French "new wave" director Roger Vadim expertly showcased his then-wife, the youthful Brigitte Bardot in The Night Heaven Fell, and he did a fantastic job. I went into this movie not knowing what to expect, and was delighted to discover that Vadim had made an epic, hard-hitting and moving melodrama somewhat along the lines of what Douglas Sirk might have made if unbound from the restrictions of the U.S. production codes.
I watched the DVD release, and was somewhat surprised to find it filmed in glorious Eastmancolor and wide-screen. The majestic scenery and authentic locales presented within remain spectacular and awe-inspiring even today. The cinematography is lush and beautiful, and the action moves the film along at a brisk pace which never becomes tedious. Fabulous art direction adds to the enjoyment, and the film is like a trip to the exotic, mysterious, and thrilling Spain in the 1950's.
Briefly, the plot has young Brigitte Bardot just out of the convent, going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle. Stephen Boyd is the town "stud," as the movie calls him, who has a vendetta against the Uncle for violating his sister, driving her to suicide. Handsome Boyd plays both Bardot and her Aunt (Alida Valli) off one-another, until the melodramatic situation escalates into violence.
The actors all give solid performances, especially old pro Alida Valli, as the respectable Aunt who conceals her passions beneath a steely exterior. Valli brings an aura of experience and tragedy to a role that breaks many of the conventions usually associated with the roles given to more mature actresses. She looks fantastic, and her subtle transformation caused by her young niece is remarkable.
Bardot also is in fine form, looking stunningly beautiful of course, but also displaying a lot of both charm and unexpected strength. She has a number of scenes with two animals, a mule and a piglet, which are poignant and real.And it's fascinating to watch her interplay with these creatures, considering Bardot's famous and long-standing advocacy for animal rights. Plus, she must have been horrified -- if she ever actually watched the film -- to see a dead bull dragged through the Spanish streets in a scene in which she does not appear. Nevertheless, Bardot's performance here gives me a new respect for her talents, which were so much more than superficial. Another memorable scene has Bardot beating off the unwanted attentions of a lecherous man attempting to force himself on her. The fact that this guy had no idea of who he was tangling with is obvious in Bardot's reaction and its aftermath.
And American Stephen Boyd is surprisingly convincing as a Spaniard, and the dubbed voice used suits him perfectly and the lip sync matches just fine. He's trim, fit and great in the action sequences, including a scene at the start when he catches a ride on the sedan taking Bardot to her new residence. It's edge-of-your-seat stuff, and a great way to start the film! Though tame by today's standards, American audiences back in the 1950s were certainly shocked by the film's matter-of-fact approach to sexuality. While the film looks like an expert Hollywood production, the adult themes and brief nudity clearly illustrate how much more liberal European film makers were allowed to be.
The Night Heaven Fell clearly was made for adults, and Vadim and his crew succeeded in making one of the most memorable, entertaining and provocative films to come out of Europe at that time. And for today's fans of directors like John Ford or the aforementioned Douglas Sirk -- there's plenty here to enjoy.
I watched the DVD release, and was somewhat surprised to find it filmed in glorious Eastmancolor and wide-screen. The majestic scenery and authentic locales presented within remain spectacular and awe-inspiring even today. The cinematography is lush and beautiful, and the action moves the film along at a brisk pace which never becomes tedious. Fabulous art direction adds to the enjoyment, and the film is like a trip to the exotic, mysterious, and thrilling Spain in the 1950's.
Briefly, the plot has young Brigitte Bardot just out of the convent, going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle. Stephen Boyd is the town "stud," as the movie calls him, who has a vendetta against the Uncle for violating his sister, driving her to suicide. Handsome Boyd plays both Bardot and her Aunt (Alida Valli) off one-another, until the melodramatic situation escalates into violence.
The actors all give solid performances, especially old pro Alida Valli, as the respectable Aunt who conceals her passions beneath a steely exterior. Valli brings an aura of experience and tragedy to a role that breaks many of the conventions usually associated with the roles given to more mature actresses. She looks fantastic, and her subtle transformation caused by her young niece is remarkable.
Bardot also is in fine form, looking stunningly beautiful of course, but also displaying a lot of both charm and unexpected strength. She has a number of scenes with two animals, a mule and a piglet, which are poignant and real.And it's fascinating to watch her interplay with these creatures, considering Bardot's famous and long-standing advocacy for animal rights. Plus, she must have been horrified -- if she ever actually watched the film -- to see a dead bull dragged through the Spanish streets in a scene in which she does not appear. Nevertheless, Bardot's performance here gives me a new respect for her talents, which were so much more than superficial. Another memorable scene has Bardot beating off the unwanted attentions of a lecherous man attempting to force himself on her. The fact that this guy had no idea of who he was tangling with is obvious in Bardot's reaction and its aftermath.
And American Stephen Boyd is surprisingly convincing as a Spaniard, and the dubbed voice used suits him perfectly and the lip sync matches just fine. He's trim, fit and great in the action sequences, including a scene at the start when he catches a ride on the sedan taking Bardot to her new residence. It's edge-of-your-seat stuff, and a great way to start the film! Though tame by today's standards, American audiences back in the 1950s were certainly shocked by the film's matter-of-fact approach to sexuality. While the film looks like an expert Hollywood production, the adult themes and brief nudity clearly illustrate how much more liberal European film makers were allowed to be.
The Night Heaven Fell clearly was made for adults, and Vadim and his crew succeeded in making one of the most memorable, entertaining and provocative films to come out of Europe at that time. And for today's fans of directors like John Ford or the aforementioned Douglas Sirk -- there's plenty here to enjoy.