Vagabond

1985

1h 45m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

337

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56 Images

Drama

Mona Bergeron is dead, her frozen body found in a ditch in the French countryside. From this, the film flashes back to the weeks leading up to her death. Through these flashbacks, Mona gradually declines as she travels from place to place, taking odd jobs and staying with whomever will offer her a place to sleep. Mona is fiercely independent, craving freedom over comfort, but it is this desire to be free that will eventually lead to her demise.

Directors

Agnès Varda

Writers

Agnès Varda(writer by)

Stars

Sandrine Bonnaire

Macha Méril

Yolande Moreau

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Videos2

Trailer
Watch Vagabond (1985) Trailer
Featurette
Watch Elliptical Editing in Vagabond - Film Art video essay

Photos56

Top cast

Mona Bergeron

Mme Landier

Yolande

Jean-Pierre

The Moroccan Who Discovers Mona

Assoun

Old Aunt Lydie

Gendarmerie

Gendarmerie

Farmer Interviewed

Ditch Burner

First Biker

Paulo

Camionneur

Wrecker

Girl at the Pump

Old Man with Matches

(uncredited)

Directors

Agnès Varda

Writers

Agnès Varda(writer by)

All cast & crew

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Featured review

7/10

Sandrine Bonnaire delivers really quite well in this observational drama of a young, rootless, girl who roams the countryside living from hand to mouth. Now we start with "Mona" dead in a ditch - so there's little jeopardy, but that also serves a useful frame of reference to this depiction of her last fortnight or so of life. It's presented episodically as she encounters a goat-herder, squats with a pot-smoker for a few days, falls in love with an handsome Tunisian grape-picker and my own favourite - manages to get quite well oiled with a curmudgeonly old lady who simply needed to let her hair down. Each day brings her something new and the flashback style of storytelling allows us to reset a little between her adventures. Each time she, and we, feel maybe there is sense that hope isn't far away as she plays a game of Russian Roulette with her daily life. Some people are sympathetic, some downright hostile and it's all of these characteristics that contribute well to this punchy portrait of a strong woman who has no idea what she wants, nor what she doesn't want either. Does she clamour for peace, quiet, security? Does she thrive better on the unpredicable? One of my favourite Varda films - it's freedom and openness of visuals and spirit is compellingly augmented by Bonnaire and a cast of engaging character actors some you might like and some you probably won't. To what extent this is an accurate representation of rural life and small village mentality is also a question we are left to assess for ourselves and it all makes for a drama that works on several levels.

Geronimo196715 May, 2024