A sense of confusion is also created with the many switches between the color, matching the confusion Cléo feels at the present moment. Her thoughts sound different from her regular voice as well, almost as if she is whispering to herself. It is not perfect to always have someone watching and judging. The camera shows this by being in the top corner of the room and focusing on everything in the room. Initially, Cléo is presented to us as somewhat of a shallow ingénue who is fixated with her own beauty, constantly regarding her reflection in mirrors and windows. Throughout the film, pieces of songs, often Cléo’s own songs, are added diegetically to show that Cléo’s music is always present. The fragmented clips frame Cléo’s face, look from her perspective out the windows, and highlight her dark surroundings. This shows how much Cléo values her outward appearances. The viewer also hears Cléo’s thoughts in many instances during the film, further the understanding of Cléo’s plans and thought-process. The camera creates space between Cléo and her diagnosis. This is not an official page. After Cléo is no longer controlled by men watching her, she is able to be her true self. For all other inquiries, contact the editorial team. At the beginning of the film, she is in a bright, large dress. This scene combines multiple editing techniques that first create space and then instantly remove it. At the beginning of the film, she is in a bright, large dress. The large skirt flows as she walks and creates a anything-goes presence for Cléo. While life is going on in Paris, she is struggling to face the results of her biopsy (Hagopian). The chapters constantly remind the viewer that time continues to progress. On the streets, she is an object for men to watch, and she greatly enjoys this. Cléo struggles with recognizing this throughout the film because of her close relationship with death. Whilst in a taxi she becomes embarrassed when her song is heard on the radio and refers to it as awful. Time also creates a sense of freedom throughout the film. She wears a large dress, a wig, and makeup. Everything will stay the same if Cléo exists or not. The natural beauty of Paris is seen in its entirety: taxis, shops, cafés, apartments, and streets. The music adds to the realistic nature of the film. However, the cards are shedding light on her imaginary future and are shown in color. demonstrations at city hall, and a museum closing. This introduction to Cléo From 5 to 7 was given by Lo at our screening of the film on 12th May 2019 in Dalston's Rio Cinema. Even more interesting is the fact that the viewer gets an excellent view of life in Paris for a beautiful, wealthy woman in the 1960s, but the film is shown in first person. Cléo’s thoughts are also present throughout the film. She no longer relies on the close watch of the males around her but wants to be regarded as an equal (, Varda uses shot-reverse-shots to establish dialogue among the, Her next card, the hanged man, shows suffering and change. Her journey through Paris can be mapped by location and acquaintances. But though her work as a … A chronicle of the minutes of one woman’s life, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama, featuring a score by Michel Legrand and cameos by Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina. At this point a black backdrop emerges behind Cléo and a string orchestra can be heard on the soundtrack in support of Cléo’s voice and Bob’s piano accompaniment. The viewer can feel her fear. In the present, Cléo is very worried about her future which could explain why the present is black and white. Cléo from 5 to 7, number two in the poll, was only her second feature, but it is pure Varda. The music is very French and highlights the French culture of the time. The quick jumps between shots create a sense of urgency in the film. Varda was trying to create a connection with the art of the film (Cléo’s story) and reality (news). The documentary style of the film allows the viewer to follow Cléo during real-time from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m on June 21, 1961. She accepts that people follow her because of her beauty. Not only does this represent her beauty as an angel, but it also shows how close to death she is. Symbolically, when Cléo leaves the sculptor’s room, a mirror falls and breaks. She seems to have an appointment with Death throughout the movie. Cléo does not have a date with a lover but a date with death. Her lover, whom one assumes is a married man with little emotional investment in Cléo, can only offer the paltry consolation that “[her] beauty is [her] health.” When Bob is told about Cléo’s mood, he declares that music will soothe her and engages in a silly pantomime with Maurice. Varda monopolizes on the light of the day and does not use added light for filming. She is not putting up a front for society and Varda expertly shows this through the camera framing. And its Legrand’s music that also has the last word as to Cléo’s fate. Cléo from 5 to 7 is, quite literally, about spending time with one character: running down the minute hands of the clock with Cléo as she traverses Paris, anxiously awaiting the results of the medical test that will tell her if she is sick. Another darker example of this, is in the taxi, Cléo looks out the window many times and sees African masks in store windows that represent death. “There’s always something wrong with you” says Cleo’s lover. Her room is in direct contrast with the constricting streets and cafés that Cléo visits during the course of the film. The costumes in the film are very traditional with Paris in the 1960s. The natural setting highlights the almost documentary format of the film. Another example of her thoughts being heard by the audience but not the characters in the film is in the taxi cab when men are hounding her car. For example, when she begins to accept death, she wears a completely black, slim dress. Agnes Varda's Cleo From 5 to 7 wonderfully captures the vivid beauty of "everyday" Paris in the 1960s. For example, at the hat store, she thinks to herself, “Everything suits me,” while looking into the mirror. He fears not just that he might die, but that he is risking his life for nothing. Through Varda’s ability to show both Cléo’s emotions and the emotions and actions in Paris, the viewer is able to recognize that Paris will go on with or without Cléo. She looks into the mirrors to reaffirm that she is indeed beautiful. The frilly, silky, and lacey robe extends the idea that she is a perfect, angelic figure to be watched. The camera returns to the cards, back in color, which further highlights the fact that real life is dark in black and white. 1. She used Paris as the film set rather than creating expensive sets as had been done for many films before and after. She travels throughout Paris and visits many places in a limited amount of time. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. She constantly thinks about how she can be more beautiful than the others. This is crucial to their relationship because this is the first relationship that Cléo seems to be her true self. Similar to how Cléo had finally come to terms with her illness and then the doctor quickly found her to giver her the results of her test. Cléo’s feelings about each moment in the film are shown, so the viewer is able to see how she grows over the span of two hours. The second feature of legendary director Agnes Varda, follows a singer known by her stage name Cléo as she spends two hours waiting for results of a medical exam. Varda uses cinema verité documentary style to show the film in a natural light. In France, the afternoon hours from five to seven are known as the hours when lovers meet. The mise-en-scene of the film as a whole is very natural. She recognizes that the gaze is broken as no one is looking at her any longer. 28 talking about this. For example, while in the taxi, Cléo is looking out the window, and the viewer gets to see Paris through her eyes. The music adds to the mood of the scene. Cléo is dependent on the gaze of other people during the first half of the film. Cléo no longer wants to be watched and studied, but she wants to be acknowledged as a real human. Her white, lace robe resembles angel wings while she swings and it flows behind her. Women were expected to look beautiful and wore modest dresses. There are even moments where sound is added from her thoughts to create another level of understanding into Cléo’s inner psyche. Cléo’s fragility allows the viewer to relate to her and understand the problem she is facing. Varda described the film as “the portrait of a woman painted onto a documentary about Paris” (Martin). Both characters constantly fear death, and it consumes them in a largely negative light. She does not have many decorations, but the bed, rugs, and other directions she does have seem very expensive. The movie follows an obviously beautiful woman in an equally beautiful city. In addition, much of the film is shown through Cléo’s eyes as the viewer sees Paris and meets her acquaintances. The film is told from the first person point of view of Cléo. Agnes Varda's "Cleo from 5 to 7" is 90 minutes long, but its clock seems to tick along with Cleo's. Sometimes, time is subjective and feels very slow when Cléo is anxious or thinking about death. She says, “We have plenty of time,” while the camera jump cuts away from their faces to the large garden. The day is marked by war in Algeria, farming, Symbolically, when Cléo leaves the sculptor’s room, a mirror falls and breaks. She looks at herself in the stream, but the image is contorted. Her apartment is very white and bare. The camera focuses solely on the hands and cards of the reader, indicating how seriously Cléo takes card reading. As she sings about her body being ravaged by despair, a single tear rolling down her face, Cléo loses herself in the music and, since those around her on screen seem dismissive of her fears, turns to us, the viewer, in desperation for sympathy. Our monthly column exploring film soundtracks looks at the second feature film by French New Wave director Agnès Varda. Paris and the people in it are going on with their day without acknowledging her presence. Varda’s documentary style film is extended through the sound of her surroundings. The movie follows an obviously beautiful woman in an equally beautiful city. We are all the same.” These are her internal thoughts rationalizing the overwhelming experience. An angel represents heaven, and she has become an angel with her clothing. The lyrics become less general in this verse too, as the song shifts gears from the universal romanticism of a love ballad to existential lament about body horror and the terror of death. Cléo and Antoine understand each other’s situations and she sees his vision of the world as positive and together in their own bubble. She yearns for people to notice her for her physical appearance. We know that on screen there are no string instrumentalists present, so perhaps in this moment the mournful strings are a product of Cléo’s mind? As Cléo begins to sing, the camera circles her until the song’s third verse, where it stops, framing her face and allowing her to sing directly to us. The fear is also enhanced through her dim surroundings. Varda uses shot-reverse-shots to establish dialogue among the characters. This is especially evident when Cléo is in the café, and no one recognizes her music when she puts it on. The camera cuts to her dismal face, the dirty, dark wall, and the tight, constricting hallways. The diegetic sound is from many shop owners asking her questions as well as added natural sounds such as birds chirping or cars honking. Agnès Varda’s 1961 classic Cléo from 5 to 7 is a beguiling mixture of cinematic polish and experimentation. Every step she takes is precisely mapped out throughout the film, so Cléo is developed in a realistic setting. Capdenec, Michele. The reader also sees a doctor with a hazardous job and a fight in Cléo’s future. She recognizes that the gaze is broken as no one is looking at her any longer. The space allows the viewer to recognize how important this moment is to Cléo. It would have been much harder to relate to if the character had been older or stronger. Paris is shown as it would have been because it was filmed on location. She jump cuts from the car to the worry on Cléo and Antoine’s face. She becomes more human in the process. The setting is used to create space in the film for Cléo. Varda creates space with the camera, indicating that Cléo does have lots of time and space to do as she pleases. Along with Corrine Marchand, Legrand was fresh off the set of. Cléo’s beauty is highlighted through editing and the theme of the gaze. She realizes that she wants to influence the world rather than just being a pawn in other people’s’ world. A piano or violin is often heard throughout the film. If you're interested in contributing to Notebook, please send us a sample of your work. The large skirt flows as she walks and creates a anything-goes presence for Cléo. Cleo from 5 to 7 plucks a single string from a singer's life and by pulling at it, illustrates the fabric of the beautiful and unique, but predetermined world that it is woven into. The color is no longer overly-saturated, sepia tones but completely black and white. After the doctor drives away, Antoine and Cléo resume their walk together, sharing sad, nervous glances and smiles. Cléo’s relationship with her musical output is conflicted, indicative of her internal struggles regarding her sense of self-worth. For the film’s original score Varda enlisted the composer and pianist Michel Legrand. It is not perfect to always have someone watching and judging. Death seems to be all around her, and the viewer can see that she is nervous about her results. (aka Cléo de 5 à 7) In writer/director Agnes Varda's dramatic comedy (with some musical elements) - a meandering episodic character study about the impending doom facing a shallow, self-absorbed woman who feared the results of a medical examination: Antoine accompanies Cléo to the hospital and the pair our told by Cléo’s shockingly nonchalant doctor that she must begin treatment for cancer. On this afternoon, nothing could be further from Cleo's mind than sex. The hustle and bustle of the time is shown as it realistically would have been at the time. At first, the reader struggles to see the future for Cléo but successfully analyzes her past. The similarities between his death in war and Cléo’s death from cancer are prominent. The setting mirrors this constriction because she is in tight spaces such as hallways, crowded streets, and small stores. Legrand’s arrangement of “Cri d’amour” (and another musical cue) follows suit, its instrumentation shifting to mandolin, harps, strings and woodwinds, a more intimate, warm chamber interpretation of the song. Antoine also allows she to be her true self, as they meet in a park where there are no mirrors to reflect on. At the beginning of the film, Cléo feels very. She feels free of people judging her, and the open scenery mimics this. Sound is incredibly important in the film as Cléo is a pop artist and much of her work revolves around music. She is wearing a wig and looks almost doll-like. The duality that defines Agnés Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7 is present from, quite literally, its opening frames: a title sequence in which our protagonist goes for a tarot card reading, and the writer/director both lays out the themes that will consume her interest for the next 90 minutes, and sets a style of winking playfulness that would seem to run counter to the serious subject matter. Her attitude towards life is reflected in her dark clothing. “It’s your imagination. Cléo is free to meet multiple people throughout the film over the course of 90 short minutes. The lighting of the film in its whole creates a natural feeling. I have been guilty of that myself. She is no longer restricted to her thoughts, but she can outwardly express her thoughts and feelings to Antoine. Cléo from 5 to 7 is a 1962 French Left Bank film written and directed by Agnès Varda. A sombre Cléo descends the staircase from the fortune teller’s office and a sighing theme on strings and harp begins to emanate from the soundtrack. The white robe flows as she sits on the swing. It depicts two hours in the life of a woman wandering throughout Paris on June 22, 1961. French new-wave heroine Agnès Varda’s 1962 film Cléo from 5 to 7 follows Cléo (Corinne Marchand), a pop singer, for 90 minutes of her day. He is on leave from the war and is openly concerned about death. As they walk silently, four disparate, dissonant chords emerge from the soundtrack and lead into the closing credits, signifying to us that for Cléo, the future does not bode well. In another scene, she tries to take solace in café and, in a bid for what one assumes is a sense of relevancy, programs the very same song into the café’s jukebox. The movie is incredibly fluid and is broken up by twelve chapters that are represented on the screen with the chapter number, time, and characters. For Cléo, reality is in black and white with little space for color in between. Also, the crowds at cafés and on the street are shown as they would have actually been at the time. Her apartment allows her to escape from the gaze of others. Every step she takes is precisely mapped out throughout the film, so Cléo is developed in a realistic setting. The park setting allows Cléo to truly be herself, and she also meets Antoine who will be the first person she feels happy with in the film. Death is shown throughout the film and especially prominent in the park scene with the Algerian soldier, Antoine. After the doctor gives her diagnosis and drives off, the camera seems to sit on the back of his car and pans away from Cléo and Antoine. The viewer feels concern and dread following the tarot reader scene because Varda uses jump cuts from Cléo’s perspective and to look at her face. Music is obviously important to Cléo as she is a famous pop-artist. It’s melodic line rises and falls, repeating the same three note pattern on different tones, and as Cléo makes her way downstairs her footsteps follow its metronome-like beat. Each second of the film is spelled out for the viewer to clearly follow the progression of the film. Her clothes force people to recognize her for her beauty and not much more. The theme’s rhythmic ostinato and Cléo’s walk evoke the methodical sound of a ticking clock, propelling her to move forward onscreen despite her clear distress. 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