Upon careful inspection of the mis-en-scène in Agnès Varda’s 1962 film, “Cleo From 5 to 7”, one object in particular will stand out to viewers: mirrors. From reflective signs on the streets, to wall décor in cafés, and even to the glass in a hat shop, every shot in the film’s beginning serves as a means for Cleo to examine herself as she goes about her day. Anxiously awaiting the results of a medical examination for cancer, Cleo attempts to busy herself by doing the one thing she knows best, embracing her vanity. From Cleo’s perspective, “Ugliness is a kind of death… as long as I’m beautiful, I’m alive.” Varda’s consistent placement of mirrors allows viewers to analyze the depth of Cleo’s admiration for face-value qualities. In her early attempts to distract and prevent herself from wallowing in pity, Cleo orders a coffee without directly speaking to the waiters and tries on hats without talking to the saleswoman, all the while admiring herself in some capacity. This mentality is enabled by those around her, with her lover José and production team telling her not to worry about illness because she is beautiful. 

Soon, however, Cleo begins to seem lost, desperately searching for something she cannot pinpoint. Her previous glances of admiration turn to desperate stares, searching for answers about her identity. Instead of the mirrors providing temporary solace, they begin to follow Cleo as she wanders, agitating her the more she sees herself. Glaring at herself in a mirror in a restaurant’s window, Cleo internally examines her problematic mentality, thinking, “I can’t see my own fears. I thought everyone looked at me. I only look at myself. It wears me out.” It is only after Cleo talks with her friend Dorothée that the frequency of mirrors decreases, and eventually dissipates totally when she roams through a park by herself. 

It is there that Cleo meets Antoine, a solider who must soon return to the Algerian War. For the first time in the film, Cleo makes true eye contact with a stranger. Varda’s use of nature in these scenes allows for Cleo to form a close connection in a brief period of time. In the park, there are no longer busy streets, cars passing, and mirrors surrounding Cleo. Instead, only the flow of water, birds chirping, and peaceful conversation fills the soundscape. Only after Cleo leaves the pressure of the city does she find the peace she longed for. With Antoine, a stranger who does not spoil her as she was so often accustomed, Cleo finds clarity, understanding that true connection is the most valuable part of life. Soon after she receives her diagnosis, the film draws to a close as Cleo gazes into Antoine’s eyes, rather than into her own.