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This 1954 film was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz who sure does know how to make movies. In one of the very first scenes, Ava Gardner is dancing in a nightclub in Spain. We know she’s great even though the camera isn’t on her for one minute. All we do is hear the music and watch the faces of the people watching her. By the time we do see her, she’s already in her dressing room. She’s absolutely gorgeous and lights up every scene she’s in. We see her character’s rise to movie stardom and share the unfulfilled life she leads. And then, just when we think she’s finally found happiness, tragedy strikes. It’s a modern day classic drama with a story that pulled me right in.
Humphrey Bogart plays a movie director who befriends this “barefoot Contessa”, nicknamed that because she was once so poor that she didn’t have shoes. She prefers going barefoot and this theme is emphasized all the time, showing her barefoot whenever possible. Rossano Brazzi, who doesn’t appear till late in the film, is cast as the true romance in her life. All of these actors do a good job, but I was particularly impressed with the performance of Edmund O’Brien, cast as a public relations man for a studio executive. It’s a small part but I just kept thinking how good he was. Later I discovered that he won an Academy Award for this role.
It’s the screenplay that moves the action. It never lagged and I sat there with my eyes glued to the screen wondering what would happen next. Considering that this is basically just a love story, that’s saying a lot. I totally enjoyed the viewing experience. It’s too bad though, that there were no features included on the DVD. It would have been nice to have a little more background. “The Barefoot Contessa” gets a high recommendation from me just because I enjoyed it so much.
Yes, this is a much more mature movie than most are used to these days and the story takes a bit longer to gain momentum.
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The characters actually have depth and they can act! How refreshing. While watching I found myself just intrigued with Ava Gardner and think she is perhaps one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the earth. The dialogue is simply deliciously revealing as the characters speak from their hearts.
“There’s more to talking than just words…”
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Ava plays the Barefoot Contessa, Maria Vargas who is discovered in Madrid. I expected there to be much more dancing in this movie, being it was about a dancer. However, there is just really one scene of her dancing out in the open with her gypsy friends where she sees the man she falls madly in love with. He is a nobleman and can provide everything for her. She sees him as the man who has seen more in her than any man ever has before.
The scenes where Ava and Bogart converse are the most meaningful. Bogart has a way of bringing out Maria’s natural curiosity. When anyone tells her “no” she says “yes.” She is determined to be owned by no one and yet, everyone seems to want to own her. She fears being exposed and unprotected. Emotionally, she is still a child in many ways and believes in fairy tales. The harsh realities of loving someone and not receiving it in return seem foreign to her.
The first scene is in a graveyard and from here, the scenes flash back to the past in a continuous fashion throughout with narration. Each part of the story is revealed at just the right moment.
The rest of the movie seems to deal more with her career and love interests. The theme of Cinderella and “shoes” plays out well and is very significant in many ways. I thought that even though it wasn’t really mentioned, when Maria says she didn’t forget her shoes in one scene and Bogart picks them up for her, this symbolizes her complete trust in him. Watch for the significance of the shoes in one of the last scenes as well.
The prince in this story loves Cinderella, there is just something he can never give her. While Maria says she needs someone to love her and make her feel safe, she wants the entire “Prince” package. What she finds is someone who doesn’t love her enough at first, to tell her he can’t make her completely happy.
Che Sara, Sara
~The Rebecca Review