Cleo's Reflection

Varda uses motifs of mirrors and reflections to primarily illustrate Cleo’s inner and outward sentiment. For instance, in Chapter 1, viewers are presented with an attractive woman who finds her inner self breaking down because of her ailment. Here, Varda uses mirrors to cleverly illustrate its egotistical nature. This is exemplified when Cleo uses mirrors to re-assure her apparent outer beauty, while simultaneously alluding to ugliness as a physical manifestation of death. These reflections of physical attractiveness, well-being and energy illustrate Cleo’s perception of herself and her surrounding world. This is exemplified in the Hat shop sequence. Here, we see Cleo moving back and forth around the shop constantly admiring her attractiveness

For instance, we hear Cleo’s music as she waits to be recognized. However, people around her seem fixated in their own preoccupation. Here, beside Cleo, viewers are presented with a glasslike column that reflects Cleo in a shattered depiction. This use of columns serves as a visual metaphor in depicting Cleo’s broken inner self. Also, Varda’s incorporation of diegetic music adds to this dramatic effect. This is because throughout the film viewers are presented with Cleo’s music in Taxi’s; at restaurants whereby viewers would assume that she is worthy to be noticed as a public phenomenon. However, Varda uses music to allude to the notion that all though Cleo is consistently omnipresent through her music, she will eventually be discarded once the public finds someone new to embrace on her behalf. Here, the film also explicitly comments on Varda’s attitude towards women in 1960’s. Here, characters of Dorethee and Cleo’s cab driver are seen driving cars, a traditional masculine task. Cleo’s cab driver says “Tough job for a woman, dangerous too, but I like it”. These instances nullify traditional gender stereotypes prevalent during that time. Also, Varda illustrates her own opinion of female independence through Cleo’s assistant. Here, Angele constantly opposes of Cleo’s dissatisfaction. This implicitly suggests Varda’s own distaste and of her desire for Cleo needing to be spectated amidst her time