Customer Reviews

Bardot: An Intimate Portrait

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This book is about one of my heroes, Brigitte Bardot. It isn't the best written book but it is interesting. It has a lot of interviews with people who were close to Brigitte at different times in her life. It goes from the beginning of her life when as a young teenager encouraged by her mother she started down the road to becoming an international film star and sex symbol. This was before people had much consciousness about the objectification of women and Brigitte was so beautiful and sensual that she was exploited to the maximum degree. She has been hounded by fans and photographers all of her life but she has remained gentle and good-natured. She has had several failed marriages and suicide attempts and a life of drama, drama, drama. Yes, all that is true, but that is not why I enjoyed this book nor is it why I admire this incredible person. This book also tells about her involvement in and dedication to Animal Rights activisim. She has tirelessly supported and protected the humane treatment of animals around the world and particularly in her home country of France. She has brought about huge changes in the way animals are treated in France and has raised consciousness throughout the world. Her foundation fights animal abuse worldwide. Perhaps because of her experiences as a "sex kitten" she came to understand the cruel and degrading way that human beings can treat other living beings as objects for their use. This book is the only one I could find that tells her story so I enjoyed it, but I don't think it does justice to this enigmatic, courageous and beautiful soul. Her story is more complex than this book indicates, but if you are interested in a pioneer in the Animal Rights movement or if you just love BiBi it is worth the read.

"Bardot: An Intimate Portrait" is both a good and bad title -- on one hand, Jeffrey Robinson lets us in on lots of love life info. On the other, he seems uninterested in Brigitte Bardot as a person, and more as an icon. As the book goes on, it becomes obvious that Robinson cares more about worshiping Bardot than telling the world about her.

Brigitte Bardot was born into a strict middle-class family, who considered actors "gypsies" and expected her to be a dancer. But her life changed when she met Roger Vadim, an energetic young film director who made her his muse, and married her as a teenager. Soon "B.B." was a legend for her free-lovin' movies and sultry image.

But B.B. wasn't as crazy about movies as the movies were crazy about her. While going through a succession of lovers and husbands that would make J.Lo proud, she quit the movies and devoted herself to animal care -- sometimes at the expense of the humans around her -- and living an ultra-reclusive life.

Robinson does a passable job of telling Bardot's life story, from her life as a feted star to her work as an animal rights activist. That stuff is interesting. But he pads it out with stories about how amazing, wonderful and exquisite she is -- barely a page goes by without a quotation burbling about how extraordinary she is.

The problem is, the way he tells it, she is not an exceptional person -- she comes across as a bit dizzy, rather bland, and alternately obnoxious and sweet. Oh yeah, and obsessed with lawsuits. Not a single quote of hers is memorable, and only a few of her good deeds are. It's difficult to take Robinson's adoration seriously when he says in the epilogue that she is better than perfect, she's "unique." Not the way he tells it.

Were she not an exceptional beauty, it's doubtful anyone in this book have been so quick to talk about how glorious she is. As a person, she comes across as very, very ordinary. It certainly doesn't help that Robinson devotes most of the book to A) telling us how saintly Bardot is, B) dismissing false rumors, and C) excusing all her bad behavior. All people who are less than 100% complimentary toward Bardot are dismissed as "nasty," such as great Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.

Far from being nasty, Mastroianni's candor is refreshing in a book full of rosy worship. In essence, only die-hard fans of Brigitte Bardot will be able to stomach all this praise... which appears to center on Bardot's beauty, and nothing more.

Brigette Bardot has a very amazing and interesting life story. I really enjoyed reading this and found it very inspiriting. She is very raw in her words and emotion and passionate about her love for animals. She was a free sprirt and really changed to way alot of people thought. She inspired pop culture and rock n' roll and the entire sexual revolution!!! I hope her own bio "initials B.B." will be released in English format someday. I also enjoyed Tony Crawleys book "The Films of B.B.". She was the French Marilyn Monroe!

In her day was more poplaur than Marilyn, Liz, Jayne, who the hell cares.
For me the obession with BB started as a young peasent girl at 14. My life was and still so bloody boring. Reading about movies stars made life seem more fun.
French people are the country France fasciantes me. Brigite was from a rich boring over bearing family. Rogar Vandim came into her life when she need love and extoic life. Brigitte even siad that she became a actress just to be near Vandim. Cute. She never like makeing movies. It was just a way of making money. Bardot was a star like the Beatles. Its intesting because she got have the life that I will never have. Like dating a lot of men. and Traveling the globe. Her movies are cute and very sexy. Comptemt is a turn on for me.
In a movie book called the World of movies, it states"Poor Brigitte famous for evey espect of her life, expected her acting." I cant remeber the rest. But she was hounded by the press.
Sadley for me Brigitte turned into a majour loser, Who the the hell cares about proxy animal. Shes wasted her life just for a few baby seal. I thought was cute but..
Maybe if she died yound she would've become a myth. Nows shes just an old cow, that is way to over the top with the animal crap. It makes me angry that she would waste her time on the National Front. I am half black so should I wast my time reading about her. Am I unloyal to my race for reading a book about and insane formar actress? Bardot is in a way like Brando, both were sexy and a good image. Sadley they ending up freaks.
Its best to remember people just the way their where, yes Bardot I am talking about. You'll never see me wasting like over proxy animals