Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)
Viva Maria! (1965)

Genre: Comedy / Adventure
Director: Louis Malle
Starring: Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, George Hamilton
Language: French, English
Duration: 119 min.
Rating: 7.5  

Summary:
The former Irish terrorist, Maria II, joins the vaudeville act of the French singer, Maria I, in Central America in 1907. During their first performance on stage they accidentally invent the strip tease and become local stars.



Viva Maria! is a film directed by Louis Malle, co-written with screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière. It won the Grand Prix du Cinéma Français Award in 1965. It's a riotous send up of epic adventure films that couldn't be any more different from his previous effort the brilliant but somber The Fire Within.

Set somewhere in Central America in the early 20th Century, it brings together two of the most beautiful actresses of all time, Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau (in her fourth collaboration with Malle), who light up the screen as two girls, both named Maria. The first the daughter of an Irish anarchist on the run, and the second a vaudeville singer in a traveling circus. They join together by chance and get involved crazy adventures including inventing the striptease and leading a revolution.

It's a frivolous and light film filled with silly sight gags and inventive camera tricks. Some perhaps not as effective as others, but there's some really great chemistry between the two leads. Bardot and Moreau play off each other so well that despite the shallow and towards the end, often tedious story, they make it a load of fun to watch. It's worth it just to see them commandeering a machine gun.

Bonjour Tristesse

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

20 comments:

FrontRoomCinema said...

Oh My... Bardot does it for me!! DING DONG

Sam Fragoso said...

They're are beautiful ... oh my ...

As for the film, sounds fascinating.

Michaël Parent said...

I remember reading Philip French's book/interview with Malle explaining that it was one of his "commercial" films and at the time it was a "bon coup" to put both sexy stars in the same movie.
It's funny because I always feel like Jeanne Moreau looked way older than she really was. As for Bardot, Jean-Luc Godard said, on the set of Contempt that she was so ugly and that her breasts looked bad... It is her sex appeal that made her famous, and it is reflected well on the screen!

d_4 said...

It sounds like fun. The trailer up there was cheesy, and I think that the way it's pulled off together with what you've said is what really makes it appealing.

And uh, below the poster it says 1970. Is that something worth editing or was this one re-issued or something?

Steven Flores said...

Bardot and Moreau... together?  YES!!!!

Bonjour Tristesse said...

DING DONG indeed.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

It's shallow but it's playful fun.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I need to read that book, sounds interesting. I can't imagine how difficult it was to direct those two in that setting.

Moreau has a natural frown that always made her look more mature than she was. And I dont think Godard meant it as much as he just loves stirring controversy.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

 Nice catch, thanks D4.

TheVern said...

I honestly don't think I have seen one Bardot film in my life, and I know I'm missing out on a great deal.  Do you have any recomendations on some movies that you consider essentials in the  Bardot catelog?

Bonjour Tristesse said...

 My thoughts exactly.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Hmm, off the top of my head, I would start with: And God Created Woman, The Truth, and Contempt

Jandy said...

I happened to notice this film when I was looking through Malle's filmography a while back, and was like WHAT. He got Bardot and Moreau together in the same movie? I HAVE TO WATCH THIS. And then I haven't watched it. But it sounds about like I'd expect, frothy fun. I'm glad to hear they play well off each other.

Tyler said...

I'm a huge fan of Malle but I haven't seen this. I've loved all the Malle I've seen (except for the exhausting ZAZIE DANS LE METRO) and I would definitely like to see this one. Bardot in the sixties? How could I resist?

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I thought the same thing, and it took me awhile to finally track it down, but I'm glad I did. It's no profound masterpiece, but it's not intended to be. Just a simple fun film.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I enjoyed Zazie, mostly for the camera tricks, but I agree it does get on your nerves after awhile. You might have a similar reaction to this one, but as you say, this cast is impossible to resist.

Danny said...

Oh man, I watched this like five years ago on VHS, and it made my skin crawl. I won't say your review made me want to relive the experience (I've since learned that Malle doesn't do much of anything for me), but the screenshots are really pretty.

This is a lousy comment. I apologize.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I understand. I think if this film had any other two actresses I would probably hate it too. Which other Malle films have you seen? They are all so different that I'm sure we can find one you'd enjoy.

Danny said...

Well, I've heard good things about Zazie Dans le Metro, so I'm going to give that a shot soon. If I don't enjoy that, I may have to tap into your fountain of knowledge!

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Zazie is creatively entertaining, but it is also possibly his most eccentric and exhausting film of all.

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