Martin Scorsese was a fan of a director who contributed to the French New Wave films. If you are guessing François Truffaut or Jean-Luc Godard, you’re so wrong. Scorsese admired the films of female director Agnès Varda, who was known for her film Cléo from 5 to 7. The Departed director struck up a friendship with Varda in the ’70s and shared that he might have sought her approval for ideas.
Further praising the director, Scorsese shared that Varda broke all the rules of filmmaking and made films of varying shapes and sizes. Unlike Truffaut or Godard, Varda wasn’t a film critic, nor was she knowledgeable about films. She was a photographer who stumbled upon the art of filmmaking.
Martin Scorsese Respected One Female Director Who Contributed To French New Wave Films
Martin Scorsese can’t sing enough praises for French filmmaker Agnès Varda. In the book Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration, Scorsese called her “one of the gods of cinema” (via Far Out). Varda stood out as a unique feminine presence in the French New Wave films and she served as an inspiration to the Goodfellas director.
Varda began with her unconventional approach to filmmaking in her debut film La Pointe Courte. However, one of her most notable works was the 1962 flick, Cléo from 5 to 7, which brought international attention to her works. She used the medium to discuss sensitive topics like sexism, male oppression, beauty standards, ageism, race, and class.
Scorsese shared in the book that he always made time for Varda whenever she wanted to talk. The Aviator director believed he sought some sort of approval from Varda. He shared that she broke all the conventions and never stuck to a fixed format for her films. Scorsese shared about Varda in the book:
I always made time for Agnes. I guess I wanted her approval. Agnes broke all the forms of what a film should be. When I think of making a film, my mind goes right to feature length, the old theatrical experience. But Agnes never stuck to that. She made films of all shapes and sizes as she was moved to.
Scorsese’s favorite Varda movies were Cléo from 5 to 7 and Le Bonheur. Varda’s take on female characters definitely impacted Scorsese, as he shared that her films got him “thinking about women in a totally different way.” He also attributed the style of filmmaking in his documentaries to being directly inspired by Varda.
Martin Scorsese Shared His One Film That Agnès Varda Wasn’t Happy About
Martin Scorsese further opened up about his relationship with the French filmmaker during his appearance at the Telluride Film Festival in 2019. Varda passed away in 2019 before the festival. He delivered a speech on Agnès Varda and her influence on his films. He admired Varda for her quick adaptation of new technologies, sharing, “She immediately picked up digital.”
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Scorsese went on to share that when he showed her the rough cut of his film Kundun, Varda wasn’t too happy. He further shared that he didn’t get any opinion from her on The Wolf of Wall Street, despite her attending the premiere night. He also added that Varda was present in the editing room of Silence and on the sets of The Irishman.
While she followed no rules in her filmmaking, Scorsese recalled her gasping at one of his decisions with The Irishman. Varda asked him on the set in his trailer, “How long is the script?”, to which Scorsese replied, “Well, it’s about 180 pages.” Varda responded with a gasp, “You can’t do these kind of things! It’s too much for you! It’s really too much!”
Agnès Varda’s works are unlike anything made in French cinema as she added her unique perspective as a photographer into each frame.
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