a restored version in 2K with 5.0 sound. A little gem for mirettes and ears!
Synopsis : Delphine and Solange are two 25-year-old twins, beautiful and witty. Delphine, the blonde, gives dance lessons and Solange, the redhead, music theory lessons. They live in music as others live in the moon and dream of meeting great love around the corner. Precisely fairground arrive in town and frequent the bar run by the mother of the twins. A great fair is being prepared and a dreamy sailor is looking for his feminine ideal…
Bonus : Despite a small number of supplements, we watch Agnès Varda's documentary with a lot of curiosity and nostalgia.
- the film seen by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau (3'): two French directors tell the phenomenon of the Demoiselles in their life as filmmakers
- a presentation text of the film written by Jean-Pierre Berthomé and read by Mathieu Demy (2')
- the documentary "Les Demoiselles ont eu 25 ans" written and directed by Agnès Varda in 1993 (64'): the original making of the film (shot in 16mm) dotted with moments of the shooting and the return of the outstanding figures of the masterpiece on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the film and their return with great pomp to Rochefort
- La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016, 123')
The next generation completes this box with the consecration in 2017 for Damien Chazelle. The film with six Oscars (direction, actress, photography, sets, original music, song) six Golden Globes and 5 BAFTAs is presented in its cinemascope version in 2.55. The opportunity to rediscover the already cult film, a tribute of a young director to his undisputed master.
Synopsis : In the heart of Los Angeles, an aspiring actress named Mia serves coffee between auditions. For his part, Sebastian, passionate about jazz, plays the piano in seedy clubs to ensure his livelihood.Both are far from the dream life they aspire to. Fate will bring these sweet dreamers together, but will their love at first sight withstand temptations, disappointments, and the hectic life of Hollywood?
Bonus : The edition of the box set presents several pellets that allow us to know more about the backstage of the film.
- "La La Land enchants Paris" (8'): the presentation of the film in the capital conducive to interviews with the actors and the director (with Chazelle in French!)
- "The La La Land phenomenon" (8'): comments of the actors collected on the steps of the TIFF, the Venice Film Festival and L.Has.
- "Discovering La La Land" (4'): a brief presentation of the characters and training of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling
- "La Musique de La La Land" (2'): interview with Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz (composer of the film)
- the audio commentaries of Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz reveal the other side of the editing through anecdotes of shooting.
The ARTE musicals box set is a nice gift to place under the tree. Three masterpieces as beautiful visually as musically. A 20-page booklet completes the object and shares with us the meeting organized in 2017 between Damien Chazelle and Agnès Varda in his Parisian home. Available in the usual points of sale and on the ARTE shop website.
