Mother and Lover Equals Other: Varda's Mortal Critique of the Feminine as Annex to the Masculine Subject

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which Agnès Varda's often misunderstood film Le bonheur (1965) undermines the roles of mistress and mother/wife as they are constructed by patriarchy, using concepts of mortality. The film has been misread as an iteration of these archetypes from a phallocentric perspective because of its vivid palette and seemingly simple substitution of one woman for another by the male protagonist. It concludes that Varda's grim assessment of these objectifying roles creates a chiaroscuro effect with the film's Pop Art aesthetics, a contrast that highlights the objectification of women in order to challenge it.