The 10 greatest Brigitte Bardot movies
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“Films have never shown the kind of relationship that can exist between two women.” – Brigitte Bardot
French actor and singer Brigitte Bardot hadn’t acted in nearly 50 years before she passed away, but was still revered as one of the most unstoppably iconic faces of the acting world. Every corner of the current cinematic landscape has been inspired by her work.
Famous for her sex symbol status in the 1950s and ‘60s, Bardot starred in critically acclaimed films like Contempt and The Truth. She would defy expectations with every performance, using her sexuality not just for titillation but for the pursuit of unshackling feminism.
In a 1959 essay, Simone de Beauvoir declared Bardot as the first and most liberated woman of post-war France. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1985 but refused to accept it.
While speaking about legends such as Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich, who died alone, Bardot said: “The majority of great actresses met tragic ends. When I said goodbye to this job, to this life of opulence and glitter, images and adoration, the quest to be desired, I was saving my life.”
Bardot is also an ardent animal activist, “It is a battle. A fight against cruelty, stupidity, and the indifference of humans. It’s animals against man, a furious fight meant to better the conditions of animals in the world, to open people’s eyes, to fight their selfishness, and to protect the weakest from the most destructive forces.”
In recent years, her politics began to separate her from her once liberal standing. She displayed far-right attitudes toward much of the changing world and seemed to become more keenly aligned with uncomfortable viewpoints as time and society changed.
While politically polarising, Bardot’s cinematic career is hard to argue with. Across the decades, she created a confident sense of self that seemed to not only seep into her work but also embolden a generation of female actors who found a new path to liberation. Without her work in the movies listed below, there’s a good chance the state of the entire cinematic landscape would look very different today.
Brigitte Bardot’s 10 best movies:
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