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Vagabond main poster

7.3/10 • 304

1985-12-041h 45m

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
Writters
Agnès Varda
Editors
Agnès Varda, Patricia Mazuy

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Sandrine Bonnaire

    Sandrine Bonnaire

    Mona Bergeron

  2. Macha Méril

    Macha Méril

    Mme Landier

  3. Yolande Moreau

    Yolande Moreau

    Yolande

  4. Stéphane Freiss

    Stéphane Freiss

    Jean-Pierre

  5. Setti Ramdane

    Setti Ramdane

    The Moroccan Who Discovers Mona

  6. Yahiaoui Assouna

    Yahiaoui Assouna

    Assoun

  7. Marthe Jarnias

    Marthe Jarnias

    Old Aunt Lydie

  8. Francis Balchère

    Francis Balchère

    Gendarmerie

  9. Jean-Louis Perletti

    Jean-Louis Perletti

    Gendarmerie

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 15, 2024

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.

Media

  • Vagabond poster
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  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster
  • Vagabond poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
French
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
homeless personfreedomsouthern francedead bodydriftertold in flashbackvagrantwoman director