Brigitte Bardot

Average customer rating:

A Production Within a Film
Captivé, fasciné, subjugué
a good movie with a wrong actress
Fickle Baby Brigitte
Exciting cinema!

Contempt - Criterion Collection
Starring: Brigitte Bardot , Raoul Coutard , Fritz Lang , Giorgia Moll , and Jack Palance
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Masculin Feminin - Criterion Collection
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ASIN: B00005JKPT
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Amazon.com

With his aptly titled Contempt, Jean-Luc Godard embraced the widescreen splendor of Hollywood while thumbing his nose at Hollywood itself. A rebel with a cause, Godard pursues an iconoclast's agenda, using the Franscope format (expertly controlled by cinematographer Raoul Coutard) to undermine the grandeur of widescreen melodramas. The story ostensibly concerns an innovative production of Homer's Odyssey and the struggle of a respected screenwriter (Michel Piccoli) to please a pugnacious producer (Jack Palance), a veteran director (Fritz Lang, essentially playing himself), and a petulant wife (Brigitte Bardot) who's grown tired of their turbulent relationship. It's all pretense, however, for Godard's mischievous (and yes, contemptuous) deconstruction of commercial Hollywood filmmaking, potently infused with film-buff in-jokes, astute observations about love, stardom, and artistry, and enough glossy style to suggest that Godard had mastered the craft he so willfully rejects. Contempt is one of his most accessibly fascinating films. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Jean-Luc Godard's subversive foray into commercial filmmaking is a star-studded Cinemascope epic. Contempt (Le M pris) stars Michel Piccoli as a screenwriter torn between the demands of a proud European director (played by legendary director Fritz Lang), a crude and arrogant American producer (Jack Palance), and his disillusioned wife, Camille (Brigitte Bardot) as he attempts to doctor the script for a new film version of The Odyssey.

Customer Reviews:

A Production Within a Film.......2006-05-19

When you're married to beautiful, glamorous women as our director
extraordinaire, Jean-Luc-Godard, you have your moments of doubt. You
are an ordinary physical specimen and she is well, Anna Karina, or in
the case of Godard's alter ego, screenwriter, Paul Javal, you have many
moments of self-doubt from bedroom to soundstage with the nubile
Brigitte Bardot. If I give you $30,000 in 1963 money, may I sleep with
your wife? Godard invents yet another, now standard film idea, the
moral curmudgeon: is my significant other a commodity.

Jack Palance leers over Brigitte and certainly, he has enough Hollywood
bucks to install her in his bedroom. In fact, he has enough bucks to
turn a work of art into a mass produced cliché. Skin sells in Peoria.
Palance is printing dollars as he screens films for rubes, but what of
true artists as say, Fritz Lang, the director that made the silent
classic M. Lang works around Palance's interference. He must finish
what he begins. He will not work for the Third Reich, but will work for
Louis Mayer.

Godard works his camera interiors for lengthy, banal conversation
between husband and naked wife. Bardot is beautiful and Godard takes
every opportunity to look at her, sharing with the voyeurs. The star
seems quite comfortable clothed or not. She also looks fine on a
Riviera mansion of the Bauhaus architecture overlooking the
Mediterranean. This is the sea of the Odyssey, which is the film within
a film. Alternatively, should I say there is a production within a
film.

Captivé, fasciné, subjugué.......2006-05-17

Godard est peut-être le seul réalisateur à ne pas avoir eu peur du mythe BB. Le résultat est magnifique : la présence de Bardot, la musique de Delerue, la villa de Malaparte à Capri, le tout réuni avec maestria par Godard adaptant Moravia font de ce film magique un sortilège de séduction irresistible.

a good movie with a wrong actress.......2006-04-02

Brigitte Bardot's movie career coincided with 'la nouvelle vague' (= French for 'the new wave'), which was an upcoming trend in French moviemaking around 1960.

However, 'La nouvelle vague's style considerably differed from the typical BB-light comedies. In spite of that Brigitte desperately wanted to be in, and with 'Contempt' she managed to do so.

Bad rumors state, that Brigitte owed her role in 'Contempt' (or 'Le mepris' in French) to its American financing. When the movie was finished, the Americans were not satisfied with her part. For this reason director Jean-Luc Godard had to add its opening scene, showing Brigitte naked on a bed.

'Contempt' makes clear Brigitte Bardot's talents do not suit 'la nouvelle vague'. Maybe Brigitte's best performance is to be found in this movie's memorable poster.

Fickle Baby Brigitte.......2006-03-19

To start with I found this movie agonizingly slow. I fast-forwarded several scenes. However, it stayed with me, and I've had another try. I still fast-forwarded some of the scenes, but lingered longer on some of the others. It seems to me that Godard oozes contempt for everything and everyone involved with this picture, including the picture itself, except, possibly, Fritz Lang. Lang is too old and too wise to be an object of Godard's scorn. Godard appears to me to despise Hollywood, Hollywood producers, Hollywood films, his own producer, nude starlets, the film industry, Cinemascope, remakes of classic texts, mercenary writers, melodramatic cop-out endings, movie audiences, weak husbands and, especially, the type of wife who wants to have her cake and eat it. He also seems to feel contempt for himself --- but perhaps I'm reading too much into it all: the whole thing is perverse. I think his feeling towards the actors may be neutral, for want of a better word. At least, they seem to be giving him what he wants. Bardot gives a fine performance, imho, and so do the others: always supposing Palance is meant to be as wooden as he appears. The analysis of womanly logic in the apartment dialogue is deeply misogynistic, but also extremely accurate. I will give this film a third go, and watch it patiently all the way through, as I suspect it will reveal more as time goes by. But it is a sour piece of work, and I doubt whether I would upgrade it to 5 stars, although I've given 5 to worse films. It is thought-provoking, but the thoughts it provokes are not welcome. Nor do they seem to me worthwhile. The shots of the Greek statues are great.

Exciting cinema!.......2006-01-16

If you expect one thing from cinema, and one thing alone, then this film will disappoint. Godard challenges the limitations of cinema in aspiring to render ideas normally reserved for print or, at a stretch, the stage onto the screen. Here he dares to present Michel Piccoli as a modern day Ulysses - so Godard expects the audience to engage with his work much like a reader might with a work of discursive philosophy, or a satiric play, or with James Joyce. Yet the work itself is paradigmatically cinematic, with absolutely stunning cinematography and carefully considered use of sound.
*
As with literary forms throughout the twentieth century, Contempt is overtly self-reflexive. It also delights in references to its influences, which are many, prime being icons of cinema history. Fritz Lang, of course, is a character in the film - his presence is authoratative, immediately raising questions as to the status of any of his lines - is it Lang himself speaking, or is he simply 'acting', recounting Godard's lines. Of further interest in this Criterion edition is an interview between Godard and Lang from 1967 - their interaction is as charming as it is revealing - above all, their mutual passion for film is evident, as is their vexed, but by no means simplistic, relationship with film's role as entertainment or 'divertissement'.
*
The broad satire of Hollywood, as embodied in the stylized persona of Jack Palance, is one concern of the film. This refers back to the issue of entertainment, and the question of for whom is the film made. Thus we have Palance at one point replying to Lang and Piccoli, "Whenever I hear the word culture I bring out my cheque book." He goes on to write the cheque using his attractive female assistant as a table - make what you will of what this suggests of Hollywood's attitude to women and to its Faustian control of money.
*
Bardot's presence is just as conscious as that of Lang. Is she a modern day icon comparable to the women who influenced the events of Greek epics? Quite possibly. The story of the Odyssey might best be encapsulated by a quote from Lang in the film itself, pointedly directed against Palance - "It's a fight of the individual against the circumstances - the eternal problem of the old Greeks. I don't know if you are able to understand it Jerry, I certainly hope you can, it's a fight against the gods."
*
A brilliant film and a brilliant feast of ideas. Criterion's transfer is fabulous, and their extras comprehensive.

Average customer rating:

Mashed Potatoes and the Revolution of the Earth around the Sun
Not good.
Classic French New Wave Film, Bad for General Audiences
a nice film with excellent music.
The innocence of sex

Masculin Feminin - Criterion Collection
Starring: Jean-Pierre Léaud , Chantal Goya , Marlène Jobert , Michel Debord , and Catherine-Isabelle Duport
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A88ERS
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com essential video

Juxtaposing images of pristine, romantic innocence with ones of mute, meaningless violence, Godard's Masculin-Féminin first lulls with a hypnotic, disjointed story line and then stuns with scenes of tremendous depth and meaning. This outrageous film follows the somewhat ineffectual courtship of Madeline, an aspiring pop singer, by Paul, an erstwhile journalist and interviewer but mostly groundless searcher. As in most Godard films, plot mechanics are secondary to elements such as dialog (generally marvelous, but sometimes a bit too pointed), lighting (bizarre and oversaturated, but never less than fascinating), shot framing (extraordinarily thoughtful), and performance. Godard allows his camera to linger on single faces, without cutting, for what seems by modern standards to be extremely long segments--perhaps even excruciatingly long--but the remarkably subtle cast members never disappoint, particularly the fantastically adept and frequently hilarious lead actors, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Chantal Goya. The filmmaker has little to add to our collective understanding of the relationship between masculine et feminine writ large; in fact, most of the female characters are uncomfortably stereotypical, framed as either willfully oblivious to the world or subtly (or overtly) deadly. But as an examination of a young generation faced with the prospect of war in Vietnam and the vagaries of French socialism, Masculin-Féminin proves remorselessly and chillingly trenchant. A towering influence, it would seem, on Whit Stillman's similarly themed Barcelona--but while Stillman lacks the conviction to follow his instincts to their logical, violent conclusions, Godard faces his uncompromising story with elegance and courage. In French, with subtitles that are occasionally difficult to read. --Miles Bethany

Description

With Masculin Féminin, ruthless stylist and iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard introduces the world to "the children of Marx and Coca-Cola," through a gang of restless youths engaged in hopeless love affairs with music, revolution, and each other. French new wave icon Jean-Pierre Léaud stars as Paul, an idealistic would-be intellectual struggling to forge a relationship with adorable pop star Madeleine (real-life yé-yé girl Chantal Goya). Through their tempestuous affair, Godard fashions a candid and wildly funny free-form examination of youth culture in throbbing 1960s Paris, mixing satire and tragedy as only JLG can.

Customer Reviews:

Mashed Potatoes and the Revolution of the Earth around the Sun.......2007-05-23

Maybe I am just a sucker for punishment. Over the last few months I have watched quite a handful of Jean-Luc Godard's films, but, besides a couple such as Breathless and Band of Outsiders, I have really not enjoyed my time delving into his films. I am by no means stating that Godard is a bad filmmaker for I respect the body of work that he has created overall and the changes that he made in film and his desire to use film as a tool to change society and maybe even spark revolution amongst his film viewers, but for the most part I find many of his films to be too "arty," in my opinion Pierrot le fou is a prime example of this, and this sense of art for art's sake detracts from the films often leaving them as little more than pedantic schlock.

Well then. After my introductory paragraph it might come as bit of a shock that I enjoyed the film Masculin, Féminin quite a bit not only the first time that I watched it but the second time as well. Masculin, féminin stars Jean-Pierre Léaud as Paul, a young man with literary aspirations and a very strong communist bent and the ye-ye girl Chantal Goya as Madeleine, a photographer who is embarking on her career as a pop singer. Like many of Godard's films there is no one underlying plot within this film, unless you consider Paul's desire to sleep with the lovely Madeleine as an underlying plot, so it comes off as being very episodic. We are treated to the typical anti-America propaganda that is common within Godard's body of work during this time period, but we are also introduced to Godard's disillusionment with socialist movements as well. These disillusions come out brilliantly within interviews conducted by Paul in which the "oppressed" are more concerned with the small bits of happiness than can be found in life and not in some vague socialist plot that offers fewer concrete awards than the America based capitalist system. Outside of political agenda, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this film is the music. Throughout the film we are treated to French ye-ye girl songs, Chantal Goya, of course, and they definitely give the film a bit of energy where it is lacking in several other Godard films.

Another aspect of the film that should be mentioned is the sexuality within the film itself. There, of course is no hardcore or even soft-core action, but the topic of sexuality is quite prominent and the characters continuously talk about their love making episodes in relation to love and it even the subject of birth control is prevalent. This, of course, seems tame by today's standards, but at the time this content was racy enough to give the film an eighteen and over ranking.

Masculin féminin was created the same year that Godard also created Alphaville and Pierrot le fou. The former two often garner more praise, but in my opinion this film shines in comparison to the other two.

Not good. .......2007-03-12

Most of the time I love French films. 400 Blows, Breathless, etc. This one caught my eye so I bought it. Waste of $$. Horrible. I never did really get the plot becuase there was not much of one. It was just like a homemade movie with really bad sound. I looked around the room and the other two people watching it with me had fallen asleep.

Classic French New Wave Film, Bad for General Audiences.......2006-04-03

I watched this film as part of my history studies in Post-War Europe and before everyone docks me because I gave it two stars, hear me out. I'm no Godard fan so I may not be able to appreciate this film as a fan of The New Wave might. I'm just your regular Joe Movie-Watcher.

Masculin Feminin is about Paul, a 21-year-old French citizen that just retired from his 16 months in the Army. Paul is a believer in Marxism and throughout the film promotes the Worker's Party while denouncing US involvement in Vietnam, the Du Gaulle government and most forms of Westernism such as condoms, psychadelic rock (many songs in Masculin Feminin have a style similar to The Kinks, Jefferson Airplane etc) and even Coca-Cola... yet Paul is often seen playing pinball and that mini-bowling game you see at an arcade. Paul seems to be the pro-French identity kind of guy as he often eats cheese and drinks wine. The preserver of the romanticized French culture.

However, Paul's friends and interviewees (Paul works for the IFOP, the major French polling agency at the time) seem to not care about the change towards a quasi-American consumer state. Paul's girlfriend Madelein is a rising pop-singer, her room mates are materialistic consumers, one who owns a car, and the people Paul interviews seem to only care about themselves. This is very accurate in terms of how the 'baby-boom' generation of French youth began to rebel against the traditionalist governments in Europe. Like the teens in the 1950s in the US, the teens began to form their own demographic.

However, this is where my fascination ends. Godard apparently never heard of music editing and film editing. In many parts in the movie, Godard fixed the camera on one person's face in a portrait shot and kept it there for minutes at a time even though the scene was a 15-minute back and forth conversation. The volume in the music went from very high to very low instantly in many parts during dialogue, making it very annoying if almost distracting to the audience.

In a few parts when Paul was whistling, the recording of the whistling obviously overloaded the sound buffer as I heard static in the speakers. I thought this was a volume problem on my end so I turned it down, nope... it was the sound editing. This is just poor recording and editing. Furthermore, the sound editors had this fascination with using the same gun-noise sound (which sounded more like a cartoon car noise) over and over and over again and in very unlikely times.

Other times, ambiant noises would drown out the dialogue such as vehicles from outside a cafe or even drinking noises. Sometimes the sound didn't kick in for up to five seconds into the scene.

Because this is a French New Wave film, I won't attack how there is virtually no plot and has random scenes that are just plain silly. However, I strongly recomend not getting this film if you're just in the general audience and not a New Wave fan. Otherwise, you might like this New Wave classic but I'm no expert on the subject. I was just extremely disapointed with the lazy filming, recording and editing.

a nice film with excellent music........2006-03-13

this review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

"Masculin Feminin" is a film about a group of teenagers in 1960's Paris who go on outings together. Movie theatres, dance clubs, and love affairs.

The film is set against the beginnings of youth culture in France and got the equivelant of an NC-17 rating when it was released in France but would most likely get a PG or PG-13 rating by today's standards.

The film has some very nice 1960's French pop music which I really liked and would watch the film solely for the music.

The DVD has an archival and a new interview with main actress Chantal Goya along with new interviews with other cast and crew. There is also a discussion of the film between two film experts Freddy Buache and Dominique Païni, Swedish TV footage of the production of the fictional Swedish film featured in the movie, an original theatrical trailer and a new trailer for the re-release.

The innocence of sex.......2005-11-06

Excellent movie. Jean-Pierre Leaud is playing the same insecure but dogmatic, innocent but manipulator, sex-obsessed but sex-ignorant character that he played so well for Truffaut, and he fits perfectly in this story as well. He as Paul falls crazily in love with Madeleine, who is insecure but open-minded, innocent but risk-aware, sex-interested but also sex-ignorant enough to be afraid about being - and to get - pregnant.

The script of the 60s is there: the young discover affluence and idealism, light entertainment with the heavy duty of changing the world, and exploration of sexual freedom. Boy-meets-girl and discover a new, uncertain world together.

Simply delicious...

...And God Created Woman - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Bardot's image embodied a unique combination of perversity and innocence...
surprisingly not good
Enjoyable, and worth watching for more than Bardot.
The Sex Kitten is Born
Bardolatry at its finest!

...And God Created Woman - Criterion Collection
Starring: Brigitte Bardot , Jacques Ciron , Isabelle Corey , Paul Faivre , and Leopoldo Francés
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0780023110
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Amazon.com

Roger Vadim's directorial debut is more titillation than continental cool, but it broke box-office records and censorship taboos in its teasing display of sex and eroticism in the sunny vacation playground of the Saint-Tropez seashore. Vadim ushered in the era of continental attitudes toward sex and christened the voluptuous Brigitte Bardot (his wife) the world's original sex kitten: earthy, innocent, and all fleshy curves. Bardot is Juliette, a pouty child-woman orphan prone to nude sunbathing and playful flirting. Though pursued by a rich widower (Curt Jurgens) and attracted to the brawny fisherman Antoine (Christian Marquand), she marries Antoine's shy younger brother Michel (Jean-Louis Trintignant), an earnest, innocent kid hardly older than she but far less worldly. Despite her sincere efforts to "be good," Juliette gives in to Michel's advances, setting off a chain of events that ends in fraternal conflict. Vadim keeps the display of skin this side of an R rating, but only barely, teasing the male audience with skimpy outfits, barely concealing sheets, and often conveniently arranged scenery. Bohemian Bardot frolics through the film with nary a self-conscious moment, culminating in a passionate mambo, her pent-up frustration and sexual confusion exploding in a mad dance as bongos pound away on the soundtrack. Who needed Viagra in the '50s when Bardot was around? --Sean Axmaker

Description

The astounding success of Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman revolutionized the foreign film market and turned Brigitte Bardot into an international star. Bardot stars as Juliette, an 18-year-old orphan whose unbridled appetite for pleasure shakes up all of St. Tropez; her sweet but naïve husband Michel (Jean-Louis Trintignant) endures beatings, insults, and mambo in his attempts to tame her wild ways. Criterion presents this milestone of cinematic naughtiness in a stunning new 16x9 Eastmancolor transfer, supervised by the late director.

Customer Reviews:

Bardot's image embodied a unique combination of perversity and innocence..........2006-12-28

The image of a nude Brigitte Bardot stretched out on her stomach, as she appeared at the very beginning of "And God Created Woman," used to create posters that sold by the thousands and helped to popularize her initials, "B.B."

The scandal she provoked launched the film and made it an unprecedented success... Her image embodied a unique combination of perversity and innocence, a mix she displayed in her powerful portrayal of the fascinating character in the film--a young woman, proud of her body, who ultimately rejects morality... However, this opposition to conventional behavior was more a declaration of intent than of reality... The film was actually a morality tale: the liaison of the heroine and her brother-in-law was severely criticized, and conjugal love triumphed over the other more sordid union in the end...

The controversy of "An God Created Woman" lay not so much in the actual events, but in the female character's impudence... And even if Vadim's message has become dated, it nonetheless documents a difficult period of time and the frustration that accompanied a living, breathing, sexual fantasy, an object of desire, a symbol of sexual liberty... Sex was no longer voyeurism, as it was in George Lacombe's "The Light Across the Street," (La Lumière d'en face) but instead became a reality which called for one's attention...

Seen in this way, it is incontestable that "B.B." and Vadim contributed to the liberation of sexual mores, almost presaging the Sexual Revolution...

surprisingly not good.......2006-12-04

was SO excited to finally see the myth known as Bardot and the movie that made her famous for that myth. but it turned out too be a big yawn. the movie is actually boring, and you can understand the plot, but it is still incomprehensible. and not b/c it is in french with subtitle (i actually prefer it that way; i like to hear french). it's like Vadim tried to hard with twists and turns; he tried to make an average story something greater. there is no great, stand out acting. and even though BB is sort of known for being "lazy", the actors in it seemed bored with the movie them self. like they didn't want to act. they and BB were lethargic. it felt like they were improvising or rehearsing, instead of actually acting. there is too much worthless dialogue, no action. i still love bardot probably because of her fashion, beauty, etc, but i don't see why there was a commotion over her from a celluloid point of view (maybe there is another movie that captures her sex-kitten essence; i don't think this is the movie), shes not very great in it. she is just an average girl who pouts. there's not a wonderful, distinct persona, how you have with Marilyn Monroe. it was a long, mundane movie and i found myself falling asleep. i was very disappointed. it did not hold my attention. haven't watched it again. i was also shocked that even though BB looks great in it, she still couldn't keep me awake.

Enjoyable, and worth watching for more than Bardot........2006-04-04

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.)

The Sex Kitten is Born.......2005-12-26

If you've never watched any of Bardot's movies, I'd say this would be the best place to start. It displays Brigitte at the height of her beauty and is the perfect vehicle to show case her unbridled, breathtaking sensuality. Though the plot is thin and the sex scenes and nudity(which are actually more in the viewers imagination than on screen),are very tame and modest by today's standards, you can see why Bardot would have been ahead of her time and why she became a screen icon and legend.In a sense she was the original example of the sexually liberated woman,living by her own laws of sensuality and freedom. Along with that you can't take your eyes of her, she is a goddess incarnate and what she lacks in acting ability, she makes up for in charm and natural screen presence. Brigitte's 'Juliette' character, a teenaged orphan forced into a marriage of convenience, is childishly irresponsible,sulky,untamed and larger than life. But then I find a lot of French movies like to portray their woman as pouting, rebellious, reckless man eaters. Bardot was the original sex kitten however, with her tousled mane, luscious pout, gorgeous shapely figure, and careless sexy walk, she spawned a generation of imitators; her style still evident more than ever in today's starlets, who can't hold a candle to her. Director Roger Vadim makes good use of beautiful and unspoiled St Tropez as a backdrop, but it is his stunning,shapely young 'Mrs' who carries this film.I doubt if it would have got a second look without her presence.
Athough Curt Jurgens adds a little class and Christian Marquand is good to look at, the male characters in the film are quite dull and unlikeable, and Bardot outshines all of them as she continued to do through her 20 or so year career of mediocre movies.

Bardolatry at its finest!.......2005-12-23

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.

Brigitte Bardot Collection (Naughty Girl / Love on a Pillow / The Vixen / Come Dance with Me / Two Weeks in September)

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Brigitte Bardot Collection (Naughty Girl / Love on a Pillow / The Vixen / Come Dance with Me / Two Weeks in September)
Starring: Brigitte Bardot
Manufacturer: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QUEQ40
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Description

NAUGHTY GIRL: A romantic comedy about a sexy teenager who moves in with the entertainer at her father's nightclub. LOVE ON A PILLOW: An innocent young woman clings to the abusive alcoholic whose life she saved. THE VIXEN: In this offbeat sex comedy, Brigitte Bardot is a secretary seduced by her womanizing boss. COME DANCE WITH ME: In this comedy/mystery, a wife turns detective to proove her husband is innocent of murder. TWO WEEKS IN SEPTEMBER: A wife is torn between two lovers - her older husband and a much younger man.

Average customer rating:

Dmytryck becomes a negligible director in the '60s!
Shalako
Good Flick.
Widescreen but NOT Anamorphic
There's A New Guy At MGM And He's So Out Of Touch!

Shalako
Starring: Sean Connery , Brigitte Bardot , Stephen Boyd , Jack Hawkins , and Peter van Eyck
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts
Hondo (Special Collector's Edition)
Conagher
Crossfire Trail
Heller in Pink Tights

ASIN: B0001GF2KQ
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

Saddle up for a raucous and "robust western adventure" (Variety) that packs "strong action" (Film & TV Daily) and the crackling chemistry of screen icons Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot! Based on the novel by Louis L'Amour, Shalako is a "handsome" (Variety), "rousing western" (Motion Picture Herald) that delivers nonstop thrills with both barrels blazing! Gutsy, gunslinging Shalako (Connery) is a loner who looks out for number one, until he finds himself rescuingand falling fora beautiful countess (Bardot) under attack by Apache Indians. But when Shalako discovers that the countess is part of a European hunting party that refuses to be led to safety, he must summon all his courage to fight the Apache and save the woman he loves or die trying!

Customer Reviews:

Dmytryck becomes a negligible director in the '60s!.......2006-11-08

Brigitte Bardot went on to Hollywood but did not fare any better... 'Shalako,' a British-produced Western directed by Edward Dmytryk, teamed her with Sean Connery and Stephen Boyd (her partner in 'The Night Heaven Fell') in a smoldering relationship charged with tension and passion...

The idea is cute and unbelievable: A party of European aristocrats are on a hunting safari in New Mexico in the 1880's... They are traveling with full equipage including butlers, maids, fine linens and vintage wines...

When their safari is led upon an Apache reservation, the Indians become annoyed, and Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) is attacked by a savage Apache... Shalako (Sean Connery), a scout for the U.S. Army, bravely attempts to save her and leads the aristocrats away from imminent annihilation... With the Indians determined to attack, each member of the hunting party faces the greatest peril of their lives...

Edward Dmytryk seems to have attempted to recapture the freshness and essence of the 'B.B.' that Roger Vadim had helped to shape... But the re-creation escapes him, despite the careful choice of Louis L'Amour's novel and the casting of international stars as Jack Hawkins ('Lawrence of Arabia'), Peter Van Eyck ('The Longest Day'), Honor Blackman ('Goldfinger'), Woody Strode ('Spartacus'), and Valerie French ('Jubal').

The film never becomes exciting despite incidental brutalities...

Shalako.......2005-09-09

Edward Dmytryk is one of my favorite directors. Thanks to the miracle of dvd technology I've been allowed to watch good prints of such classic dark crime dramas as `Crossfire' and `Murder, My Sweet' (a movie that some claim invented what is now known as `film noir.') I've seen maybe his most famous movie, `The Caine Mutiny,' as well as a handful of western gems, including `Broken Lance' and that great, underrated and too-often overlooked masterpiece `Warlock.'

Saturated as I was in such cinematic excellence I wasn't quite prepared for SHALAKO, a stagnant horse opera adapted from what must have been a better book by Louis L'Amour. I'm inclined to blame it on the sixties. Or Brigette Bardot, who is little more expressive than a pouting china doll and possessed of an accent thick enough to cut a week old baguette. Maybe Jupiter wasn't yet aligned with Mars.... To be fair, though, I think my hero Eddie D. has to held accountable for this yawner. SHALAKO is not the best work, or anywhere near the best, of any of the participants.

Sean Connery plays Shalako (the name rhymes with `calico') and Bardot plays Countess Irina Lazaar, a wealthy European who travels with other European royalty to hunt wild game in the great, unsettled southwest. Stephen Boyd plays a grungy galoot who leads the Euro royals - replete with white-gloved butlers, comely maids and formal attire - through the wilderness. That Boyd has led them deep into the heart of an Apache reservation we learn early on. The Apaches' less-than-enthusiastic reaction to this intrusion is established soon after. Although made in 1968, a year by which most movies knew better, the natives in SHALAKO are the whooping, hollering, blood thirsty savage kind, although a couple of Apaches wade out of the gore for speaking parts. African American actor Woody Strode plays Chato, a young chief with a gun in his mitts and a chip on his shoulder. Strode was a good actor who was in a ton of westerns, and casting him in the part diffuses, or at least confuses, accusations of casting non- Natives as American Indians. Still, Strode's chief is of the if-I-kill-Shalako-my-soul-will-walk-free ilk. In other words, after a quick, obligatory mumble about broken treaties the film hustles back to the reliable same old, same old.

Shalako spends most of the movie leading the Europeans away from Chief Woody and his blood thirsties, and, I think, falling in love with Countess Bardot. I think. Beyond the pout Bardot isn't terribly expressive, and her thick accent didn't help. She was either falling in love or asking for a limburger sandwich. I think they were falling in love. With his rugged charm and ironic wit Connery has always been more than capable of throwing a movie on his shoulders and carrying it to the winner's circle on his own. Unfortunately, here he plays it grim and laconic, more or less depriving this movie of any chance it might have had. SHALAKO isn't a terrible movie, but it's an uninspired and uninspiring one.

Good Flick........2005-01-04

This is a good western. Sean Connery and Brigitte Bardot in a western directed by Edward Dmytryk. How could it be bad. In fact, Sean Connery is so good in this that I figure they must have banned him from doing more westerns. Now really, is this a great film? No. Not many westerns stand up to the quality of today's films. But I liked it and I plan to watch it again.

Widescreen but NOT Anamorphic.......2004-06-16

MGM has suddenly stopped making these older films Anamorphic (Enhanced for Widescreen T.V.'s)which doesn't make sense. Other recent titles include "Follow That Dream", "A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die" and "The Magnificent Seven Ride!". If this bothers you as much as it does me, send an email to MGM.

There's A New Guy At MGM And He's So Out Of Touch!.......2004-06-15

Another DVD from MGM that is widescreen (That's Great) but it's not ANIMORPHIC ( Enhanced For Widescreen T.V.'s ). This seems to be the trend for MGM now and it doesn't make any sense. Previous releases were animorphic. I can only assume there's a new guy in charge and he's an idiot! ( The other recent titles are "Follow That Dream" and "The Magnificent Seven Ride!".If this bothers you as much as it does me then send an email to MGM. These movies deserve better treatment.

Average customer rating:

"The face that launched a thousand ships."
script full of silliness
Saga Of The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships
Beware of Greeks Etc.
50's style splashy, superficial treatment of the Iliad

Helen of Troy
Starring: Rossana Podestà , Jacques Sernas , Cedric Hardwicke , Stanley Baker , and Niall MacGinnis
Director: Robert Wise
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The 300 Spartans
Alexander the Great
Helen of Troy
Hannibal
Prince Valiant

ASIN: B0001AVZNA
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Description

Homer's Illiad surges to the screen in Helen Of Troy, from the '50s heyday of big-screen spectaculars. Robert Wise (Westside Story, The Sound Of Music) directs this lavish epic capturing some 30,000 people on screen at a then huge cost of $6 million.

Customer Reviews:

"The face that launched a thousand ships.".......2007-01-02

Of all the great stories handed down through the ages, few can equal Homer's Iliad - a towering epic of warrior heroes, squabbling gods, and anger that destroyed nations...

This is the source for Robert Wise's film... All the elements of a magnificent spectacle exist in Homer's work - a lavish and decadent court life, the tension of the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, the most beautiful woman in Greece, and a drama of love and seduction...

Thousands of weapons are used: spears, bows, arrows, body armor, helmets, shields, maces and ships of the period l200 B.C., plus a tremendous wooden horse...

Paris, on a diplomatic mission to Sparta to arrange peaceful trade, is washed up on the Spartan shore after being shipwrecked during a storm... He is helped by the lovely Helen who claims to be a handmaiden to the queen... She takes her leave, directing him to the court of King Menelaus... Paris is greeted and honored in a 'cesti' combat with Ajax... Secretly, however, Menelaus plots to kill his guest...

Helen warns Paris of the danger to his life and urges him to run away... Herself in danger for revealing the plot, she succumbs to Paris' pleadings to flee with him... The lovers make their way to Troy...

From that point the spectacular elements - the massing of the ships and men, and the battles outside the walls of Troy, take over...

Rossana Podesta - a natural brunette given a blonde wig and the classical Grecian look - plays Helen, the indirect cause of the Trojan War, but for Paris, she is the goddess of love and beauty, "Aphrodite."

Jacques Sernas plays Paris... His seduction of Helen and refusal to return her, started the Trojan War...

Robert Douglas is Agamemnon, the commander in chief of the Greek forces... He calls on the kings and princes to unite in a war of revenge against the Trojans... He was a very ambitious man, dreaming of Troy's treasures...

Stanley Baker is Achilles, the unbeatable warrior, the greatest and most tragic of the Greek heroes...

Harry Andrews is Hector, the eldest son of king Priam, and the husband of Andromache... He is the chief warrior of the Trojan army...

Niall MacGinnis is the furious Menelaus, King of Sparta, who calls on his brother Agamemnon to gather an army and avenge the mark of shame...

Torin Thatcher is Ulysses, king of Ithaca, the man of outstanding wisdom...

Sir Cedric Hardwicke is the powerless but kindly King of Troy...

Janette Scott is Cassandra, daughter of Priam, loved by the goddess Athena... With a great spirit of prophecy she warns her father to burn the wooden horse...

Robert Wise makes a brave attempt to marry the intimate with the spectacular - a difficult task - but "Helen of Troy" is an epic movie, a superior entertainment filmed in CinemaScope and Technicolor..

script full of silliness.......2005-03-21

The script of "Helen of Troy" is so full of improbable silliness and stilted dialogue it is matched only by the wooden acting that in the 50s seemed a requirement of Hollywood epics. In the end it spoils the spectacular sets and occasionally effective cinematography. The sack of Troy sequence at the end of the movie almost redeems it, and I am almost tempted to raise my rating for that alone. But then I remember the hash they made of the actual seige, with medieval seige engines and uninspired choreography. Paris is played as a 50's hunk who completely upstages Hector. There's no hint of the spoiled, self-indulgent womanizer. Worse, the romance between him and Helen fell a little flat. It's worth having a look at if you are a fan of this genre, as I am, but otherwise it disappoints.

Saga Of The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships.......2005-01-12

The Robert Wise 1956 production of "Helen of Troy", despite its many great qualities in regard to production and historical recreation could never be accused of following religiously its main literary source in Homer's Iliad. That said, by no means could it be said to detract from it still being a top flight entry in the 1950's cycle of big screen epics based around historical events. Being a passionate reader of all things to do with ancient Troy I still find this film, despite its many critics, to be first class entertainment and a wonderful introduction to both the period of the Trojan wars and especially to the great historical romance between Paris, Prince of Troy and Queen Helen of Sparta, the face that launched a thousand ships. "Helen of Troy", is a epic movie lovers delight and combines all the right elements in breathtaking on location photography, vivid colour, great set pieces and with enough battles, romance and intrigue to hold the interest. Warner Bros Studios planned "Helen of Troy", as one of their biggest releases for 1956 and continuing their battle against the encroaching power of television spent a staggering 6 million dollars on the film which shows in every frame of this truly epic production. Highly romanticised it may be in parts but it still does make a serious attempt to show both sides in the famous Trojan war and what really motivated some of the involved parties to go to war.

With such a gigantic tale as the fall of the legendary city of Troy to relate the film makers essentially had to simplify the story but the overall facts as most people know them are kept largely intact. The action begins with the handsome young Prince of Troy Paris, (Jacques "Jack" Sernas), travelling to Sparta to offer a treaty of peace with the main Greek states headed by king Menelaus ( Niall MacGinnis), and his brother Agamemnon (Robert Douglas). However on the journey his boat is wrecked in a storm and when he is washed ashore he is nursed back to health by an unknown young girl who in fact is Helen , Queen of Sparta (Rossana Podesta). At the Spartan Court Paris is amazed to be introduced to his earlier nurse who is the Queen and the pair promptly fall in love. However they come into conflict with Menelaus and when Paris is forced to flee for his life he impulsively takes Helen with him and returns to a disapproving Trojan court headed by his father King Priam (Cedric Hardwicke). Helen's abduction is an open declaration of war, but the Greek Kings joining forces to march against Troy have their own selfish motives for doing so and are largely driven by the chance to share in Troy's rich treasures. Combining with Odysseus (Torin Thatcher) and the legendary Achilles (Stanley Baker), the Greek fleet sails and lays seige to Troy. The assaults on the city are firstly repulsed however as the years of siege wear the people of Troy start to demand that Helen leave with the invaders so that they can return to their earlier prosperous life. After an abortive attempt by Helen to offer herself back to the Greeks and an unsuccessful fight to the death between Achilles and Paris' brother Hector (Harry Andrews) the Greeks hatch a scheme to fool the Trojans into believing that they have retreated . Constructing a huge hollow wooden horse and leaving it on the plain in front of Troy after they withdraw their ships the unsuspecting Trojans drag it into the city unaware that it is full of Greek soldiers who under cover of darkness climb out and open the city gates to the returning Greek army. The sack of Troy then occurs causing tragedy for the city and young lovers Paris and Helen. Helen is taken back to Sparta but the great love she has for Paris endures even after his death.

Obviously dealing with one of the greatest romances of the ancient world a film like "Helen of Troy", will undoubtedly have a high romantic content never once however does that detract from the overall action of the piece. The cast for this film contains some of the acting giants of British cinema in Sir Cedric Hardwicke excellent as King Priam, Nora Swinburne as the loving Queen Hecuba, Stanley Baker as the arrogant strong man Achilles who has only one minor weakness and especially Torin Thatcher as the wily Odysseus who is responsible for the idea of building the wooden horse which proves to be Troy's undoing. The two lead roles are played by unknowns at the time in Italian actress Rossana Podesta as Helen and french actor Jacques Sernas as Paris. Both of these young performers with their blonde good looks certainly fit the part of the young lovers however the dubbing of their voices does at times create a bit of a jarring effect. Even after the release of the recent blockbuster "Troy", Rossana Podesta and Jacques Sernas still for me are the immediate visual images that come to mind when Paris and Helen are mentioned. Production values on this epic are first rate and the recreation of the city of Troy with its Minoan style architecture and high defensive walls is one of the greatest set pieces constructed for an epic film during the 1950's. The battle sequences involving hundreds of extras and the actual sack of Troy done with no computer assistance are also first rate and the historical costumes created by Roger Furse for both the lead actors and the general military scenes are the result of a huge amount of historical research into clothing of that time. The superb production values of "Helen of Troy", are topped off with a sublime musical score courtesy of Max Steiner which I feel is one of his best for this type of film and lingers in your mind long after viewing the film.

Being an epic film lover from way back "Helen of Troy", is fairly high on my list of big budget efforts (for those times of course), that still entertain nearly 50 years after they were produced. While not totally adhering to its source material in the Iliad I view it now as an exciting action adventure romance filled with visually stunning set pieces and played with an appealing earnest quality by all that was typical of this era of filmmaking. "Helen of Troy", is old style movie making from the closing days of Hollywood's golden age and still makes memorable viewing for movie buffs and action adventure lovers alike. Enjoy.

Beware of Greeks Etc........2004-08-03

I see that this 50s spectacle, "Helen of Troy", has attracted a number of favourable reviews--although a couple of these reviews seem to be as "epic' as the story in the film ! Very loosely based on Homer's "Iliad", and released on DVD no doubt to coincide with the new version of this tale in theatres,
"Troy", "Helen of Troy" remains an enjoyable experience. It has fine production values--sets, costumes, cinematography--and an experienced director in Robert Wise.

The plot is not too complicated, at least in this "Coles Notes" adaption of Homer's work. The Trojan prince, Paris, visits Greece on a peace mission and meets Helen, the wife of the Greek king, Menelaus. Paris and Helen fall for each other, and run off back to Troy. Of course, " this means war "--besides, the Greeks wanted war anyway ! The second half of the film is taken up with the siege of Troy, and there are some spectacular battle scenes here, with real people ! No digital effects in those days ! There is also a large, wooden horse--but you knew that, didn't you ?

The supporting cast is mostly British--Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Harry Andrews, Janette Scott, Niall McGuinness, Torin Thatcher, Ronald Lewis and, as a perpetually-glowering Achilles, Stanley Baker, are all solid and professional. The two leads, however, went to unknown non-Brits, and perhaps this is what interests me the most about "Helen of Troy". This must have been an expensive production--why did the lead roles not be given to big names ? The beautiful, curvaceous Italian actress, Rossana Podesta, is Helen--while not a great actress, it is not difficult to imagine grown men fighting over her ! As Paris, we have French actor, Jacques Sernas, billed of course as "Jack". While he has a striking appearance, his acting skills--at least in this film--appear to be zero. If I had Rossana Podesta throwing herself at me ( yes--I know--sweet dreams ! ), I think I would be a little more animated than Mr. Sernas. While he continued to enjoy a long career in European productions, it's easy to see why Hollywood did not come calling again ! Speaking of France, a young French actress plays Helen's handmaiden--within a year, Brigitte Bardot would become more famous than any actor in "Helen of Troy".

The colour, wide-screen DVD is gorgeous. There is also a trailer, and some black and white promotional material released at the time, featuring actor, Gig Young.

Overall, I would give "Helen of Troy" three and a half stars--it is not as grand as say " The Ten Commandments", also released in 1956--but if you like old-fashioned historical spectacles, where entertainment takes precedent over authenticity or literary merit, you will find this DVD an enjoyable addition to your collection.

50's style splashy, superficial treatment of the Iliad.......2004-07-01

Having seen Troy, the blockbuster from the Hollywood "Pitt of horror," I also aver that other efforts to tell the story of the Iliad have met with limited success. Take the case of Helen Of Troy, the 1955 movie with Rossana Podesta and an all-star British cast. Despite its near two-hour length, it's all splashy pageantry with no substance, with all sorts of liberties taken with Homer's tale.

In this version, Paris, en route to Sparta on a peace mission with his cousin Aeneas, is swept overboard, and rescued from Menelaus's soldiers by Helen. Menelaus is portrayed as a portly bearded unloving tyrant, similar in Troy, but he nevertheless rallies Agamemnon, Nestor, Diomedes, Achilles, and Ulysses (he's not called Odysseus here) when Paris and Helen flee and sets sail for Troy.

Naturally, Paris is condemned by nearly every Trojan for bringing the Greeks to their doorstep. Helen of course still cherishes him, as does his brother Polydorus, someone all too eager to spill some Spartan blood. Priam's wife Hecuba is the only other one to show sympathy for Helen.

Another contrast between this and Troy is that the latter spends too much time on certain aspects, whereas Helen Of Troy only brushes the surface. The conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles over Briseis played a huge part in Troy. Here, Briseis is not even mentioned by name, but Achilles refuses to fight per the Iliad.

So what does work? The costumes on both sides, the actual ships with oars and the sight of marching Greek phalanxes, and the city of Troy itself is of good 50's quality. And the grief on Andromache's face is visible on her face, as she realizes that Hector is about to be killed--pretty good for the 50's.

However, anachronistic errors include the medieval wooden towers the Greeks use to scale the walls of Troy and the battering ram. The funniest are the leopard or jaguar skins worn by Achilles and at one point Hector. Achilles, king of the jungle... yeah right! And the statue of Athena is so grotesque that I wondered if I was looking at Medusa, or worse yet, Kali.

As for the performers, Harry Andrews was an interesting choice as Hector. Ronald Lewis shines as Aeneas, as does as Nora Swinburne as Hecuba and Robert Brown as Polydorus. But Janette Scott as Cassandra is my favourite, a slip of a girl maddened by the gift of foresight, yet doomed not to be believed. And Jacques Sernas's wooden blonde, blue-eyed Paris was clearly meant for the women at the time. He does bring shame to Troy, but he's more of a fighter here than Orlando Bloom's version, as he bests Ajax in Sparta. However, Stanley Baker's Achilles leaves much to be desired. Brigitte Bardot has a small part as Andraste, Helen's cute personal slave, before she became a blonde temptress in the 60's and much worse later.

Amazon.com

Get in line, buddy: who doesn't want to see Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Bardot costarring as turn-of-the-century vaudevillians who get mixed up with Mexican revolutionaries? This slapstick 1965 movie by Louis Malle came three years before he took off for India to make his famous documentary, Calcutta, and it shows off the carefree side of Malle to rousing effect. The two heroines play song-and-dance women who flirt with the striptease and end up fighting for the cause of Pancho Villa. Great fun, and what a way to see two very different icons of mid-century French cinema. --Tom Keogh

Description

France's most famous bombshells, Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau, "make an unbeatable comedy team" (Motion Picture Herald) in this "joyfully romantic fairy tale for adults!" (Life)! "Fast-moving, eye-catching and filled with sight gags" (Cue), this hysterical film from three-time OscarÂ(r)-nominated* director Louis Malle (My Dinner With Andre) and co-writer Jean-Claude Carriere satirizes everything from American westerns to revolutions, dictators, the Church, priesthood and even sex itself! When two women Â- both named Maria Â- unwittingly invent the striptease circa 1910, they become such a hit that enthusiastic audiences strip along with them! But when one of the Marias falls for a handsome revolutionary (George Hamilton), she finds that she has unwittingly embroiled the two of them in an armed peasant revolt! *1987: Original Screenplay, Au Revoir Les Enfants; 1981: Director, Atlantic City; 1972: Director, Murmur of the Heart

Customer Reviews:

Malle, Bardot and Moreau: a unique combination.......2007-03-09

Well, I've fallen in love with this movie when I was 22 and I still love it at 64. Did Louis Malle make any other comedies like this? I don't know. It's a masterpiece by an allround master of cinema giving his hand to comedy. Of course I know all his great 'serious' movies, what film-goer doesn't at my age in Europe. Newcomers please consult the IMDB. "Show but no substance" says Halliwell. But then he probably didn't get the satire (very French). And not the unique interplay of Bardot (for once allowed to be as beautifull as sexy and intelligent) and Moreau (who was always the sophisticated sexy one). "But" a show? what a show!
So I won't give you a summary - you can easily get that at Am.com, but a rating of what interests ME most cf. new releases: This DVD-transfer is ok, clear picture and sound, not restored but acceptable, and I wish I could get rid of the English subtitles.

Sexy, funny revolutionary adventure with Brigitte and Jeanne - but watch out for the Sixties ideology.......2005-11-14

What happens when two beautiful showgirls, both named Maria (Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau) get mixed up in the middle of a Latin American revolution? Louis Malle has the answer in "Viva Maria!", and it's a laugh-a-minute, thrill-a-minute ride.

The prime reason to get this DVD, of course, is the gorgeous duo of Bardot and Moreau. One of the highlights of the movie is their unintentional "invention" of striptease when they accidentially start losing pieces of their clothing during a rather cheesy song-and-dance number and end up livening up the whole act and becoming the toast of every male in the town.

The Sixties attitude does show up, though, as in one of the Maria's comments to a reporter that she thinks "property is theft" (which is a howl when you consider just how much money both Bardot and Moreau probably got from this movie), and in the rather broad caricatures of the ruling classes that the two Marias lead the peasantry in overthrowing.

As long as you don't pay too much attention to the politically sillier parts of the dialogue, though, and just sit back enjoying the onscreen doings of the duo, you can't go too far wrong.

Des sous-titres ! Que c'est bon !.......2005-04-22

This is great farce! You'll adore "Team Maria" (Bardot and Moreau), enjoy the often spectacular scenery, and get a real kick out of the bizarre and offbeat moments in this wonderful film. As for me, I highly appreciate the French subtitles. I have a number of French films, and although I understand French quite well, I sometimes miss bits of dialogue. This is the only French language film (though a few words of Spanish and English are uttered, too) I have on DVD that actually provides French subtitles. If you are a student of the French language, this film is a must. And if you are a student of La Bardot . . . eh bien, qu'attends-tu ?

a lighthearted South American revolution.......2005-04-09

Back in the mid-sixties, French producer Louis Malle hit the idea to couple Jeanne Moreau's great acting with Brigitte Bardot's sex-appeal. It worked, and turned 'Viva Maria' into an international hit.

Having to deal with two such great stars, this vaudeville-comedy cannot avoid being extremely well balanced. In its display of action throughout its story, set and well shot in Mexico. And, above all, balanced in meticulously granting a rightful share of attention to each of its two female leads.

When you're in the mood to watch lighthearted vaudeville, just go ahead with 'Viva Maria'. The movie won't disappoint you.

Almost a Masterpiece.......2002-09-21

I saw this movie on Turner Classic Movies not too long ago. It was in English. The dubbing was quite good. This was one of the few movies that exceeded my expectations. I usually come away at least somewhat disappointed. Not with this movie. It was very entertaining and I believe a near masterpiece. The reviewer from Michigan pretty much expresses my own sentiments. For her energetic and enchanting performance, Bardot deservedly was nominated for a BAFTA award (British's Oscar equivalent) for best actress in a foreign film.

Amazon.com

An irresistible and guilty pleasure, this anthology based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe is a rare opportunity to see three of the biggest names in 1960s European film direction working in the short form. The results are uneven, but so what? They're also plain outrageous. Roger Vadim's Metzengerstein stars real-life siblings Jane and Peter Fonda perversely cast as lovers. When the latter dies, Jane's character turns to a mysterious black stallion for companionship, the suggestion being that the dead man's spirit is within the horse. Both corny and vaguely lurid, this ghost tale is Vadim all the way. Louis Malle's William Wilson is an in-your-face take on Poe's classic doppelgänger fable, starring Alain Delon as a blackguard who gets his comeuppance from a nicer variation of himself. More craftsman-like than cinematically bold, the film displays the kind of crisp wit Malle didn't display often enough. Finally, Federico Fellini's Toby Dammit proves to be the most interesting piece in the trio, featuring Terence Stamp in a terrific performance as an actor at the end of his rope (the equivalent of Mastroianni's burned-out director in Fellini's 8½), who has come to Rome to star as Christ in a New Testament Western. Dense with Fellini's dreamy textures and iconic clutter, Toby Dammit is a fun experience. --Tom Keogh

Description

Three giants of world cinema conspire to bring the dark prose of Edgar Allan Poe to the screen in Spirits of the Dead. Roger Vadim, Luis Malle, and Federico Fellini direct Jane and Peter Fonda, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, and Terence Stamp in three separate stories of souls tormented by their own phantasmal visions of guilt, lust, and greed. In a stunning new transfer enhanced for 16X9 televisions, Home Vision Entertainment is pleased to present this marvelous volume of the macabre.

Customer Reviews:

See if for Fellini.......2007-01-31

I have to agree with most people who feel the Fellini Toby Dammit sequence is the only reason to watch it. Vadim sets his in a medieval France populated by people dressed in left over costumes from Barbarella, which sounds like more fun than it is, the case with most Vadim films. Malle's section is simply dull, an utterly uninspiring, and rather unpleasant, version of a good horror tale. The Fellini sequence is easily the best, and also a wonderful take on Poe's story. Stamp is great as a dissolute actor on the bottom. The scenes in the airport as he arrives is some of the best stuff Fellini ever shot. These short story, omnibus film compilations were popular in Europe, and all suffered from the same flaw: the quality of the episodes was never consistent. The late attempt to do one here, NY Stories, suffered the same disability: Passable Scorsese, unwatchable Coppola (scripted by Sofia, as a child, and as talentless then as she is now), and a funny Woody Allen, put at the end, because they knew no one would watch the intolerable Coppola sequence otherwise. The Fellini is also at the end of this film, and a smiliar mindset is at work.

Three beautiful and memorable short films make a wonderful anthology.......2006-12-22

"Spirits of the Dead"(1968) presents adaptations of three Edgar Allen Poe stories by three European directors, Roger Vadim's "Metzengerstein" with Jane and Peter Fonda, Louis Malle's "William Wilson" (with Alain Delon and Briget Bardout), and Federico Fellini's "Toby Dammit". The universal opinion is that only Fellini's entry is worth watching and it is indeed, spectacular with Terence Stamp fitting so well in the Fellini's freak show that it is impossible to take your eyes off him. The reason I wanted to see the movie so much was the CD that I bought some time ago - a compilation of some of the most beautiful themes composed by Nino Rota for the films of Federico Fellini. "The Ultimate Best of Federico Fellini & Nino Rota" includes the tunes arranged in the medleys for 16 films directed by Fellini. These are the full orchestrations (as heard in the movies they come from) and just listening to the familiar melodies brings back the memories and the images. There was one track I kept listening to over and over. It was written for the Fellini's episode in the "Tre passi nel delirio" aka "Spirits of the Dead" (1968), "Toby Dammit". The soundtrack for "Toby Dammit" simply stands out among the romantic and poetic gems. It is rich, obsessive and creates uneasy and creepy atmosphere which is quite appropriate for an episode that features a desperate actor (Terence Stamp) in a pact with the devil. Besides the score "Toby Dammit" has plenty of great typically Felliniesque images , an unforgettable ending, and not the least, Terence Stamp who might've played one of his best roles as the famous English actor, drugged and drunk out of his mind who arrived in Rome for the Italian Film Academy Awards ceremony. Toby was also offered the role of Jesus in the Catholic Western but all he remembered that he had been promised a Ferrari for participating in the ceremony and Ferrari he will get...with the ride to hell that looks exactly like Rome at night where every turn takes you to the dead end and the Devil only knows the way out but you will pay him a price...

I found all three films interesting and involving on their own terms. I don't agree with the comments that call Vadim's adaptation a failure - it is certainly not. If anything, it is beautiful to look at and listen to and any film featuring Madam Roger Vadim (Jane Fonda was married to the director at the time) wearing the costumes that were certainly inspired by or even reused from "Barbarella" that was released in the same year, 1968 is worth watching. Vadim changed the short story by transforming a protagonist, 18 years old Baron Frederic Metzengerstein into 22 years old Contessa Frederica but he did not change her character. She is rich, bored, corrupted, and ruthless, a "petty Caligula", until she meets her cousin Wilhelm (played by Jane's brother, Peter Fonda). Making siblings playing cousins in love tells us something (or maybe a lot) about Vadim and his mysterious Slavic soul and reminds about Poe's own dramatic love for his first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm, whom he married when she was only 13 and whose death at the age of 25 from tuberculosis could have let to decline of his own mental state and his untimely death less than three years after her.

Poe explores in "William Wilson" very popular in the Art and literature subject of a man and his double that represents his conscience, his dark and hidden side. The short story brings to mind such famous works of literature as Hans Christian Andersen's "The Shadow", Adelbert Von Chamisso's "Peter Schlemiel: The Man Who Sold His Shadow", Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

In Louis Malle's short film, Wilson (Alain Delon) confesses his sinful and dreadful life to the priest recalling the outrageous and vicious deeds that have been prevented or disclosed by his exact double whose name is also William Wilson. Two scenes of the short film stand out. The first is a simply chilling Wilson's attempt to perform an autopsy on a living woman and the second - Wilson plays cards, cheating shamelessly, with rich and arrogant Giuseppina (Brigitte Bardot almost unrecognizable in a black wig that does almost impossible - makes her look ugly). While it may be not the best Poe's adaptation and perhaps the weakest of three films in the anthology, two Delons for the price of one is reason enough to see it. I am glad that I finally saw the film that has achieved a cult status with years but is not easily available (I had to wait for several weeks for it from Netflix even after I had bumped it to the top). What started with my interest in the musical score by Rota, ended as a memorable watching experience.

Vadim Revisited.......2006-07-16

There seems to be a consensus among critics, even amateur critics, regarding the horror trilogy "Spirits of the Dead." The prevailing view elevates Fellini's segment of the film (and sometimes Malle's) while denigrating Vadim's "Metzengerstein" as some relatively trivial hackwork. That mindset, widely disseminated, amounts to a conspiracy of bad taste. In fact, Vadim's little film is a masterpiece, easily the finest part of "Spirits of the Dead." On the simplest level, the trilogy was intended as a homage to the genius of Edgar Allan Poe; and certainly Vadim's "Metzengerstein" --a beautiful evocation of medieval fairy tale blended with DeSadean eroticism--comes closest to fulfilling that ideal. In contrast, Malle's "William Wilson" and Fellini's "Toby Dammit" are worlds away from Poe. Indeed, Malle's version of Poe is terribly marred by an emphatic artiness that could only be appreciated by film school undergraduates. For example, there's the suicidal plunge of Malle's anti-hero (Alain Delon) from a bell tower; presented over and over again from a multitude of angles, no celluloid descent into hell has ever been more ponderous. And Fellini's "Toby Dammit" undercuts horror by a heavy-handed satire of the Italian Academy Awards, which seems to belong in the pages of "Figaro." Vadim, however, has created something as irresistible as a dream: a rainswept castle in Brittany where a fantastically beautiful but cruel princess (Jane Fonda) struggles in vain against boredom, fate, and her murdered love's reincarnation; that reincarnation being nothing less than a huge, intractable stallion, such as medieval warriors would ride!
In every scene, Vadim's imagination is as powerful but unobtrusive as the autumn sea-air that seems to pervade "Metzengerstein." Furthermore, in the title role, young