Clèo From 5 To 7 Analysis

Clèo from 5 to 7 is a film written and directed by Angnès Varda; it follows Clèo, a young singer in Paris as she anticipates the result of her medical test. The film’s use of cinematography techniques such as tracking, the use of a handheld camera, and zoom lens all exemplify the notion of ignorance; being unaware, oblivious and lacking in perspective.
At the very start of the film, the viewer is greeted with the concept of death. In this scene, Clèo visits a fortune teller who reads cards; she tells Clèo that her illness might be serious. This scene presents a stark contrast to the rest of film; starting with color, whilst the rest of the film unfolds in black and white – maybe indicates that life was ‘colorful’ before Clèo finds out that
The cinematography technique of tracking, accompanied with a long shot is constantly applied whenever she is on the streets of Paris, making her way from one location to another. This is evident during the scene where Clèo and her assistant leave the cafe - make their way to a store and look for a taxi ride, the camera follows them from a distance. The use of tracking here replicates the dynamism of the street scene, constantly moving; echoing the fleeting nature of life. However, it also places Clèo in a greater context. In this instance, there is a play on the viewer’s psychology – since the tracking is focused on Clèo, so is the viewer. Ultimately, the viewer is no longer attentive to what is going on around her, Clèo becomes the point of focus. In contrast, there is little to no camera movement when Clèo is in the comfort of her own home. The stillness of the camera indicates the difference between these locations. Home represents something that is fixed, however, the stillness of the camera allows to viewer to explore the setting around
In these instances, the viewer is given several views of Paris, however, this time through the window of the taxi. There appears to be an element of confinement – both Clèo and the viewer’s perspective is limited to a window frame. This implies that there is a subtractive element, lack of a bigger picture. Ironically, in the first taxi scene, the radio gives a report of the recent casualties in the Algerian war. The juxtaposition between what the viewer sees and what they hear indicates a certain extend of obliviousness, as it is overshadowed with the events taking place in Clèo’s