Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965)

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“When I’m dead, swear to me you’ll go on fighting!””

Synopsis:
In early-twentieth-century Central America, the daughter (Brigitte Bardot) of an Irish revolutionary teams up with a circus singer (Jeanne Moreau), and the two Marias accidentally invent the strip tease before becoming revered revolutionaries themselves.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Brigitte Bardot Films
  • Carnivals and Circuses
  • French Films
  • George Hamilton Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Jeanne Moreau Films
  • Louis Malle Films
  • Revolutionaries
  • Showgirls
  • Strong Females

Review:
Louis Malle’s sixth feature film — after Elevator to the Gallows (1958) [not listed in GFTFF but I will review it as a Missing Title], The Lovers (1958), Zazie dans le Metro (1960), A Very Private Affair (1962) [non-GFTFF], and The Fire Within (1962) [non-GFTFF] — was this comedy adventure film loosely inspired by Vera Cruz (1954) but with intentionally female protagonists. Bardot is at the top of her game, bringing sassy energy to her role:

… and Moreau is as solid as ever (though George Hamilton’s role as her revolutionary lover is underdeveloped — something Malle himself acknowledged).

With cinematography in Eastman Color (by Henri Decae) and costumes by Pierre Cardin, it’s a visually heady affair:

… marked by fast-paced action and a few unexpected sight gags.

Interestingly, according to IMDb’s trivia page, “the movie classification board of the city of Dallas, Texas, banned the movie within the city on the grounds that it was too racy,” leading to “one of two U.S. Supreme Court cases that led to the establishment of the MPAA Ratings Code.” That Bardot…

Note: Despite hopeful rumors that they might not get along, Bardot and Moreau make a fine cinematic duo and were friendly in real life, too.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the lead actresses
  • Pierre Cardin’s costumes
  • Henri Decae’s cinematography

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a one-time look if you’re in the mood — and of course it’s a must for Bardot or Moreau fans.

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One thought on “Viva Maria! (1965)”

  1. First viewing (1/13/21). Not must-see.

    I can almost hear Malle seducing Moreau and Bardot into taking on this project: “It’ll be fun! The two of you have marvelous feminist roles! You play total strangers who instinctively bond, first inadvertently becoming Gypsy Rose Lee-esque strippers and then – just as inadvertently – revolutionaries! All for love! All in the spirit of France! Vive l’amour! Vive la France! All for the freedom and triumph of the downtrodden!”

    Unfortunately, as it plays out, it’s not as much fun as it sounds. For the burlesque portion, Moreau and Bardot strangely lack the comedic touch that would make that section entertaining and then the tone of the film turns inappropriately earnest somehow – making the film seem slow.

    Still, it’s nicely produced. Fave nice touch: using a carrier pigeon to drop a grenade. Second fave nice touch: the instruments of torture for the two Marias fail because “Nobody has used any of this equipment in ages.” Third fave nice touch: the final grenade (!).

    btw: I would recommend ‘The Fire Within’ as a missing title.

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