Very interesting information on the history of gleaning, attitudes towards the practice and gleaners from all walks of life. There's a light touch to the whole thing which belies the deep social commentary that simmers below the surface, and I think that balance works out really well. Varda also gives us some interludes on her age and new digital camera which seem a bit out of place but are entertaining nonetheless.

For those critical of Varda's self-portrait, see pt. II.

Agnes Varda's filmic essay on fringe-dwelling scavengers bears a more than passing resemblance to her own artform, and to art in general (as she broadens the pallette with comparisons to painting throughout the film). The film, like Varda herself, is both curious and wise, political and digressive. There's an appreciation for the margins of life that suggests that's where it's truly lived, out on the boundaries.

Although ostensibly about the phenomenon of gleaning, as Agnes Varda inserts herself into the film, this moving documentary becomes a playful, digressive essay about what it means to be disposable, about mortality, about the nature of her artistic practice and the willingness to cheerfully embrace the impermanence of existence.

#829

What I gleaned from this doc is that Agnes rocks my socks off.

I like the concept, but I think the autobiographical parts are superfluous. I'd rather see more of the real gleaners. Varda's assertion that she's also a gleaner ("gleaning" images) is not convincing as a connection to the subject matter. But it's done in a fairly non-intrusive way, so no big deal.

An interesting looks at low-class Frech Society. Unfortunately, the only character Varda spends significant time on is herself, and I had a very hard time feeling anything for her despite her attempts at gleaning. This turns the rest of the film into a superficial documentary.

The gleaning aspect of the documentary is absolutely fascinating and make watching this documentary a must. It presents the history of gleaning as a practice and how it is still alive today in a variety of forms and not just picking up unused vegetables. However Varda inserts a personal story that I frankly found far less interesting than the gleaning subject. Every time the film diverted to that from gleaning I simply wanted it to get back to the subject of gleaning.

886

Funnily enough I thought the sections on the actual gleaning were the least interesting parts of the documentary; I much preferred hearing about the other "gleaners" in society and Varda's awareness of her own mortality. "A clock without hands is my kind of thing. You don't see time passing." Although that's not a great a quote as one of the gleaners saying "Here's an apple which has nothing going for it. It's like a stupid, ugly woman."