The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), 7+

A young woman separated from her lover by war faces a life-altering decision.
1h 31min | Drama, Musical, Romance | 19 February 1964 | Color, WS
Director: Jacques Demy
Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058450/

This is an opera, without operatic singing. Not a word is spoken, only sung. As such, it's sort of an experiment. I don't think it started any kind of trend.

Demy wrote as well as directed. A lot of credit should go to Michel Legrand for the score. The song that is the primary theme of the film is quite haunting.

The film is intended as a tearjerker. A featurette shows Legrand talking about a hankie being needed in at least 3 places. Demy talks about being influenced by American musicals, but I can't think of any that is so thoroughly sentimental and sad. This has some edge when Guy comes back from the war, but he doesn't spend long wallowing in his ennui.

CD (b. '43) is incredibly beautiful. She's playing 17. At one point her mother says she isn't the prettiest, and that just doesn't ring true at all. This is her 7th film, and she's still active, with over 119 film credits todate.

French cie, dir. Demy; 7+