“A dolly shot is a specific kind of tracking shot where we follow a subject on an apparatus called a dolly. A dolly is a cart that the camera is mounted on, which rolls along dolly track or on its own wheels. Dolly shots are designed to be smooth and controlled camera movements. Dolly shots can be combined with other camera movements like a pan or tilt to accentuate the theme, or message, of the scene.” – StudioBinder
Agnes Varda was a master filmmaker with a career spanning nearly 70 years. In that time she made many different films with varying subjects, both documentary and narrative, although she never lost her unique sense of humanity and empathy that fills every frame she shot. Whether following a young model dealing with a potential cancer diagnosis, or a literal vagabond, there was never a two-dimensional character to be found in her films.
Part of the feeling of warmth and community that can be seen in all of her works exists thanks to her compositions and shooting style, especially her use of dolly shots, defined above. By exploring the space and how families, lovers, friends filled them and existed within, we feel apart of these worlds and better understand the characters in front of us.
Below is a brief examination into the use of her dollies in a select handful of her films, although the full effect can best be seen in watching her films, and appreciating how she deploys this choice to further the story and the characters.
The Gleaners and I screened in August at a/perture cinema.