From the 1960s: Viva Maria!

1965 Adventure Comedy

From MGM

Directed by Louis Malle

Starring

Brigitte Bardot

Jeanne Moreau

George Hamilton

Claudio Brook

Paulette Dubost

Carlos Lopez Moctezuma 

This is the first foreign language film I have reviewed and could  be the last because I am not fond of them.  I own, I think, five of them because each movie so pleased me that I got through reading subtitles.  Nearly all of the ones I own are in French, which if I have to endure listening to another language, well, c'mon, what could be more pleasant to the ear?  In the case of this movie, I could almost have not read a single word because between gazing upon the two leading ladies and viewing the stunning photography, I was completely captivated.  Viva Maria! is just a fun romp... pure and simple.

By 1910 Maria (Bardot), the daughter of an Irish anarchist, has fled to some Central American country called San Miquel, after she blows up a bridge on which her injured father lies and enemy troops are within yards of him.  Before long she is happily involved in another revolution with some new friends.

After her arrival, she has a happy accident of connecting with a traveling theatrical company that performs in the tradition of vaudeville.  There is acting, singing, dancing, sharpshooting, animals, magic, gymnastics and whatever else occurs to them.

She meets up with another Maria (Moreau) whose singing partner has just committed suicide because of a failed romance.  Bardot is a virgin (proof of what a fine actress she was) who is looking to change that and accepting candidates to help her out.  Moreau is dedicated to her craft and sees Bardot as a possible partner if she has any talent. 

Bardot takes to performing easily enough but she is particularly taken with the traveling and the fact that the company is like family and the males are very protective of their starring femmes.  During one performance part of Bardot's costume falls apart and the crowd roars its approval.  Soon stripteasing becomes a regular feature of the act and the company becomes famous in San Miquel.

Soon, however, they all realize that it can't be all fun and games as the company becomes unwilling participants in the country's revolution.  Well, Bardot is not exactly unwilling and her skills are greatly welcomed.  Within a short time, the women are pretty much running things.

The two Marias soon meet up with a socialist revolutionary (Hamilton) who is idolized by the peasants.  He and Moreau fall for one another but he soon is shot.  Before he dies, he asks Moreau to promise to take up his cause.  She is reluctant but agrees to do so.  Bardot, always ready to rumble, is excited her partner on the stage will be her partner on the battlefield.

Once that agreement is made, the film changes from musical-comedy to adventure through war.  There is much comedy, however, sight gags and other absurd stuff and lots of fun one-liners.  Obviously it all works out well for the good guys led by the good girls.  Someone has clumsily tacked on one more song and dance on the stage which is edited poorly but the ladies certainly know how to offer up their considerable charms so we forgive.

Since it's so much fun to watch, it's always been thought to have been fun to make but director Malle assured us that was not the case.  In fact, it was hell and also hot as hell.  He stressed that he made films in pretty much complete isolation, rarely talking about them before they are ready for release.  But the news that Moreau and Bardot were going to make a largely outdoor film together in Mexico brought out the world's press.  Malle said that when he arrived on location, 70+ journalists awaited him.  He said the entire shoot was madness.  The security was almost crippling financially.

Two happy French superstars, oui?

At issue was the rivalry between the two high-powered and frequently temperamental actresses.  The world was on hold until one slapped the other or one petulantly stayed in her dressing room until the other was fired.  Alas, there was no such rivalry.  Oh, they had their moments, of course, but really minor stuff that was quickly extinguished.  The two not only got on but they thoroughly enjoyed one another and the fun they had with the reporters.  There would have been some problems had Malle not been attentive to making sure each actress had the same number of lines and scenes.

Malle had always been a great fan of American movies and had a special fondness for westerns.  He said that from the time he saw Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper in 1954's Vera Cruz, he wanted to make a similar movie but featuring two women in the lead roles.  He would come to cowrite the screenplay with Jean-Claude Carriére and they have always referred to it as the first female buddy movie.  At its heart, it is about friendship.

Malle claimed that the film just seemed to get larger and larger which was never what he had intended.  It had to do with that second half of the film, the adventure part.  They started using more and more locations, having more explosions and gunplay and hiring far more extras than he had intended or ever worked with before.  There were scenes that looked like all of Mexico had taken a holiday to work on the picture.

Moreau with George Hamilton

Both actresses had worked with Malle before.  It was just once with Bardot and he had promised her top billing.  It was the fourth teaming of Malle and Moreau and the first on which they were not romantically involved.  While she had been a stage actress, Malle is credited with discovering her for the movies.  She at first declined to be in the film but Malle wore her down.  The fact was he had to have her  in order to secure the financing.  Both women were considered to be French sex symbols... one the seductress, the other a sex kitten the world over.  Their pairing was considered an event.

Hamilton, who speaks Spanish in his small role, was the second choice.  Alain Delon had declined, saying he had another commitment but likely didn't like playing second fiddle to these actresses and in such a small part.  Hamilton, of course, never one to run from press coverage or the chance to be photographed, liked being the film's good will ambassador for American audiences.  It was rumored that he and Moreau got to know one another pretty well offscreen. 

On the off chance one doesn't enjoy Bardot or Moreau or even the adventurous story, there is always the uniformly stunning camerawork of Henri Decaë who had worked with Malle on two previous movies.  He captures Mexico as few others have.  Likewise the costumes by Pierre Cardin (Moreau's fiancé at the time) and Ghislaine Uhry.  By the time of the film's release, 80 licenses had been granted to exploit the the frilly pastel look of blouses, bras, knitwear, skirts, belts, swimsuits and handbags.  You didn't think the ladies would be decked out in anything less than full regalia, did you?

Louis Malle with Bardot

This was the first time that either actress had made a film outside of Europe.  As a result it opened up the careers of both but particularly for Moreau.  She was not only a topnotch actress (Orson Welles said the best ever) but she was keen on trying new things, working in ways not familiar to her and she capitalized on the attention.  Bardot, though famous worldwide, was not so adventurous and came to continually rely on sex comedies she made in her home country.  Bardot famously cooed... Jeanne is an actress.  I am a phenomenon.

It seems ridiculous in 2021 or even 1965 that something would rile the censors enough to bring about an overall ratings change but something did.  Maybe you think there would be something because it stars, after all, two Frenchwomen skilled in titillation but you would be as wrong as the censors.  

Viva Maria! was a sensation, of course, in France and in Europe as well.  While it performed well enough in America, it was the New York premier that gathered most of the press when the actresses rode down Broadway sitting in an open vehicle with 11 orchestras following them and a gazillion onlookers.

Viva Bardot.  Viva Moreau.  Viva Maria!

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