Et Dieu … créa la femme [And God Created Woman] (1956)

(On Cable TV, April 2019) I’m not sure who first made the point or where it was done, but there are plenty of historical “movie superstars,” especially actresses known for their sex-appeal, that are not associated with any great movie. They have a substantial body of work (if you’ll pardon the expression), but they won’t turn up in a modern look at their era’s most fondly-remembered movies because little of what they did stands the test of time. They’re famous for being famous, rather than specific roles. Insofar as I can gather, Brigitte Bardot is one of these stars—lauded as a sex kitten, famous for her opposition to baby seal hunting (well, at least in Canada), but not exactly known for any high-profile memorable roles. Aside from Le Mépris, the only exception I can find is that she starred in Et Dieu … créa la femme. But in a feat of circular logic, Et Dieu … créa la femme is known nowadays only because it was Bardot’s international breakthrough role. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that the film is a showcase for her because there’s so little else going on. A coastal small-town romantic drama, this is a film built around Bardot, with a character showcased for her beauty and lack of inhibition. Tame by today’s standard but provocative by French mid-1950s standards and positively scandalous for late Production Code-era America, it’s a film that still has the power to make viewers understand what the fuss about Bardot was about. There is a bit of charm in the way the seaside French town is portrayed, in Bardot’s character’s carefree behaviour and in the colourful cinematography. Otherwise, though, Et Dieu … créa la femme is Bardot’s film: the dramatic structure would be meaningless without her presence, and she manages to overcome her own limited acting talents through sheer magnetism. Which brings us back to the symbiotic loop: she’s now usually known for the film that’s known because of her. (Random, non-Bardot thought: Seeing this film’s seaside setting got me thinking about how many French films take place alongside the sea, and what’s the place of the coast in the French imagination. To be investigated.)