And God Created Woman [Criterion Collection]

Director: Roger Vadim Roger Vadim

Overview

"Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The French soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a demonstration of the restoration process that helped save the film, and the original theatrical trailer. Although there are few extras, the quality of the sound and picture on this release continue to show why Criterion is one of the best names in DVD."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/18/2000
UPC:	0037429147825
Original Release:	1956
Source:	CRITERION COLLECTION
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural]
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brigitte Bardot	Juliete Hardy
Curt Jurgens	Eric Carradine
Christian Marquand	Antoine Tardieu
Jean-Louis Trintignant	Michel Tardieu
Georges Poujouly	Christian
Jean Tissier	M. Vigier-Lefranc
Jeanne Marken	Mme. Morin
Marie Glory	Mme. Tardieu
Isabelle Corey	Lucienne
Jean Lefebvre	Rene
Philippe Grenier	Perri
Jacqueline Ventura	Mme. Vigier-Lefrance
Jany Mourney	Bonne Femme
Jacques Giron	Roger
Paul Faivre	M. Morin
Leopoldo Frances	Dancer
Jean Tuscano	Rene
Paul Misraki	Composer

Technical Credits

Roger Vadim

Raoul J. Levy

Roger Vadim	Director,Screenwriter
Raoul J. Levy	Screenwriter,Producer

Editorial Reviews

It's easy enough to say that ...And God Created Woman is much more important for its historical significance than for its actual quality as a film, and that's true to an extent. Woman's immense popularity, due to its willingness to directly embrace an exploration of sex as well as its willingness to show a degree of nudity that was remarkably daring for its day, demonstrated that audiences were willing to view subject matter that was considered too racy for the average moviegoer. This had both positive (freedom to explore, especially for the French filmmakers of the time) and negative (freedom to exploit) consequences, but its impact is undeniable. It's also true that Woman is not a great work of art, not with a story that is ultimately rather thin, some painful dialogue, and an attitude toward its characters and their sexuality that is unclear and inconsistent. Yet Woman is still fascinating, due in no small part to the presence of Brigitte Bardot in the role that made her an international star and sex symbol. She's not demonstrating great acting here, although her performance is actually good and much better than necessary, and her legendary mambo scene at the climax is nothing short of sensational. But acting aside, Bardot's presence, sensuality and persona simply enthrall; it is in some ways screen acting at its most elemental. Director Roger Vadim and cinematographer Armand Thirard have also given Woman a stunning visual appeal. Vadim's work always is more impressive for what it says by the way it looks than for what it says with its words, and this is especially true here. Woman has many flaws, including an ultimately reactionary take on sexual liberation, but it is on its own terms a fascinating movie.