Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)
What would you do if it might be your final 2 hours?
Presentation:
Agnes Varda perhaps has the best eye in French cinematography. The cinematic flair in this film hits differently, there were a ton of legendary films in the 60s but this one is timeless in its presentation. I think the remaster looks incredible and is edited so well that it it could be released in theaters today. I love this type of bright monochrome with low contrast, combined with a very well chosen wardrobe. My favorite outfit was the polka dot dress and I wished they kept it on longer to make the film more iconic. French cinematography always looks good because Paris looks incredible, at least back when it wasn’t under constant reconstruction. It’s quite amazing that in 1962 the French filmed in the cars while Hollywood was still recording driving scenes on a set. The contemporary editing is tight with tasteful jump cuts. I think the scenes where strangers were staring at her was so genius and made time slow down. The music is also great and not overdone, I think them matching the rhythm to the footsteps was absolutely the chef’s kiss. Although the entire presentation is beautiful, its legacy will surely go down for it’s mirror cinematography. Also on a side note, it’s pretty uncanny seeing David Blaine’s magic tricks all the way back in 1962.
Conclusion:
The only complaints I have about this film are that the pacing is slow and the casual dialogue is pretty boring, compared to Breathless at least. The film covers 2 hours and a portion of it is just walking and driving around. The mundane day to day tasks immersed me, but I couldn’t connect at all with the protagonist’s personality despite the fantastic existential themes. I felt like everyone tried far too hard to be distracting cool in this film and it was bordering on being insufferable. Normally it could be forgiven for some of the less serious French films, but the plot here is actually serious. In any case, this is still worth the watch for the cinematic experience and there is a great message at the end. I think it may be one of the most unique cinematic black and white films of all time.
Recommendations
What would you do if it might be your final 2 hours?