One of my favorite movies of all time is a film that I never would have watched if I hadn't been forced to for a class. The film was spoken entirely in French, which for me used to be an immediate turnoff. But I sat down in the room anyway and waited for the movie to begin playing.
And as soon as the film started, I fell in love. Made in 1962 by Agnes Varda, "Cleo from 5 to 7" was made in an era where directors believed in the art of spending time on a film and making it the best it can be by spending equal amounts of time developing both the characters in the film and the plot. "Cleo from 5 to 7" is a film that will have you captivated from the minute it begins until the second it ends.
Documentary Film Techniques
"Cleo From 5-7" uses an interesting dynamic of documentary filmmaking techniques while still being a fictional film. In the film, no extras were hired to play people in the background. Instead, Agnes Varda decided to just use real life as her background. What better way to capture the true essence of the city Paris than actually going out and filming Paris in its natural state? For example, the scene where a street performer is eating live frogs as part of his act was completely unscripted. The man just happened to be doing his street performance, and the filmmakers decided it would be a nice thing to add to their film since it is a part of Paris' culture.
These real-life scenes are mixed in with the scripted ones to give the film a more unique aspect to it, and to make it seem a lot more real. This is part of the reason why as the film goes on, viewers stop seeing Cleo as a character; we instead begin to view her as a person just living her life. Especially since the plot point of the film is a realistic scenario.
Nothing about the movie seems too artificial or fabricated. The whole thing is designed to feel like you are getting a glimpse of Cleo's life. This dynamic is continued in the number of hints toward the war that occurs throughout the movie. As Cleo rides with her maid in a taxi, the radio talks of the troubles in Algeria. And later in the film, we see a group of soldiers that again remind the audience of the time period this film takes place in. All of these documentary film techniques come together beautifully to keep the audience intrigued
This Is A Black And White Film That Uses Color
Something about "Cleo From 5-7" that caught me off guard was the scene with the tarot card reader. It happens to be the opening scene, and it also is the only part that was filmed in color. When I first watched the film, I couldn't help but wonder why this might be. Why would the director choose to only film one piece in color? And why only the close-ups of the cards?
For the parts where the camera is focused on either of the ladies faces or the surrounding room, the color reverts to black and white. I began to wonder if this conscious decision had anything to do with the stereotypes associated with colored films at the time.
When Technicolor was first introduced, audiences believed that color was something to be used in a fantasy film. Color eluded to the idea of childlike wonderment and magic. Keeping this in mind, it makes sense that the tarot card scene would have been chosen to be filmed in color as opposed to the rest of the film, which was shot in black and white. The tarot cards are certainly a more mystical thing, that many people believe are nothing more than a person's way of scamming you into giving them money. And so the director chose to take this concept and use it in her film to highlight the sense of superstition she creates in this scene.
Reflections Give Us A Clue As To What Cleo Is Feeling Throughout The Film
Agnes Varda really understood how to use mirrors to help her convey the feelings of the characters. Throughout the movie, mirrors and other reflective surfaces are used as a key element in Cleo's character development.
At the beginning of the film, she looks at her reflection while in a cafe; this symbolizes how Cleo sees herself as this perfect image and that at any second, something could destroy this perfect image. At a later scene, Cleo looks at herself in her mirror in her bedroom and throws off her wig, showing how she is beginning to see her superficial beauty is going away, and she needs to begin accepting it. Lastly, when a mirror shatters and Cleo looks at it, the realization hits her that not only is this mirror shattered, but so is the old Cleo--leaving Florence, which is Cleo's real name, in her place.
Not only are the uses of mirrors amazing in how they convey key ideas, but it's also insane to me that Varda was able to achieve these scenes without once catching a reflection of a camera or other equipment in any of these shots. It is pretty difficult to angle your camera just right to avoid getting a reflection in a mirror, especially when you're doing a long take and moving the camera and actor simultaneously. It took a lot of careful staging to make these scenes happen, but I'm glad Varda didn't give up on them. If she had simply taken the easy way out and just not done these scenes at all, then "Cleo from 5 to 7" would have lost a lot of its meaning.
A Masterpiece Of The French New Wave Era
After watching "Cleo from 5 to 7," I assumed I was a fan of French New Wave works. But after watching a handful of other movies from this era, I have concluded that isn't necessarily true.
You can't judge a whole film movement based on one good film. Unfortunately, they can't all be winners. But this film convinced me to branch out and watch movies that I wouldn't expect to like.
Because of "Cleo from 5 to 7," I have a more diverse film taste and I am better educated on different film styles. So I encourage you to go out of your comfort zone and watch this movie. You won't regret it.
