Brigitte Bardot emerged in the mid-1950s as a sex symbol and appeared in a long line of films of varying quality, notes Jannike Åhlund, former reviewer in "Filmkrönikan" and artistic director of the Gothenburg Film Festival.
Jannike Åhlund highlights "Contempt," directed by Jean-Luc Godard, as one of her best films. But out of a total of around 50 films, not many were good, she thinks.
"She wasn't a bad actress. She just got into a lot of bad situations because she was a little too pretty for her own good," Jannike Åhlund tells TT.
But the thing was, it didn't matter how bad her movies were. Because she was so damn good-looking, they were a hit anyway.
Changed the view of women
Pia Lundberg, artistic director of the Gothenburg Film Festival, highlights that Brigitte Bardot changed the view of women.
"She changed the image of female freedom and independence on film, and that was radical at a time when female sexuality was often moralized."
Bardot also stood for something new, young and modern, Lundberg believes.
"She signaled youth, rebellion, physicality, and nonchalance in the face of bourgeois norms. That's what made her a global icon quite quickly. She captured a zeitgeist."
Debated
It has been debated whether Brigitte Bardot's roles should be interpreted as her playing independent, strong women or just being a sex symbol.
"On the one hand, she represented that feminine freedom and independence. On the other hand, she became very much a 'sex kitten,'" Lundberg says.
"It feels a little sad to say it on the day she died, but it will be debated whether she did women a favor in the long run."
