_{Written and prepared for JRMC 8240, a graduate elective at the University of Georgia}

Agnes Varda’s debut feature– La Pointe Courte– not only encapsulated and predicted her future filmmaking style, but cemented her as an infamous director of the French New Wave and cinema in its entirety. The drama, shot in a distinct visual style with a documentary feel, alternates between two narratives: a young couple examining their troubled marriage and a fishing village dealing with its collective problems. The film features the best of Varda, impressive considering it’s her first major work: documentary-style discontinuity, profound dialogue, female perspective and the celebration of life, and stands the test of time in comparison to masterworks Vagabond and Cleo from 5 to 7. 

Unlike the other infamous members of the French New Wave, Varda wasn’t a film buff or film critic. She had a background in art, literature and photography, which is visible in her work. La Pointe Courte foreshadows her future in documentary filmmaking through stylistic choices and includes carefully placed shots of the married couple’s profiles. The juxtaposition between documentary-style and artistic shots are also present in masterwork Cleo from 5 to 7: Cleo’s inner breakdown is displayed through stressful walking, singing and melancholy montage. Mona’s journey in Vagabond is similar– her narration is complicated as story time and plot time are blurred. In a realistic sense, the villagers and the estranged married couple of La Pointe Courte are depicted going about their daily lives in natural mannerisms, much like human subjects in reality. They go about their daily routines in long tracking shots. Children and animals are caught on film acting natural, appearing as if they’re blissfully unaware of cameras. The ‘set’ is most likely a real town and the ‘actors’ are locals, a popular technique employed by the French New Wave. Much like her later films, there is lots of meandering. Lost souls (Mona vs. Cleo vs. the Husband and Wife) walking around the landscape battling existential crises. 

While the human subjects in Varda’s films are visually displayed in similar manners, they all seem to battle the same themes that connect unlikely people as well. La Pointe Courte, being a slightly melancholy but overall cheery and lighthearted film, emphasizes the joys of routine and living simply. The working class across her works is romanticized and the idea of community is viewed through rose-colored glasses, while the uber-rich and government figures are depicted as corrupt, clownish, and sometimes evil. Cleo, Mona and her documentary subjects definitely encounter darker scenarios beyond idyllic village living, but they all process and approach life similarly. The concept of life is a positive thing– people are born and must try to make themselves happy. Life is unpredictable, but inner happiness can be found through soul-searching, daily routine tasks and contemplation. The protagonists seem to have no goals where time is of the essence, defying the rules of classic Hollywood. Varda simply wants her viewers to get to know them and perhaps gain perspective. 

Lastly, one of the biggest trends across the Varda filmography is the female perspective, a rarity for the time. Much like projects where Cleo, Mona or Varda herself plays the protagonist, La Pointe Courte is heavily focused on the conflicting feelings of The Wife and the local village women. The ladies of the ensemble seem content in raising their families, doing their daily chores and living in the community– but not in an overtly cheery 1950s housewife way. They speak of struggle and poverty and make jokes, but seem happy and view themselves as equals in comparison to their male counterparts. The Wife, however, is a bit more complex. She is from Paris, which is obvious from the way she dresses (much like Cleo in chic black and white ensembles), but also in her vocabulary and profound thought processes. Whether these are to be negative, positive or neutral portrayals on Varda’s part is ambiguous. Is she happy? If not, is it deservedly so? She doesn’t seem too excited about visiting her husband’s childhood home, but it tends to grow on her towards the end of the film, and the state of their marriage subsequently improves. One could view this as a critique on the inevitable unhappiness of city-living or simply as an introduction to a more complex-thinking female perspective. Similar to Parisienne Cleo’s fame and fortune, she seems to be more affected by her struggles than vagabond Mona. 

Overall, La Pointe Courte is a poignant and timeless depiction of a Varda film. Like most it features real locals in real towns going about their lives, many of them women battling an inner conflict. The film not-so-seamlessly blends arthouse style and documentary realism. It lacks any actual high-stakes ‘plot’ or character goals, electing to instead focus on the human experience and celebrating life.