VIVA MARIA
France, Italy, 1965, 120 minutes, Colour.
Jeanne Moreau, Brigitte Bardot, George Hamilton, Claudio Brook.
Directed by Louis Malle.
Viva Maria could be described as a spectacular romp. It is a star vehicle for Brigitte Bardot Jeanne Moreau. It was directed by Louis Malle. Malle had collaborated with Moreau for several films including A Lift to the Scaffold, Les Amants, Le Feu Follet.
The two actresses appear as circus performers, Bardot being a refugee from Ireland. There are scenes of performances, especially with Bardot inventing striptease. However, they become involved in revolutions, going to active service, the film becoming something of ahe spaghetti western. Alain Delon retired from the film and was replaced by George Hamilton. The film has strong credentials in its writing, photography, editing.
1. How good an entertainment? The colour, spectacle, noise? The vivacity of the stars? Liveliness of the themes?
2. The use of Panavision, colour, locations, atmosphere of verve and vitality? How French?
3. A good comedy, the atmosphere of parody, skits, circus? details as the mother slapping the boy, the use of circus routines for the battles etcr? Humorous situations and the lights tone for the serious themes?
4. The importance of the prologue: the scenes in Ireland, England, Gibraltar, the background of the Irish and revolution?
5. Irish Maria: explanation of her background, her skill in explosives, the tomboy atmosphere? How well-drawn character or a caricature? Her involvement with the circus, watching the suicide, involvement in the striptease, involvement in Mexico? Skill with guns? Her adventures? Capture and escape? Final triumph? What did Maria stand for?
6. French Maria: her role in the circus, the act, her love for Flores, her swearing to avenge him, her role in the revolution? Her relationship to Maria? Involvement in adventures, capture, escape? What did she symbolize? Should she have been better drawn as a character? What did the two Marias stand for in terms of the title, the symbol for revolution, for victory?
7. How convincing was Flores as a revolutionary leader? The quality of his appearances? Misfortunes, torture, Maria’s love for him, impact of his death? The moving force behind the revolution?
8. How important was the revolutionary theme? The film in favor of revolution? Portrayal of revolution and battles, the clash of social classes? The parody of serious revolution films? Yet the intensity and reality behind the parody? Clashes with authority?
9. The presentation of authorities’ figures, the need for revolution: the owners and their arrogance, antagonism towards Flores, imprisonment of the circus and the two Marias? The role of the governors and their incompetence? The satire on church authorities and the torturing sequences? The comment made on these bourgeois authority figures?
10. Has sympathetic were the revolutionaries, the peasants, the circus people as ordinary people?
11. How important was the finale? How impressive in the filming of the revolution? The intertwining of circus comedy and acrobatic tricks? The finale with the friar and they had in his hands?
Help recruit for the whole atmosphere of comedy and revolution?
12. Although the film was meant to be entertaining, how serious the points through comedy and parody?
