Portrayal of a City: Cléo From 5 to 7

Cléo from 5 to 7 eloquently narrates the tale of Cléopatra, a singer who has been diagnosed with an ailment and is waiting for her test results. The film showcases 2 hours in the life of the singer as she impatiently waits for her results. The film is broken down into various small chapters where we watch her brief encounter with various people in the city of Paris. The film focuses on the themes of women empowerment, death, the true meaning of beauty and companionship.

Agnès Varda expressively represents the Paris of 1960s where she lays emphasis on the streets of Paris filled with people, shops, cars and cafés. While showing various parts of Paris, she is reluctant to show big monuments or grand buildings of the city. She focuses on the daily lives of people living in Paris, it's artistic history and also what effect did the war in Algeria had on the french people during that time.

Cléo from 5 to 7 is an ode to art and the artists of Paris. We watch Cléo; a singer who is a rising star in the country practicing at her home with her music producer and friends. We look at the performing art students of Paris while sitting in a Parisian taxi, having fun and creating a ruckus on the streets. Varda also shows us the beautiful museums and art galleries where Cléo's friend works as a poser for the students of the gallery. We also get to see the projection room of a small cinema house in the city where Cléo watches a film with her friends.

Varda doesn't shy away from using a variety of camera angles and movements which aren't conventional, as we see her using the camera in a swinging motion; a feat. which hasn't been seen in mainstream cinema. She also lays a lot of emphasis on people, their conversations and the beauty of Parisian streets and locale. She vividly uses parks and their serene calmness and beauty in contrast to Cléo's internal feelings of fear and internal chaos. With this film, Varda clearly expresses the role of the citizens in making a city what it is and giving it character instead of the monuments which will fade away with time.

The film portrays the strong women of France through a variety of characters ranging from a Tarot card reader to a Taxi Driver. The women of Paris are bold, smart and stand up against the patriarchal views of society. Throughout the film we encounter independent females who do not budge under pressure. Be it the Tarot Card reader, the taxi driver, the shop owner, the lady who turns away a dreadful man, Cléo's friend who works as a poser, Cléo's made, or Cléo herself.

The film also focuses on the idea of companionship and how one tries to constantly look for someone who understands you completely, and when you find them; your heart feels at peace and you are devoid of any fear, even death. Cléo is naïve, superstitious and childlike when she fears losing her beauty. But we see her grow through the film, start to fight her own fights and disregard the need for constant validation as she tries to search for herself and her true identity in the beautiful and picturesque city of Paris.

Written by:

Moksh Jindal

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