Le Bonheur (1965) dir. Agnès Varda
80 mins
Le Bonheur is a french new wave film by Agnès Varda. The title translates to "happiness".
The film takes place in an idyllic subrub outside of Paris and follows a happy french family, starring Jean-Claude Drouot ("French Bill Hader") as Francois, a father and husband.
His wife and children are played by his actual wife and children.
Both Jean-Claude Drouot and Agnès Varda were born and raised Belgium and later moved to Paris.
French New Wave directors were generally split into two collectives: Cahiers du Cinema and the Left Bank (in reference to the left of the Seine river).
CdC included Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, who are credited with defining the genre.
Agnès Varda was an iconic member of the Left Bank. Film makers associated The Left Bank were seen as more "intellectual" and experimental compared to the Cahiers du Cinema, which was regarded as more "commercial".
Le Bonheur won the Jury Grand Prix at the 1965 Berlinale.
It also won the Prix Louis Delluc in 1964, an award is bestowed to the Best Film of the year on the second week of each December selected by a jury composed of 20 members, consisting of a group of film critics and figures who are culturally significant. Her husband, Jacques Demy, won the Prix Louis Delluc a year prior, for Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964).
Jean Rabier was the cinematographer for both films, and also frequently collaborated with Claude Chabrol.
Le Bonheur was Agnès Varda’s first colour feature and the colour palette was inspired by Impressionism.
Set amongst colourful cut and wildflowers and dreamy picnic landscapes drenched in sunshine with Mozart playing in the background, it's clear that Varda and I share the same interpretaion of what happiness looks like. The imagery alone is why it is one of my top 4 favourite films on letterboxd.
What is shown goes much deeper than that. Pretty yet subversive, saccharine, ironic. Happiness is defined differently by Francois, and the nature of the film forces you to look at things from his perspective.
I find that movies that reference "Happiness" in the title often contradict themselves (Happy Together, Happy Gilmore, The Pursuit of Happyness, Happy Feet).
In an article, "After Agnes Varda: A Discussion" published in the feminist film journal, Another Gaze, Jenny Chamarette describes her favourite Varda film, Le Bonheur as "a horror movie wrapped up in sunflowers, an excoriating feminist diatribe strummed to the tune of a love ballad. It’s one of the most terrifying films I’ve ever seen."
Varda herself has said: “Happiness is a beautiful fruit that tastes of cruelty.”
