OVERLAY REPORT

*The Young Girls of Rochefort* (*Les Demoiselles de Rochefort*), released in 1967, is most commonly rated **G (General Audiences)** in the United States and **U (Universal)** or **PG (Parental Guidance)** internationally. Because the film was released in 1967—one year before the current Motion Picture Association (MPA) rating system was established in 1968—it did not have a standard letter rating at its initial U.S. premiere. However, for modern re-releases (such as on The Criterion Channel) and home media, it is classified as **G**. Despite its sunny, "candy-colored" musical exterior, several specific—and sometimes jarring—elements contribute to its rating and content advisories. ### **1. Subplot of an Ax Murder** The most striking element influencing the film's rating is a recurring subplot involving a gruesome crime. * **The Crime:** A local man, **Subtil Dutrouz**, is revealed to be an ax murderer who killed a woman named Lola (a reference to director Jacques Demy's 1961 film *Lola*). * **The Tone:** The murder is discussed by characters in a casual, jaunty manner, often set to music. The lyrics and dialogue describe the victim being "cut into pieces" and "butchered." * **Why it stays "G" or "PG":** The violence occurs entirely off-screen. While the subject matter is dark and macabre, the film never shows blood or the act itself, maintaining a whimsical tone that keeps it accessible to general audiences. ### **2. Adult Themes and Relationship Dynamics** The film deals with social themes that were progressive for its time but are handled with enough subtlety to pass for family viewing. * **Single Motherhood:** The mother of the twins, Yvonne (Danielle Darrieux), is a single mother who raised her daughters after leaving their father (because she disliked his last name, "Dame"). She also has a younger son, Boubou, from a different relationship. * **Suggestive Innuendo:** The carnival workers (played by George Chakiris and Grover Dale) engage in flirtatious and suggestive banter with women throughout the film. * **Incestuous Misunderstandings:** There is a brief, comic tension where a character (Simon Dame) fears he might be attracted to a woman who could be his own daughter (though this is resolved when it's clarified she is not). ### **3. Lifestyle Elements (Common to 1960s Cinema)** * **Smoking and Alcohol:** Consistent with French cinema of the era, many characters are seen smoking cigarettes and drinking wine or spirits in the café setting. * **Military Presence:** Because Rochefort is a naval town, there are frequent depictions of sailors and soldiers, reflecting a background of militarism that occasionally hints at the then-recent Algerian War, though never explicitly. ### **International Rating Variations** * **United Kingdom (BBFC):** Frequently rated **U** (Universal) or **PG**. Modern screenings often carry a PG advisory due to the "mild violence" (the murder subplot) and "mild sex references." * **Australia (ACMI):** Rated **PG**, citing content notifications regarding "outdated or possibly harmful views" and "mild sexual references." * **France (CNC):** Rated **"Tous publics"** (All audiences), as the film is considered a quintessential family classic in its home country. In summary, while the film is rated for **General Audiences**, its classification is nuanced by the "dark slice of cake" hidden within its musical structure: the cheerful, sung-through discussions of a serial killer and the realities of 1960s French social life.