Brigitte Bardot Passes Away at 91: Her 10 Greatest Films

      Brigitte Bardot has passed away at the age of 91. Here are 10 films featuring Brigitte Bardot to celebrate her remarkable contributions to cinema.

      Bardot symbolized a transforming France and world: Throughout her 91 years, she was a movie star, singer, animal rights advocate, and an icon for both the political left and right.

      Her career was pivotal in bringing the French New Wave film movement to an international audience, introducing a fresh sense of freedom, openness, and beauty to global cinema.

      Here are ten of her finest films.

      And God Created Woman (1956)

      This French film catapulted Brigitte Bardot to global fame.

      Directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, it was initially released in France as Et Dieu… créa la femme, featuring an 18-year-old Juliette (Bardot) who attracts attention all around Saint-Tropez. Her supposed hedonism includes — brace yourselves! — dancing barefoot.

      It became the highest-grossing foreign film in the United States, amassing $4 million.

      In 1999, director Peter Bogdanovich acknowledged the film's role in “breaking French cinema out of us art houses and into the mainstream,” notably paving the way for the French New Wave.

      Babette Goes to War (1959)

      By 1958, Bardot was the highest-paid actress in France, with nothing to prove.

      Babette Goes to War (Babette s’en va-t-en guerre) stood out for showcasing her comedic talent, and for being the first major film in which she didn’t appear naked.

      Set in 1940 and beautifully filmed in French CinemaScope, it tells of a young Frenchwoman unwittingly caught up in the efforts to prevent Germany's invasion of England.

      The Truth (1960)

      The Truth — or La Verité — is much darker than Bardot's previous films.

      Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, it narrates the story of Dominique (Bardot), who faces trial after surviving a murder-suicide pact that ends in her lover’s death. Dominique’s tale unfolds through flashbacks during the trial.

      The film gained notoriety for the distress Bardot reportedly experienced during its production, prompting the New York Times to remark that “probably no film in recent years, at least in France, has been subjected to so much advanced attention.”

      The Los Angeles Times hailed it as “an amazing picture, a tour de force from all involved,” remarking that it is “at once immoral, amoral, and strangely moral.”

      This became the highest-grossing film of Bardot’s career and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

      A Very Private Affair (1962)

      This film, directed by Louis Malle — also known as Vie privée — reflects Bardot’s own battles.

      It tells the story of a glamorous icon named Jill (Bardot) who attracts intense media scrutiny while grappling with the pressures of fame. It offers a dark exploration of the difficulties stars face in maintaining privacy in their love lives.

      It's worth watching just to see Bardot alongside Marcello Mastroianni.

      Contempt (1963)

      Considered the best film on this list, and one of the greatest films ever made, if you have time for only one of Brigitte Bardot's movies, make it this one.

      This French New Wave classic, known as Le Mépris, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, features Bardot as Camille, the disenchanted wife of Paul, a screenwriter hired by Fritz Lang (playing himself) to adapt The Odyssey.

      Arrogant American producer Jerry Prokosch (played by Jack Palance) invites Paul and Camille to his home but only has space for one in his car. Camille takes the ride, instigating a spiral of jealousy and despair.

      The film takes viewers on a journey to stunning Capri, Italy. Unfortunately, the story does not conclude happily in that idyllic setting.

      The Ravishing Idiot (1964)

      Another film worth a watch for its intriguing lead pairing, this Cold War comedy, also known as Une ravissante idiote, sees Bardot alongside Psycho star Anthony Perkins.

      Perkins portrays a Soviet spy who relies on his new partner, Bardot’s Penelope Lightfeather, as they traverse Europe, trying to outsmart counterintelligence agents.

      To highlight Bardot's popularity during this period, it was also released in the U.S. as Agent 38-24-36.

      Viva Maria (1965)

      Bardot collaborated with director Louis Malle again in this distinctly '60s film that features her alongside Jean Moreau. They portray two women, both named Maria, who become early 20th-century revolutionaries and folk heroes.

      At the time, it was viewed as somewhat subversive, reflecting the student protests of the era.

      Turner Classic Movies noted that Malle sought to challenge buddy film conventions by featuring female