Brigitte Bardot, wow. I just kept thinking versions of that while watching And God Created Woman. She justifies the whole movie, a 1956 film about a nymphomaniac orphan in a small French harbour town, which would otherwise not be much more than a pulpy soap opera. She's so extraordinarily good at sensual business on screen.
And yeah, beautiful. She looks like a live action version of Aurora from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. They could've just had the sets and props and just let her chew scenery for two hours and I'd watch.
But there is a story here about how her character, Juliette, is too much of a tramp to be a good wife to the man who marries her, Michel. He marries her mainly so she doesn't have to go back to the orphanage for her notorious behaviour. She seems to do pretty well until Antoine, Michel's brother, Juliette's former lover, and all around douche bag, comes back to town.
When Michel has to go out of town for one day, Juliette can't keep it together, she has to fuck Antoine, the guy who'd left her waiting by the side of the road when he'd promised to take her away with him. Maybe it's because she feels sex is just sex for Antoine, with no ideas of love or commitment attached.
The fallout then shows the hypocrisy of the conservative little family, when Michel and Antoine's mother want Juliette to get out of town, and absolutely no blame is put on Antoine.
But Michel fights for Juliette anyway, believing in their love. The movie isn't quite saying, "Let's not condemn people for casual sex and embrace sensuality," though that's probably the real underlying impulse of the filmmakers. The literal message ends up being more like, "Forgive women who truly feel guilt for their uncontrollable lusts and beat up guys who don't feel guilty about using such women."
The climax is a pretty silly scene in the basement of a bar where Juliette partakes in that disgraceful exercise, dancing to live music. Jazz, even!
This is almost too much for Michel. The jazz and the dancing and the what not. But we at home can enjoy these sinful antics, safe in our virtue.
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