This is about relationships, under three headings:
First Love;
First Love Lost;
True Love Found.
My text is The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a French-made movie musical that won the ‘Grand Prix’ at Cannes in 1964.
There’s a lot to say about this wondrous movie.
There’s quite a lot to say about its director, Jacques Demy; and its composer, Michel Legrand.
But here I want to talk about its characters: poor Genevieve and Guy, and their poignant First Love; Genevieve’s strong mother, Madame Emery; sweet Roland Cassard, who “saves the day”; and the glorious Madeleine, who really saves the day.
We’ve probably all been Genevieve or Guy at some point in our young lives.
We tend to become people like Genevieve’s mom. (Parents like that don’t know what they are doing.)
But would that we all could meet a Madeleine.
I think I’ll dedicate this podcast to Mary Zahl.
I’d sure like to!
But I feel like I have to dedicate it to Nick Greenwood, who shares with me an almost lifelong love affair with this movie.
Like me, too, he married a Madeleine.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObVG9o2xWI&w=600]
COMMENTS
