'Umbrellas of Cherbourg' is the big one. That's probably my single favorite film of all time. It's just so pure, it's such a complete work of art. The ambition of it, the musicality, the pure feeling of it. It’s hard to imagine being a filmmaker without having seen that movie and being able to rip off it.
I remember seeing Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and feeling very impressed. I think that film has influenced many people, not just me, in the animation world.
— Hayao Miyazaki · Studio Ghibli Interviews / Ghibli Blog