IMDb > Viva Maria! (1965)

Viva Maria! (1965) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   1,132 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Louis Malle
Writers:
Louis Malle (scenario and dialogue) and
Jean-Claude Carrière (scenario and dialogue)
Contact:
View company contact information for Viva Maria! on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 December 1965 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Western more
Tagline:
Viva Fun! Viva Can-Can! Viva Adventure! Viva Strip Tease! Viva Love! Viva Boom-Boom! more
Plot:
Somewhere in Middle America, 1907: Maria II, the daugther of an Irish terrorist, meets after the dead of her father Maria I... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Campy Delight more (22 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Brigitte Bardot ... Maria I
Jeanne Moreau ... Maria II
Paulette Dubost ... Mme Diogène
Claudio Brook ... The Great Rodolfo
Carlos López Moctezuma ... Rodríguez (as Carlos Lopez Moctezuma)
Poldo Bendandi ... Werther
Gregor von Rezzori ... Diogène (as Gregor Von Rezzori)
Francisco Reiguera ... Father Superior
Jonathan Eden ... Juanito Diogène
Roberto Pedret ... Pablo
José Ángel Espinosa 'Ferrusquilla' ... The Dictator of San Miguel (as José Ángel Espinoza)

George Hamilton ... Flores
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
Argentina:122 min | France:120 min | USA:119 min
Country:
France | Italy
Language:
English | Spanish | French | German
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
UK:A (1966) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16
Filming Locations:
Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Company:
Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This movie was the subject of one of two U.S. Supreme Court cases that led to the establishment of the MPAA Ratings Code. Upon the U.S. release of this "Viva Maria," the movie classification board of the city of Dallas, Texas, banned the movie within the city on the grounds that it was too racy. The American distributor sued - case title: "Interstate Circuit, Inc. v. City of Dallas (1968) - and, on 22 April 1968, won. In its ruling, the Supreme Court stated that censorship aimed at minors was okay, but censorship could not be applied to adults. On the same day, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in a second case, titled "Ginsberg v. New York (1968)," which established that 17 years of age constituted adulthood in cases of censorship. The case involved a New York City luncheonette owner named Sam Ginsberg who was caught selling a "Playboy" magazine to a 16 year old in a NYPD sting operation. The Supreme Court ruled that if the boy had been 17 years old, then Ginsberg would have done no wrong in selling him the magazine. By combining these two rulings, the Supreme Court established the precedent that adult-oriented movies were acceptable as long as "no one under 17 is admitted without parent or adult guardian." more
Goofs:
Continuity: The two Marias' underpants during the strip scene. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Every Little Step (2008) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful.
Campy Delight, 26 September 2009
10/10
Author: jayraskin1 from Orlando, United States

This film is a glorious mess. Just when you think you have it figured out, it changes into a different style. You want a sexy musical romantic comedy, here it is, you want a slapstidk spoof, here it is, you want an action-filled spaghetti western, you got it. It is probably closest altogether in tone to "Cat Ballou". Altogether its an inventive sexy farce that captures the light and cheerfulness of the mid 1960's.

Louis Malle seems to be channeling Richard Lester (the movie was made around the time of "Help" and "A Hard Day's Night") throwing gags right and left. He has the good sense to keep the camera on both Jeanne Moreau and Bridget Bardot for long stretches. Unfortunately, there is little chemistry between them, but they are both so sexy the viewer isn't sure who to focus on. The viewers' eyes dart from Bardot on the left to Moreau on the right and back again.

If one sees it as a competition between Bardot and Moreau, I would have to say that Bardot wins hands down. She seems to genuinely to love her role, while Moreau seems a little nervous about having to compete with Bardot on the screen. Still both are at the top of their game as actresses and are a treat.

The movie is unabashedly pro-revolutionary with classic Marxist ideology, something quite refreshing. The peasants are oppressed and noble, and the land-owners, army and Catholic priests are powerful and savage.

The movie is pleasure on every level. If you enjoyed "Bandidas" with Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek, you'll enjoy this film.

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