Cleo on 45 rpm

2008-11-11 by Eric Fillion

There is something particularly interesting about soundtracks that were pressed onto 7" vinyl ... and Cléo de 5 à 7 is no exception. The four songs that appear on this Philips release summarize in a concise and vivid way the essence of this 1961 film. It does not matter that two of the songs do not appear on the original score because in some way they allow the film and its main protagonist to extend beyond the screen and into the realm of real-life popular music.

Cléo de 5 à 7 is Agnès Varda’s second feature film. It came after La Pointe Courte, which established Varda as a precursor to the French New Wave cinema. With Cléo de 5 à 7, she intruded into a cultural milieu dominated by men and asserted herself as a prominent West Bank filmmaker.

Cléo de 5 à 7 documents two hours in the life of a pop singer anxiously awaiting the results of a medical test. Corinne Marchand plays the role of the leading actress while lending her voice to the songs performed on the above vinyl record. Cléo Victoire (played by Marchand) sings on side A while Marchand abandons her role of actress and becomes a pop singer herself on side B. Even Michel Legrand transgresses boundaries in his capacities as composer and actor (he plays Bob the pianist in the film).

One reviewer noted that with Cléo de 5 à 7, “Agnes Varda has created her own version of a French croissant. A light and flaky yet wholly satisfying morsel of celluloid and one of the most accessible films of the French New Wave”. And now here are the songs that will help you complement this petit déjeuné.

Face 1

Sans Toi listen

La Belle P... listen

Face 2

La Joueuse listen

La Menteuse listen

**********************************

And a variation on the theme of La Belle P...

recent entries all entries email signup rss subscribe