Introduction A vibrant splash of sunflowers, an idyllic family picnic, and the jaunty strains of Mozart—Agnès Varda’s Le Bonheur (1965) opens with an overwhelming sensation of beauty. Yet, beneath its sun-drenched, Impressionist exterior lies one of the most radical, unsettling, and fiercely feminist films of the French New Wave.
François is genuinely happy, yet when he begins an affair with Émilie, a postal worker, he does not feel guilt [1, 13]. Instead, he views happiness as "additive"—an apple orchard that simply gains another tree [9]. When he eventually confesses this "additional happiness" to Thérèse during a picnic, she responds with devastating silence and is later found drowned in a lake
Ethical and viewer-response considerations le bonheur 1965
If you are analyzing this film for a specific project, let me know if you would like me to focus on , provide a deep dive into the ending , or explore its connection to the French New Wave . Share public link
The cinematography in is breathtaking, with a use of color and light that is both expressive and evocative. Varda's collaborations with cinematographer Raoul Coutard resulted in a film that is visually stunning, with a blend of naturalism and stylization that adds to the film's dreamlike quality. The camerawork is often lyrical, with long takes and fluid movements that create a sense of fluidity and continuity. Introduction A vibrant splash of sunflowers, an idyllic
Working with legendary cinematographers Jean Rabier and Claude Beausoleil, Varda modeled the film’s aesthetic after French Impressionist painters, explicitly referencing the works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Édouard Manet. The screen overflows with hyper-saturated primaries:
Much of the film takes place outdoors. The forest is not merely a setting but a character—it represents an Edenic paradise. The camera lingers on flowers, light filtering through leaves, and insects. This abundance of nature mirrors François’s philosophy of abundance in love. Instead, he views happiness as "additive"—an apple orchard
that uses the language of commercials and fairy tales to expose the myth of domestic bliss [6, 25, 31].