One of the most difficult parts about life is the change that comes with the passage of time. One can never truly know their destiny, and there’s something sad yet beautiful about that fact.  The future is never certain.  Only time will tell, as the old saying goes.  Both the Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Cleo from 5 to 7 from the French New Wave era of cinema unpack the discussion of passing time as a part of human life, but in a way that is unapologetically real.  These films ensure that the audience knows that time slows down for no one, even if one is in deep, young love or awaiting a life altering phone call.  One’s fate is inevitable, just as the seasons change, and the reality of this can be daunting.  This theme is portrayed through the use of color (or lack thereof), seasons and music. 

Cleo from 5 to 7 was released in 1962 at the height of the French New Wave cinema movement by iconic director Agnes Varda.  The film centers around the story of Cleo, a pop star who is awaiting a phone call that will determine whether or not she has cancer.  The film is interesting in the way that only two hours elapsed within the story, resulting in a 90 minute film, leaving those final 30 minutes a mystery.  Two hours can feel like an eternity when awaiting difficult news.  Visually, the film begins in color as the hands of Agnes Varda herself hover over a deck of tarot cards placed in between a tarot reader and Cleo.  The cards tell one story and the tarot reader, who doesn’t want to upset Cleo (who is, above anything else, dramatic), tells another.  The audience and Cleo find out at the end of the film that she does indeed have cancer, but the tarot reader insists on sparring her with this sad news, even though she knows the truth.  For 90 minutes, it seems like the world begins to slow down.  One of the best used techniques from the film was the use of overheard/background conversations.  It adds to the realism of the film by letting viewers (and Cleo) know that the world never stops moving, even if it feels like it may be ending.  The story of Umbrellas of Cherbourg, directed by Jacques Demy, is one that is almost uncomfortably realistic.  It is the absolute embodiment of the idea that sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.  Guy and Genevieve fall in love, but soon enough Guy is drafted for the Algerian war.  The two lovers end up separated, even though their romance was full of passion that probably still keeps both of them up at night.  They never end up back together, despite their intense love.  Genevieve marries another man but is pregnant with Guy’s child and Guy comes back from the war changed.  They both have to move on, and they do.  They see each other years later, but of course, things are different.  Each of them have their own lives to live, their own children to raise.  In the end, they don’t end up together and it’s sad but it shows how the passage of time can change situations that felt like they would last forever. 

Both films use weather and seasons to show the passing of time, but Cleo from 5 to 7 specifically uses summer.  The films are opposite of each in a way, as Umbrellas of Cherbourg takes place over the span of a few years, Cleo takes place over the span of a mere two hours.  In the long run however, each are simply moments in a lifetime.  The story in Cleo from 5 to 7 occurs on the first day of summer, also known as the summer solstice- the longest day of the year.  There’s a certain irony about Cleo anticipating terrible news on the longest day of the year.  While her wait in the film is only two hours the day continues to drag on as sunlight doesn’t leave the sky until about 9 pm on the longest day of the year.  The change from spring to summer can also be seen as a maturing of sorts.  Spring is often associated with birth and children.  Flowers begin to bloom and defrost from the winter.  The weather begins to get warm, but not hot.  It is quite literally the start of new life.  The change into summer means that everything is in full bloom and at its maximum potential. Just as the world around her reaches its peak and begins to mature, so does Cleo.  Cleo starts off as a spoiled brat.  She whines and complains about everything and anything.  She is almost childlike in a way.  She comes home to smother only kittens (no full grown cat to be seen), she has a full swing in the middle of her bedroom which she can drape herself on any time.  She enters a hat store to try on so many hats, just to toss them to the side.  She’s rebellious too- instead of getting a light summer hat she goes for a black fur one which is the opposite of what she needs, but of course, she is used to getting what she wants.  At the end of the film, Cleo spends more time with herself and begins to change.  She is a bit more resilient than she once was, especially after actually hearing the news.  She reveals her true name, Florence, and in doing so she figuratively blooms from her old, childish self (Cleo) to her authentic, mature self (Florence).  This ties in with the flora and fauna reference made by her soldier love interest by the end of the film. 

In Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the audience witnesses several seasonal transitions.  The story begins in November of 1957.  Even though it’s raining in the beginning of the film, the scene is completely full of light and happiness.  Guy is getting off work, the shop is lit up with a warm yellow light, the streets are bustling and he simply can’t wait to take Genevieve out for a night in the town.  The night is full of happiness and love as the couple discuss their future.  This quickly changes when Guy has to leave for the war.  The sky is grey and the weather seems cold.  Both characters are incredibly sad to be leaving each other.  There’s a strange emptiness in the train station after both characters leave the scene.  The opening scene for March of 1958 is a bright carnival.  March is the beginning of spring which should represent the happiness of new life.  Genevieve is visibly pregnant in this scene for the first time, but it is clear that her mood does not match the happiness of the carnival taking place outside of the umbrella shop.  She misses Guy, but she is also conflicted about her marital status.  Her mother continues to push her to marry Roland instead of waiting for Guy.  Genevieve knows what she must do, but of course, even thinking about it makes her incredibly sad.  April of 1958 shows promise and new beginnings.  The cherry blossoms are in bloom and the sky is bright blue.  This is when Roland and Genevieve decide to get married, and while Genevieve is conflicted, it is a new beginning for her.  March of 1959 is juxtaposed with March of 1958.  Guy returns from war in 1959, and the day is cold, rainy and grey.  The weather matches Guy’s mood, as he is having trouble adjusting to civilian life.  April of 1959 features the same shot and location of the opening of the film in front of the auto shop where Guy works. Except this time it’s not bright or merry but rather cold and distant.  In this scene, Guy gets into a fight with his boss and eventually quits his job. The change from bright colors to grey throughout this film represents the emotions felt by the characters, as well as the passing of time, and how with time, everything is subject to change, even love. 

Music is used in both of these films in order to portray emotions and to represent time, fate and destiny.  In Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the characters speak through song, similar to an opera.  The love songs quickly fade as time goes on in the story, and it ends on a bittersweet note.  The songs are gentle and full of love in the beginning.  This changes once they realize that they have to be separated.   As Guy’s child and wife are getting ready to see Santa Claus at the end of the film, there’s a jazzy tone to the music which is very fitting for the holidays.  It’s smooth and full of life.  It becomes clear with this song that Guy has indeed fully moved on.  The song immediately changes when Genevieve rolls up.  It goes from jazzy to wistful and sad, with a touch of longing.  The jazz is switched out for a mournful array of strings.  The message is made even more clear when Guy says “I think you should leave.”  This same theme of longing and sadness is used in the scene when Guy and Genevieve are at the train station in the beginning.  In Cleo from 5 to 7, Cleo’s music is scattered throughout the film.  When Cleo is in the taxi with her assistant, her song comes on the radio and she criticizes her own performance.  There’s nothing particularly special about the song, but it is clear that it sounds very upbeat and happy.  Once Cleo arrives home, she begins practicing her songs with a songwriter and a pianist.  She sings the song “Sans Toi” passionately as tears stream down her face.  Her sadness begins to take over as she realizes that her life will never be the same again after she receives the news.  The camera focuses entirely on her bright, white hair and face against a black backdrop as she gives a performance that blows away everyone in the room.  This song is completely different from the one heard on the radio, and for a moment it becomes clear to the audience that Cleo is truly an artist.  Overcome with sadness and emotion, she flees the scene.  Later on, Cleo finds herself in a cafe.  She puts one of her songs on the jukebox, only to be met with disdain from the people at the cafe.  It’s made clear that the version of herself that she puts into her singles and looks isn’t what she is capable of.  She is capable of so much more.  

These films are opposite each other in terms of color.  Cleo from 5 to 7 is shot almost entirely in black and white and Umbrellas of Cherbourg drips with color.  The only bit of color shown in Cleo from 5 to 7 is in the beginning when Cleo is getting her tarot cards read.  This could represent how Cleo might have a bit of hope about her health at the start of the movie, but this all quickly goes away when she realizes the severity of the cards she chose.  After the shots of the tarot cards, everything switches to black and white, when Cleo is absolutely convinced that something is wrong with her.  The lack of color in the rest of the film is a representation of how Cleo feels about the situation.  Throughout the film she expresses a lack of hope, even without truly knowing the answer from the doctor.  At the very end when she does get the answer, she doesn’t cry out of scream or do anything particularly dramatic.  This is her change in character.  She accepts the news and the film ends.  In Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the ultra-bright colors represent the passion of first love and letting go (passion in both a happy and a sad way).  The bright colors represent explosive feelings that cannot be contained, feelings of love, sadness and loss.  In the final scene of the film, the colors are dulled.  In December of 1963, Guy and Genevieve met for probably the last time.  It’s snowing softly on top of Guy’s new American-style gas station which is stark white with accents of red.  All of the white stands out against the black night sky.  Genevieve is wearing a brown mink coat rather than her usual bright colors of blue, pink or yellow. Their conversation is dull and lifeless- it’s very clear that things have changed.  Nothing is as it once was.

Change and time go hand in hand, whether that be for good or for bad.  Both Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Cleo from 5 to 7 tell stories that have to do with time and change, with destiny and with fate.  Both films have bitter endings, but there is something to be said about the realism they bring.  Cleo finds out she has cancer, but she also changes for the better, blossoming from Cleopatra to Florence.  Guy and Genevieve don’t end up together, but they both got what they wanted in life.  Guy, with his own gas station and Genevieve with a child named Francoise.  Nothing will ever be the same as it once was, and that’s okay.  These moments of pain and sadness, or of love and passion are simply just moments in a lifetime.