Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman

In her article “Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome,” Simone de Beauvoir examines the potential reasons for and causes of Brigitte Bardot’s popularity, as well as the scorn and contempt she has garnered. Beauvoir claims that it is Bardot’s seemingly contradictory nature that lends itself to both her appeal and criticism. Beauvoir describes some of her contradictions, stating: “Seen from behind, her slender, muscular, dancer’s body is almost androgynous. Femininity triumphs in her delightful bosom. The long voluptuous tresses of Melisande flow down to her shoulders, but her hair-do is that of a negligent waif. The line of her lips forms a childish pout, and at the same time those lips are very kissable” (14). 

Bardot is highly erotic and sexual, yet also possesses a youthful, childlike innocence. Unlike the figure of the vamp or the femme fatale, she has no bad intentions and does not attempt to destroy man. She is naive, carefree, natural, and ignorant. She does as she pleases and does not care what others think or the consequences that may arise from her behavior. However, she is fully aware of her sexuality and the allure she holds over men, and uses it to her advantage. Bardot is essentially a “child-woman,” and it is this quality that both attracts and repels. She interacts with men yet is ultimately unattainable to them, as “the child-woman moves in a universe which he cannot enter” (14). She sees herself as man’s equal, as demonstrated by her wearing of trousers and other men’s clothing, and thus challenges traditional masculinity. This both erotically pleases and excites men as well as making them fearful of being emasculated and losing their position as the dominant gender. 

Beauvoir’s beliefs on Bardot can clearly be seen in Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman (1956). Bardot’s character, Juliette, is the complete personification of the “child-woman.” From the very beginning, the film establishes her as a highly sexual being by showing her suntanning nude in public, followed by her caregiver’s intense scorn, even calling her a “little slut.” This harsh criticism mirrors that of the male audience, who although they enjoyed viewing Bardot’s naked body, believe it to be unacceptable to behave in such a manner. The film goes on to detail her numerous sexual exploits with different men and how she has complete free will, doing whatever she wants, whenever she wants. When Antoine wants her to spend the night with him, she instead stands him up and goes to Carradine, then meets with Antoine and rides off on her bicycle amidst his pleas for her to stay. Although many men in the film, particularly Antoine, believe she has bad intentions and is “designed to destroy man,” the audience sees the other side to Juliette - that she simply wants to love and be loved, and does not intend to hurt anyone. However, the film ultimately reconciles male fears in its final scene by Michel’s “taming” of Juliette and assertion of his power and dominant status over her. He slaps her for her out of control, provocative dancing and takes her home to be a domesticated woman. Thus, Vadim asserts that the child-woman cannot be allowed to thrive, for she is too much of a force to be reckoned with, too much of a threat, and must be put in her proper place as homemaker, wife, and mother.

Babel Film Review

Review of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film Babel (2006), written by Amy Lauren Zoons as a sophomore in high school and published in Florida Today newspaper. 

The Portrayal of Blacks in Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

With his breakout film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), which he wrote, produced, edited, composed, directed, and starred in, Melvin Van Peebles helped to create a new kind of American independent cinema - one that identified with the African American community and portrayed them as multidimensional characters containing more depth than in the usual flat stock roles Hollywood assigned to them. The film was essentially a direct attack on Hollywood and thus, also white America and “the man.” This is evident from the very beginning, as even the opening credits state that the film stars “the black community,” closely followed by the text: “Sire, these lines are not a homage to brutality that the artist has invented, but a hymn from the mouth of reality,” before changing to: “This film is dedicated to all the brothers and sisters who had enough of the man.” This sets the tone for the entire film and forewarns the audience of what they are about to encounter - a film that will unabashedly and unapologetically defy conventional filmic standards and force the audience into unfamiliar cinematic territory. 

The depiction of black sexuality and in particular, of black female characters, is a major theme of the film and is one area in which Peebles radically departs from Hollywood. In most classical Hollywood films, black characters are hardly present, if it all, and when they are, they are reduced to simplistic side roles that exemplify the “white man’s” perception of them. Males were generally shown as being unintelligent and only suitable for manual labor work servicing whites, such as gardening or being a butler. Females were also often represented in this manner, along with the archetype of the “Mammy” - a larger, older black woman who tends to be ill-mannered and spends her days taking care of white homes and families. These characters do not possess any real agency or desire to escape from their situations, or really to do anything different with their lives at all, and little to nothing is revealed about their backgrounds, motivations, and personalities. The topics of African-American love, relationships, and sexuality go unaddressed and seem to not even exist in the worlds of these films. The audience is generally never allowed inside their heads or given any insight to their thoughts and emotions, virtually dehumanizing them and making it seem that the only beneficial qualities they possess is their willingness to submit to and serve whites.  

Peebles completely destroys this notion in Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Here, the African-American characters are the protagonists and events are seen from their perspective, presenting a scathing condemnation of what they viewed as a racist and corrupt white America, particularly among the ranks of law enforcement. Sweetback does not sit idly by and let himself be controlled and manipulated by whites, but rather defiantly rebels against them and attempts to reclaim and create his own fate. His fight against oppression starts with his killing of two white police officers, and from then on his all of his actions work to confront America’s racial problems. His character is highly romanticized and is essentially a hero and redeemer for the black community, showing them that resistance against white subordination is possible and even directly helping other blacks, such as Mu-Mu, to escape the clutches of “the man.” 

Sweetback is also shown as being a desirable and sexually talented man, as first evidenced in the film’s opening sequence where he is seen being fawned over and fed by several African-American women, and then convinced by one woman to have sex with her. Throughout the film, women ask him for sex and comment on his amazing sexual prowess and large penis, reversing traditional Hollywood’s portrayal of black men as rapists and sexual degenerates. The black female characters in Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song are heavily sexualized as well, dressed in revealing attire, if anything at all, and engaging in sexual activities as they wish. This presents the concept of a strong black sexual identity being necessary for the black community to survive and flourish, and depicts some of the types of relationships and sexual interactions blacks experienced with each other. 

Poseidon Movie Review

Movie review on Wolfgang Peterson's Poseidon (2006), written by Amy Lauren Zoons as a sophomore in high school and published in Florida Today newspaper.