...And God Created Woman

This groundbreaking Vadim film made Ms. Bardot the hottest sex symbol on the planet back in 1956. Vadim was never much of a director, but he had great taste in women (Bardot, Deneuve, J. Fonda). Brigitte Bardot is a knockout as a spoiled and selfish 20 y/o who doesn't seem to know what she wants, but all the men want HER! No one walks down a street like Ms. Bardot. Beautiful location and good performances all around.

It's too bad the dubbed version has a terrible voice used for Brigitte, but her physical presence carries it anyway. She knows how to move and hold your attention. Just an incredibly vibrant creature of the 50's. She has undervalued as an actress and no one was sexier or more sure of herself (at least ON screen). Best performance = Bardot. A 7 out of 10.

Before this movie, I had never seen a naked woman that moved. Unless you count the images in magazines waving in the breeze! Ever since then I have had a love of slim blondes with long hair, , so I guess it must have had an effect on me. Besides that, "Art Films" were rare in Australia at the time, so it was quite a revelation to me. I don't remember much of the film, but the picture of the beautiful Bridgette will always remain in my mind. It was nice to see, in later years that she became such a strong advocate for animal welfare, and has retired semi-gracefully to her villa. Thank you Bridgette for all the entertainment.

A rich man by the name of "Eric Carradine" (Curd Jürgens) wants to build a casino but needs the land owned by working class man named "Antoine Tardieu" (Christian Marquand) and his family. As it so happens, both men know a young and attractive woman named "Juliete Hardy" (Brigitte Bardot) who lives life to the fullest and it's because of her wanton disregard for convention that each want her in the worst possible way. Although Juliette loves Antoine and gives serious consideration to running off with him, she accidentally overhears Antoine bragging to a friend that he plans to sleep with her that night and then cast her aside the next morning. To further complicate matters, upon returning home that evening her foster parents tell her that they have decided to return her to the orphanage within a few days because of her flirtatious conduct. So, with nowhere else to go she accepts a sudden marriage proposal from Antoine's younger brother "Michel" (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who absolutely adores her. Needless to say, this infuriates Antoine and the rest of the family who don't think very highly of her at all. Not only that but she doesn't change her conduct in the least--which only intensifies the sexual tension for all concerned. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film created quite a stir when it first came out and it's not hard to imagine why as Brigitte Bardot's performance was absolutely sensational. Having said that, however, I don't think the overall drama was nearly as sharp as it could have been. Additionally, I think it is only fair to say that this film's subject matter pales in comparison to other movies of this type today and with that in mind I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Every great actress has her breakthrough role--the one that really puts her over with the public--and for 22-year-old Brigitte Bardot, that role came in 1956's "...And God Created Woman." In this film she plays an 18-year-old named Juliette, who marries younger brother Michel (Jean-Louis Trintignant) to spite older brother Antoine, all the while being pursued by the wealthy, middle-aged Carradine (Curt Jurgens). It is easy to see why BB proved so popular in this film. She is indeed very beautiful, and writer/director/husband Roger Vadim shows her off to good effect. OK, to address the thought uppermost in the minds of my fellow all-American red-blooded pigdogs, we get to see BB in all manner of formfitting outfits (sorry, no nude scenes or swimwear), seducing Antoine whilst laying in the surf, teasing behind sheets and under blankets, and, most impressively, doing a frenzied mambo. I dwell on BB's physique because, really, it is what the film is all about. Personalitywise and characterwise, Juliette is a fairly tiresome, repugnant and conscienceless creature. But physically...ooh la la! No wonder Carradine says that she was born to destroy men! The film also boasts location filming in San Tropez, a town that here looks nice and quaint, if surprisingly run-down. The DVD itself is mighty fine, with an impressive wide-screen image, crisp color and adequate subtitling. Men, pair this movie one night with the 1935 Marlene Dietrich vehicle "The Devil Is A Woman" and you just might give up on females for good!

Sexuality is a mysterious creature at times, determined by many different elements: the physical appearance of a person, the way their body moves, their attitude towards life, the way they express their emotions, their creativity, the subtle fragrance they give off, the way they talk, and sometimes an x-factor that can't be defined. What strikes me about Bardot's powerful sexuality is that cinema really hadn't seen anything like it before she came around. The closest example I can think of in American film might be Lauren Bacall in "To Have and Have Not," but even that misses the mark. Bardot was not only a beautiful woman but she had a fun, mischievous and freedom-loving spirit and a fiery mind lurking around behind her sometimes poorly written characters, and these things make her even more attractive. Plus, she had a great voice. Which is why I was stunned to see a trailer for _Et Dieu... créa la femme_ dubbed into English at the end of the subtitled version. The woman doing Bardot's voice sounded awful, and so much of Brigitte's sexuality was lost. Imagine Bacall telling Bogie "You know how to whistle, don't you Steve?" in a squeaky, high-pitched voice. Would she be as sexy? I don't think so. Yet people watching the dubbed version of this film are getting something similar.

As far as the film itself goes, most everything has already been said in other comments. Bardot does a great job as Juliette - who else could have done the role so well? - and Jurgens was quite good as Eric Carradine. The setting is luscious and fits perfectly with Bardot's character and the overall mood of the tale. The music is excellent, from the title sequence at the beginning through the dance scene at the end. The story can be cliched at times and there are definitely machista elements. But it's not a bad story either, with good tension created between the brothers. The fight sequences, as someone else mentioned, are laughable and poorly done. But it doesn't really matter. It's Bardot's show all the way - from her nude Cinemascope sunbathing shot that opens the film, with the witty dialog between her and Jurgens, to her erotic dance that serves as the climax of the story. Along the way we get several nice scenes that show her broader persona, including the one where she sets the bird and rabbit free in the field, and the scene in the bookstore with the woman from the orphanage.

But, for the sake of Dieu, don't see this movie dubbed.