‘Beware of loose women when you come home at night…’
As I have begun to find my feet a little more with the French New Wave movement, I have become more au fait with its conventions and limitations. Namely, small budgets, eccentric editing and authentic settings. Cleo From 5 to 7 is unusual as it was written and directed by a woman – Agnès Varda – but also because it eschews the masculine rebellion of The 400 Blows and the effortless cool of Breathless to create something that is just as compelling as either…
Cleo (Corinne Marchand), a singer and hypochondriac, massively overreacts to an ominous tarot card reading and some impending health test results by swanning around Paris basically doing as she pleases. Liberated by her potentially impending mortality, Cleo decides the time has come to live life to the full.
Despite some similarities with some of the other big films of the era, Cleo From 5 to 7 very much has its own distinctive voice and is an important part of the rich tapestry of the French New Wave movement. While some of the more experimental moments may feel a little like padding (particularly the silent movie homage and the musical interludes), they also serve to make Varda’s film unique which is probably the reason why this is one of the films coming out of Paris in that era that has endured. A stunning performance from Marchand in the titular role helps, as does Varga’s thoughtful and philosophical script – but more than anything, it is the authenticity of Cleo From 5 to 7 that helps to provide another important snapshot into life in Paris in the 1960s.
Towards the end of the film, Cleo herself states that she hates reading reviews and so I’ll keep this one brief. Cleo From 5 to 7 is another important entry in the annuls of the French New Wave movement.