Brigitte Bardot: A Complex Legacy of Cinema and Controversy
Brigitte Bardot, who has died at the age of 91, swept away cinema's staid 1950s portrayal of women - coming to personify a new age of sexual liberation. On screen, she was a French cocktail of kittenish charm and continental sensuality. One publication called her 'the princess of pout and the countess of come hither', but it was an image she grew to loathe. Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress. Eventually, she abandoned her career to campaign for animal welfare.
Years later, her reputation was damaged when she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred. Her son also sued her for emotional damage after she said she would have preferred to 'give birth to a little dog'. It was a scar on the memory of an icon, who - in her prime - put the bikini, female desire, and French cinema on the map.
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris on 28 September 1934. Raised in a wealthy Catholic family, her early life was marked by strict parental control. At the age of 15, she found life claustrophobic and sought a escape through modeling, quickly rising to fame after appearing on the cover of Elle magazine.
Under the mentorship of her first husband, director Roger Vadim, Bardot transitioned from design roles into acting. She became known for her performances in films like 'And God Created Woman', which caused uproar in the United States. Bardot’s character epitomized a pursuit of sexual freedom, marking a departure from the more conservative cinematic narratives of the time.
Activism and Controversy
After nearly 50 films, Bardot announced her retirement from acting in 1973, dedicating her life to animal rights activism. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and raised funds for various causes. However, her later years were marred by controversy due to her inflammatory comments on race and immigration, leading to multiple legal battles.
A Troubled Legacy
Bardot's complex legacy reflects both the liberation she represented in her youth and the contentious opinions she espoused later. Survived by her fourth husband, her life story is a multifaceted exploration of celebrity, activism, and the repercussions of public persona.
