Discussion of the Film Vagabonde by Agnes Varda
Discussion of the Film Vagabonde, by Agnes Varda
Vagabonde possesses many themes which when viewed on the surface are almost invisible. However, when a closer ‘post-mortem’ style of analysis is adopted they soon become clear and more distinguished. The themes included in this film are Mystery, Jealousy, Loneliness, Independence and ultimately, Tragedy. We see the themes develop in front of us individually as the film progresses, but as the viewer, we only become aware of the super-structure by the end of the film. We know from the start that ultimately the journey ends in tragedy but are curious as to why this woman is lying dead in a ditch.
The two themes: Tragedy and Mystery, arrive together in the film. The film opens with an image of a young girl lying in a ditch covered in mud. This image is visually shocking and instantly provokes a reaction from the viewer. The reaction must vary from person to person but ultimately it creates curiosity and sympathy. The director invites the audience to participate in uncovering of the "mystery" surrounding the life of a dead woman. On the surface, Vagabonde is a deceptively simple story. The film opens with the image of a frozen female corpse and a narrator (Varda) tells the audience that what follows are interviews with the people who knew her in the last weeks of her life. Through interviews and flashbacks the viewer learns how this young woman ended up in a ditch, but not why she started her solitary journey. The film's main concern is the reaction of people to the drifter, not her psychology. Varda uses other people's memories to construct an image of the drifter. Loneliness is communicated instantly by the sheer fact that this woman is lying alone with no possessions in a small village and no one knows her. If she was a resident she would be recognised and if she was from a family out of town, then surely she would have some belongings with her. It is Varda’s intention to portray this tragic image of isolation. The structure of the film is supported by the way in which the story develops, i.e. through a series of interviews and documentary type monologues.
From the outset, Varda establishes that she is using the accounts of witnesses to build a portrait of Mona, but as the film progresses it becomes evident that these interviews reveal more...