The Tarot's Tower in Agnès Varda's Cléo de 5 à 7

Agn & egrave;s Varda's Cl & eacute;o de 5 & agrave; 7/Cl & eacute;o from 5 to 7 begins with a divination session that launches a process by which the protagonist will shed her public persona in favour of an inner form of self-awareness. Cards uncover past influences, present situations and a surprising encounter, until the dramatic reveal of the Tower card implicates the emotional and physical transformation of Cl & eacute;o, a fearful young woman seeking reassurance in a time of health crisis. Thus far, critical study has focused on the Tarot session as Varda's exposition of background, plot and tropes; however, scholars have yet to analyse the divination session as a prompt for Cl & eacute;o's emerging will and effort in the world. This article proposes the Tarot de Marseille's maison dieu/Tower card as a key instigator to 'self-discovery and self-exploration'. What follows first analyses the beginning scene in which the Tower card is pulled, then exposes the card's impact throughout the film.