Brigitte Bardot: Ten Unforgettable Films That Changed Cinema

“Films have never shown the kind of relationship that can exist between two women.”
– Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot, the French screen legend and singer, had not appeared in a film for nearly half a century before her death, yet her influence remains undiminished. Her image and performances have left an indelible impression on the world of film. Bardot, who became a symbol of liberated femininity in the 1950s and 1960s, starred in a string of acclaimed productions such as Contempt and La Vérité. She consistently challenged expectations, using her allure not merely for spectacle but as a means of advancing the cause of women’s emancipation. Simone de Beauvoir once described her as “the first and most liberated woman of post-war France.” Bardot was offered the Legion of Honour in 1985, though she declined the accolade. Reflecting on the fate of other screen icons, she remarked,

The majority of great actresses met tragic ends. When I said goodbye to this job, to this life of opulence and glitter, images and adoration, the quest to be desired, I was saving my life.

Bardot also became a passionate advocate for animal rights, stating,

It is a battle. A fight against cruelty, stupidity, and the indifference of humans. It’s animals against man, a furious fight meant to better the conditions of animals in the world, to open people’s eyes, to fight their selfishness, and to protect the weakest from the most destructive forces.

In later years, her political views grew increasingly divisive, distancing her from her earlier liberal reputation. Despite this, her legacy in film remains formidable, inspiring generations of women to pursue new forms of self-expression and independence.

The Early Years and Breakthrough Roles

The Bear and the Doll (1970), directed by Michel Deville, cast Bardot as Felicia, a vivacious woman determined to win over a reserved musician and single father, Gaspard (Jean-Pierre Cassel). The film, influenced by American screwball comedies, was originally intended for Catherine Deneuve. Bardot herself counted it among her favourites, alongside The Truth and And God Created Woman, and held Deville in high regard.

In Une Parisienne (1957), Bardot played the French president’s daughter, whose marriage to her father’s secretary (Henri Vidal) quickly unravels amid jealousy and betrayal. This film, following her breakthrough in And God Created Woman, cemented her reputation for blending comedy with a provocative edge, and established her as a symbol of contemporary French style.

Marc Allégret’s Plucking the Daisy (1956) saw Bardot as Agnès Dumont, a general’s daughter who flees to Paris after her authorship of a scandalous novel is discovered. She enters a striptease contest to make ends meet. The film was one of several collaborations between Bardot and Roger Vadim, whose creative partnership began in the late 1940s.

Genre-Bending Performances and International Fame

The Legend of Frenchie King (1971) placed Bardot in the role of an outlaw, leading her sisters in a feud with Claudia Cardinale’s character before joining forces against the men of the town. While critics were not especially kind, the film enjoyed more success than many of Bardot’s later works. Cardinale herself admitted,

I was a fan of Brigitte Bardot. Who could not be? When I was young, she was my idol. I loved her elegance and her natural power. She was unique.

Louis Malle’s Viva Maria! (1965) paired Bardot with Jeanne Moreau as two revolutionaries named Maria. Bardot’s performance earned her a Bafta nomination for Best Foreign Actress. Malle observed,

Jeanne Moreau holding out for the ideal of love, Brigitte Bardot seizing the day; one opting for wiliness and passivity, the other for forthrightness and risk. And then, too, the film offers you a space to reflect on political violence, so inconsequential in the movie and so bloody and incendiary outside.

In Love Is My Profession (1958), Bardot played a young woman accused of theft, defended by a prominent Parisian lawyer (Jean Gabin). Adapted from Georges Simenon’s novel, this marked Bardot’s first foray into serious melodrama, pairing her with one of France’s biggest stars of the era.

Defining Roles and Enduring Legacy

Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman (1956) is widely regarded as the film that propelled Bardot to international stardom. Her portrayal of a sexually liberated 18-year-old challenged social norms and provoked controversy, particularly in the United States, where it was heavily censored. Bardot later praised her co-star,

Actors always want to look young. Jean-Louis doesn’t care. As a result, we’re talking about him again. He’s exceptional. Rare. I find that fantastic, that’s all.

The Night Heaven Fell (1958), also directed by Vadim, was set in rural Spain and focused on the chemistry between Bardot and Stephen Boyd. Boyd commented,

She gives adults that same feeling of sneaking cookies out of the cupboard that they had at the age of six. They giggle and try to explain their interest as pure amusement, but actually it’s their animal adolescence showing….it’s the sort of thing that the man in the street can’t resist. It’s a symbol of things that are not openly discussed.

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s La Vérité (1960) is often cited as one of Bardot’s finest performances, with her portrayal of Dominique, a woman accused of murder, earning her a David di Donatello Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. Bardot recalled,

When it was a comedy, I was in a fun mood, perky. But a dramatic role just wiped me out. When I was shooting The Truth, Clouzot was so good at persuading me that I was this loose woman, this tragic character, that I ended up believing it. I became Dominique. So much so, that a few months later I wanted to commit suicide myself.

Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt (1963), based on Alberto Moravia’s novel, is considered Bardot’s most complex and challenging work. The film, shot in Rome and Capri, is a striking meditation on the art of filmmaking and the human condition. Despite a difficult working relationship, Bardot later admitted,

It’s common knowledge that [Godard] got on my nerves. I thought he looked stupid wearing that hat all the time. We were always having to make up dialogue at the last minute. There was no plot. It was a real free-for-all. Not to mention the hordes of paparazzi following me about. But it turned into a great film, and so much the better.