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...And God Created Woman - Criterion CollectionRating:
Release Date: 11 July, 2000 Retail Price: $29.95 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $2.96! Cast: |
...And God Created Woman - Criterion Collection Reviews
Enjoyable, and worth watching for more than Bardot.
I saw this recently on a lark just to see what all the Brigitte Bardot fuss was about -- and wasn't expecting much since sex comedy farces (particularly French ones) aren't high on my film watch lists -- but was surprised at how good (and good-natured) it was. Besides the vivacious charms of Ms. Bardot, this film had a solid script and good acting and dialogs. (One of my favorite lines had Bardot replying to a query why a family won't sell its puny shipyard to the effect that they want to at least still *own* something to not to feel poor.) The story is not highbrow, but is far from being lowbrow and tawdry and exploitative as some newcomers (like me) might perceive from its notorious reputation. Bardot plays Juliette, the "town tramp" of St. Tropez who is pursued by a rich, elderly playboy while carrying the torch for Antonio, an impecunious shipwright who treats her just as a convenient one-night-stand. In comes Antonio's younger brother, Michele, who truly loves her and offers to marry her to save her from being sent back to the orphanage. Juliette marries Michele and comes to love him despite herself, while fighting against her reckless, impetuous nature as Antonio comes back into the scene and presents a constant temptation. Will love or lust wins out? Call me old-fashioned, but I liked how the movie ends, and I agree with another Amazon reviewer's analysis (Robert Cartland), which hits it square on the head. (BTW, the video transfer for this Criterion DVD edition is excellent, eliminating all the old flaws while preserving the warm, vibrant colors of the St. Tropez location to great effect.)
Bardolatry at its finest!
This is the film that made Brigitte Bardot a legend. I have to admit: I have tried to look at this film objectively and I find it alternately demeaning, silly, and just plain dumb. So how come I'm giving it five stars? One word: Bardot. If you were to assemble a dictionary that would use visuals to illustrate the various words, Bardot's mambo sequence would authoritatively define the word "sensual." With the pulsating sound of the bongos in the background punctuated by blaring horns, Brigitte is larger than life dancing from room to room like a woman possessed. This may not be acting but it sure holds your attention - kind of like watching a human being transform into a wild animal. This sequence tells you all you need to know about why Bardot is a legend even in her senior years. And no, I don't believe And God Created Woman's silly ending in which we are expected to believe that a few slaps from Jean Louis Trintignant are enough to turn Bardot into a submissive French housewife. On the other hand, I don't think audiences in the 1950's were ready to deal with the reality of a sexually liberated woman like Brigitte.
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