Review of ...And God Created Woman (1956) by Niloo R — 24 Apr 2014

In "...And God Created Woman," Eric Carradine(Curd Jurgens) wants to build a waterfront casino in the south of France. And would, except for the fact that Antoine Tardieu(Christian Marquand) will not sell him the family shipbuilding business. What the two men have in common is Juliette(Brigitte Bardot), an 18-year old orphan who flirts with both of them. That and the nude sunbathing get her foster parents to send her back to the orphanage until she is 21. So, she pulls a runner before having second thoughts. That gives the guys enough time to consider her options which come down to either adoption or marriage...

The once shocking "...And God Created Woman" might seem tame by today's standards but is still risque enough to merit interest, especially in the movie's climactic nightclub scene. On the other hand, its message about society not knowing what to do with sexual women still resonates, as does the insight that the more restictive a society, the worse men will act. Even as the story is inconsistent, wavering between comedy and melodrama, there is still Brigitte Bardot who makes a great entrance. While it takes 30 minutes for anybody to notice Jean-Louis Trintignant, don't worry as he is only getting started.