Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Cleo, a singer and hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor.

Director:

Agnès Varda

Writer:

Agnès Varda

Stars:

Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Corinne Marchand	...	Florence 'Cléo' Victoire
Antoine Bourseiller	...	Antoine
Dominique Davray	...	Angèle
Dorothée Blanck	...	Dorothée (as Dorothée Blank)
Michel Legrand	...	Bob, le pianiste
José Luis de Vilallonga	...	José, l'amant de Cléo
Loye Payen	...	Irma, la cartomancienne
Renée Duchateau	...	La vendeuse de chapeaux
Lucienne Marchand	...	La conductrice du taxi
Serge Korber	...	Maurice, dit 'plumitif'
Robert Postec	...	Le docteur Valineau
Jean-Luc Godard	...	L'homme aux lunettes noires / Actor in silent film
Anna Karina	...	Anna, la fiancée blonde / Actress in silent film
Emilienne Caille	...	La fiancée noire / Actress in silent film
Eddie Constantine	...	L'arroseur / Actor in silent film

Storyline

Two hours from 17:00 to 19:00h on the longest day of the year in the life of a young Parisienne is presented. Florence Victoire, who is better known by her stage name Cléo Victoire (as in Cleopatra), is a singer with three hit singles to her name, and as such some renown. Two days ago, she went in for some tests for abdominal issues to see if it is cancer. She will be getting the results today at 18:30h. She is certain that it will be a terminal cancer diagnosis, her mind fixated on that outcome and what it actually means. This belief affects how she approaches the day, from her encounters with friends and acquaintances to what she observes in total strangers around her. It could be as simple as how she views the lyrics to new songs presented to her from her songwriting team, to her feelings about a conversation she overhears in a café between a couple having relationship problems, to the typical sweet nothings spoken to her from her lover, José. There are certain things that do ...

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | fear of death | french new wave | color sequence | singer | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Ciné Tamaris [France]

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 April 1962 (France)

Also Known As:

Cleo from 5 to 7

Filming Locations:

Rue du Pont-Neuf, Paris 1, Paris, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,886

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné Tamaris, Rome Paris Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Underwent a 2K restoration in 2012 through the Archives Françaises du Film du CNC and supervised by writer/director Agnès Varda, with image work done at the Digimage laboratory and sound work at Elude.

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Goofs

After the rehearsal scene, when the pianist (Michel Legrand) says "self-pitying spoiled child," the shot is a composite. Michel's head and the background in front of him is one shot, and the background behind him is another shot, which pans towards Cleo after he speaks his line. The clocks on the ledge behind Michel can be briefly seen in two places at once.

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Quotes

Antoine: Nudity should be for everyone, like summer.
Florence, 'Cléo Victoire': What does that mean?
Antoine: Nakedness is simplicity itself. Love, birth, the dawn, the sun, the beach, all that.

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Connections

Featured in Faces Places (2017)

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Soundtracks

Sans toi
Performed by Corinne Marchand (feat. Michel Legrand et son orchestre)

User Reviews

Life and Movement in the shadow of Death

"Cleo from 5 to 7" tells the story of a young French singer, who fears that she may be seriously ill. What could have been maudlin "movie of the week" soap opera, is transformed by Agnes Varda into a unique movie experience.

The film contrasts Cleo's fear of death with the teeming life of the Paris streets, where street entertainers swallow live frogs and puncture their biceps; and the more normal members of the crowd busy themselves with the usual affairs of business and the heart. A large amount of the film takes place outdoors, with Cleo and the people in her life always walking, running or driving. There is a wonderful scene of Cleo-Distraught over an ominous tarot reading by the fortune teller- descending a circular staircase, her shoe heels clicking out a counterpoint to Michel Legrand's pensive music.

Sometimes just watching the way someone moves is very revealing. Director Varda has a fluid camera style which enlivens every scene. As often happens in European art films the story unfolds in a slow undramatic fashion, but their is so much going on in the image and the text, that you don't mind. Essential viewing.