The image of a nude Brigitte Bardot stretched out on her stomach, as she appeared at the very beginning of "And God Created Woman," used to create posters that sold by the thousands and helped to popularize her initials, "B.B."

The scandal she provoked launched the film and made it an unprecedented success… Her image embodied a unique combination of perversity and innocence, a mix she displayed in her powerful portrayal of the fascinating character in the film—a young woman, proud of her body, who ultimately rejects morality… However, this opposition to conventional behavior was more a declaration of intent than of reality… The film was actually a morality tale: the liaison of the heroine and her brother-in-law was severely criticized, and conjugal love triumphed over the other more sordid union in the end…

The controversy of "An God Created Woman" lay not so much in the actual events, but in the female character's impudence… And even if Vadim's message has become dated, it nonetheless documents a difficult period of time and the frustration that accompanied a living, breathing, sexual fantasy, an object of desire, a symbol of sexual liberty… Sex was no longer voyeurism, as it was in George Lacombe's "The Light Across the Street," (La Lumière d'en face) but instead became a reality which called for one's attention…

Seen in this way, it is incontestable that "B.B." and Vadim contributed to the liberation of sexual mores, almost presaging the Sexual Revolution

AND GOD CREATED WOMAN made quite a stir when it was released in America in the 1950s. For its time, it was very sexy and shocking. Unfortunately, the film does not age well--and today is rather tedious and forgettable. My how times have changed.

This film became famous for two reasons--and they're right above Bardot's bellybutton. She plays a bit of a bimbo and this movie is extremely sensual--for that it earns some points. But the script?! Yech!! The plot is rather silly and contrived at times, but completely gives way to silliness at the end. The end is so dumb and ridiculous that it strains my brain to think how they could have created such a stupid ending. My recommendation is to watch this more for curiosity sake than because it is a good film or because you are such a French film buff you MUST see it. FYI--the sequel (made with Rebecca DeMornay) is even stupider. While the plots have SOME similarities, they are quite different.

I had never seen his film. Back in the sixties all the guys talked about Brigitte Bardot. Of course, the chances of seeing a film like this in our local theater were about nil. It's a decent movie in that we see why she was such a cinema presence. Her pouting mouth and bohemian being would be attractive to anyone in the male population. The story is certainly one that has been told many times. She is kept out of the orphanage by marrying a man who is still a child. Her reputation precedes her and he must endure the taunts of the local men, including one on his wedding day which gets him into a fight he can't possibly win. From then on her promiscuity and attraction to high testosterone carries forward. If a man fawns on her, he can forget it. Still, the guy really loves her and that is never in doubt. As this film ends, we know that the story will continue, bumps in the road.