Vagabond
A fiercely unrooted young woman traverses the winter landscapes of southern France, leaving behind only fragments of testimony and uneasy human connection.
Overview
A poignant exploration of a woman's struggle for freedom in a world that seeks to define her.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- melancholic
- observational
- serious movie night
- arthouse cinema session
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Agnès Varda’s unsparing, formally inventive portrait of a rootless young woman as a major achievement of observational cinema, anchored by Sandrine Bonnaire’s performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mona repeatedly rejects attempts by employers, acquaintances, and hosts to impose direction or routine on her life.
The film begins with Mona’s frozen body and uses brief interviews alongside flashbacks to trace her final weeks.
Mona moves through southern France from campsite to campsite, meeting workers, farmers, lovers, and strangers in self-contained episodes.
The camera attends closely to Mona’s dirt, exhaustion, precarious shelter, and the material routines of vineyard and pastoral work.
Films like Vagabond, and why
Wendy and Lucy
observational road movie centered on an independent woman, social marginality, and episodic encounters
Rosetta
austere, wandering character study with documentary realism and attention to precarious lives
Le bonheur
french new wave-inflected rural drama about alienation, freedom, and outsiders living beyond social norms
The Passenger
melancholic road movie portraying transient relationships and resistance to conventional belonging
Movie Details
- Director
- Agnès Varda
- Release Date
- 1985-12-04
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (375)
Cast
- Sandrine Bonnaire
- Macha Méril
- Yolande Moreau
- Stéphane Freiss
- Setti Ramdane
- Yahiaoui Assouna
- Marthe Jarnias
- Francis Balchère
- Jean-Louis Perletti
- Urbain Causse
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Vagabond about?
- A fiercely unrooted young woman traverses the winter landscapes of southern France, leaving behind only fragments of testimony and uneasy human connection.
- What is Vagabond like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Vagabond as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Vagabond violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Vagabond as mild.
- What did critics think of Vagabond?
- Critics broadly regard Agnès Varda’s unsparing, formally inventive portrait of a rootless young woman as a major achievement of observational cinema, anchored by Sandrine Bonnaire’s performance.
- Which films are like Vagabond?
- Films with a similar feel include Wendy and Lucy, Rosetta, Le bonheur, and The Passenger.
- How long is Vagabond?
- Vagabond runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Vagabond?
- In United States, Vagabond is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
