Don Juan (1976)

For her last feature, Brigitte Bardot teamed up once again with the man who made her famous, Roger Vadim (And God Created Woman). Bardot plays Jeanne, a proud destroyer of men who lives on board an ultra-mod submarine. As Jeanne confesses her sexual conquests to a priest, one can't help but see Bardot as the sex symbol whose public persona was so often synonymous with the characters she portrayed. Home Vision Entertainment is proud to present this cult classic in a luminous new transfer enhanced for 16X9 televisions.

Interesting 'Bardot' 70s Nostalgia

I bought this DVD from amazon because I'm quite the 'BB' fan, and it's almost impossible to find her films in any stores or rental places. This Roger Vadim directed film, the last he made with his then ex-wife, and one of the last of Bardot's career, was actually more interesting than I thought it would be. It is quite a strange movie, full of early 70's camp and bohemian style. Woven around the premise of a beautiful 'bachelorette' and heiress 'Jeanne', who lives in a sub-marine (It is the 70s) and who's idle lifestyle revolves around mainly seducing and humiliating a series of men. 'Seducing is easy ', Jeanne says ' conquering is the hard part'. An exaggerated reflection and parody, some might say, of Bardot's real life persona at that time.

Vadim's 70s romp and somewhat shallow attempt at allegory, compares Bardot's character to 'Don Juan', and asks the question 'what if Don Juan were a woman?'. How would society view or judge her, and perhaps more importantly how would she judge herself? Unfavourably, not surprisingly, and she ends up paying the ultimate price. Jeanne offers herself one last chance at redemption by confessing her series of conquests and destruction to her young cousin, a Catholic Priest. Then as a result ends up seducing him also. A point, which even by today's standards would be controversial,let alone back then.

Vadim though always aware of the commercial value in using Bardot as vehicle to shock and sell tickets, even resorting to a lesbian love scene with Bardot and British born actress Jane Birkin, (hardly worth getting worked up over, sorry guys), doesn't quite pull it off here. Never really managing to repeat the success of 'And God Created Woman', the film which launched Bardot onto English speaking audiences.

Still this film does manage to capture your attention at times, and I think Bardot is quite good in it. She definitely has presence, and in contrast to one reviewer's remarks I think at nearly 40, still looks amazing. From a woman's point of view, if he judges Ms Bardot as being 'past it', not much hope for the rest of us! And I think he must have a very narrow and 'agest' idea of female beauty. I actually like her more natural earthy look here, and her figure and skin are superb. There isn't really that much nudity to get excited about, so if you're buying it just to see Brigitte in the buff you may be sorely disappointed. However, although dated now, it's a quirky and interesting product of it's time. A piece of 70s and Bardot nostalgia to add to your collection. December 8, 2007

Brigitte Bardot nude

Brigette Bardot is the only reason to see this movie. Without her this movie wouldn't be anything at all. June 13, 2007

The 2 Je t'aime women together in BB's last film. Erotic!

Brigitte Bardot stars here in her last film along with Jane Birkin, the other singer who recorded the Serge Gainesbourg hit, "Je t'aime". This film is worth seeing, as we see BB's and Vadim's evolution from "And God Created Woman" to this post-sixties over-the-top comedy-drama.

We get some great nude scenes with Brigitte and Jane, and BB's character Jeanne is someone fed up with men, so she resorts to seduce and destroy tactics. As in "And God Created Woman" she's pretty much playing herself, but with an exaggerated storyline of driving men to ruin, murder, and suicide. The campy ironic humor is there in such scenarios as seducing a priest as well as setting up a fake menage-a-trois to madden a bete homme. Also a scene with Robert Walker Jr. (Charlie X in Star Trek TOS) where the price she asks for making love is no less than his life, which he takes seriously. The ending is a multiple meaning one as BB saves a man who makes her "pay for her sins" (though he's unappreciative). I think the end hits home for Brigitte in real life saying in effect, "look you male-dominated world, you've made my life hell". And it's the last scene she ever did on film. Worth seeing for it's erotic quality (but what BB film isn't), the submarine home, the early '70s fashions, and the camp. October 21, 2003

Brigitte Looks Fabulous!

While the story is a bit odd, it is interesting. The film is very stylish and Brigitte looks absolutely fabulous! Besides, it is better than most of what Hollywood dishes out even today. But, I suppose having the gorgeous Brigitte grace our TV screens for a couple hours just isn't enough for some critics. It certainly works for me! July 3, 2003

Classic Bardot!!!

This is the Bardot I love! Captured within Classic early seventie's stylings, But they never Eclipse her great aura. Cool story of sexual domination, and it's inevitable destuction. Directed with a surprisingly steady hand of Roger Vadim. Stylish clothes, sexy french locales, even a prophetic mention of how computers will enhance our lives. Pick it up before it disappears like all great Foreign films/DVDs! April 5, 2003

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