"I always think everyone's looking at me, but I only look at myself."
A landmark of its time that basks in the present. The camerawork captures Cléo's perturbed state of mind elegantly, while also depicting the indifference and beauty of 1960s Paris. Consumed by fear and superstition, the unexpected spontaneity of the day can lead to enlightened moments.
Imagine getting the bulk of the French New Wave to star in your film-within-a-film.
Tarkovsky’s first movie made outside the USSR is an enchanting self-reflection of all that came before. Familiar motifs and images found in previous works are displayed evenly throughout this journey of discovery and mystery. This might be his most straightforward story, albeit we are often interrupted by the protagonist’s flashbacks, i.e. the director’s memories. In escaping to the freedom to pursue art, history and poetry - Tarkovsky finds himself anxious to return to his initial inspirations in the land that birthed him. The color palette appears bland, but the textures are very rich.
Riz Ahmed does the same thing I see him do in every movie he’s in, but the heightened drama and Paul Raci turn it into captured stillness.
