Sans toit ni loi
"Trees are framed as Mona is raped. Trees...have been 'colonized'/'raped' by a deathly American imported fungus...Mona immediately identifies with their destiny; 'si elles crevent, pensez a moi'"
A good point the article by Hayward makes is the reversal of symbols all throughout "Sans toit ni loi". Symbols of life, freedom, growth, and even passion are turned to death, captivity, stuntedness, and something needing to be doused rather than fueled. Trees, fire, water, even shutters are now something nasty and lurking. This entire film seems to be a statement of contradictions towards "normal" male road films like "Easy Rider."
"Easy Rider" is a film depicting the joys of living in the 70's. They are young, they were free, and they could do drugs and sleep with as many women as they wanted to without any true consequences. Yes they had some difficult times but they always came out on top. "Why?", one might ask? Because they are men. "The Vagabond" turns these identifiers of male life inside out when referring to Mona and her life on the road. Everything from drugs to sex is turned into a negative when Mona does it. Even the fact that she is on the road in the first place seems to be heralded as a bad idea. She is emotionally distant and cold instead of vivid in life and action. She is unable to take care of herself to her determent where as in Easy Rider all their scruff just makes them sexy.
The two most significant things seem to be her rape and death. As I quoted in the beginning life becomes death and freedom becomes captivity in the rape scene. Her desperation becomes the cry the trees cannot produce though they are in the same situation. Mona's death is so useless compared to the devastating glory of Billy and Wyatt's deaths in Easy rider. Mona tripps over life ( water pipe), Billy gets shot in pursute of "fun" and Wyatt gets blown up in all the wonder that comes with attempting to save a friend. While Billy and Wyatt become this intangible good, Mona becomes a waste.