Manina, a Moça Sem Véu

Considering that this 1952 Rom-Com/Adventure tale was, indeed, titled - "Manina: The Girl in the Bikini" - I was certainly expecting the Manina character to be the most prominent factor in its plot-line.

But, oddly enough, about 80% of this picture's contrived story-line actually had nothing to do with her, at all.

Like, for instance - It took approximately 40 minutes of other stuff to take place in the story before the darling, young Manina was finally introduced into the action.

And, speaking about the 17-year-old Brigitte Bardot, as the title character - Yes. She sure was quite appealing to behold. - But, with that said - It was certainly hard for me to imagine that in 4 years time this young woman would, indeed, be catapulted into super-stardom by becoming one of cinema's most desirable sex-symbols of all (next only to Marilyn Monroe).

All-in-all - This Parisian production was, pretty much, a disappointing dud, from start to finish.

The editing is overly brusque generally, and the sequencing, specifically, is pretty dubious in some instances. The sound design is quite imbalanced, to the point that some moments are very suddenly grating on one's ears, and almost painful. In some measure it's comforting to know that just as American pictures of the 1950s - of any genre - were often downright plagued by major ham-handedness and substantial artificiality, French cinema was not uniquely free of these traits. Indeed, no small amount of the writing, acting, and direction all serve up instances of definite kitsch, unseemly overacting, and contrivances that are almost haphazard, nearly from the very start, not to mention songs that are included mostly just to pad out the length. Save for the primary language being spoken (and, you know, a certain clause of the Hays Code) this could just as easily be mistaken for a product of Hollywood. In that regard I speak as well to a scene of police brutality that's supposed to be played for laughs, but boy howdy, it has not aged well. All this is to say nothing of somewhat mild, almost indifferent treatment of the plot and its progression for a fair bit of the length, or very poor elucidation of the passage of time; we're intended to believe that five years have passed between scenes, with nothing to meaningfully indicate the turning of the calendar except for "blink and you miss it" throwaway dialogue and the fact that the uncredited child actor who initially portrays the title character is suddenly replaced by a young Brigitte Bardot.

Moreover, there's something very sketchy about the fact that the script ages Manina to 18 so as to get around the most egregious questions of indecency, or what is or is not appropriate (though certainly not all of them, especially as the protagonist is stated to be 7 years older), while Bardot herself was only 17 when the film was released in 1952. In fairness, I didn't exactly expect much to begin with from a movie called 'Manina, la fille sans voiles,' or 'The girl in the bikini.' Nevertheless, as one tries to set all these matters aside and consider the picture on its own merits, it's not half bad. The story is nothing remarkable, but it's passable, and modestly engaging. I appreciate Michel Rocca's cinematography, even if it's sometimes rough around the edges; the filming locations are lovely. While I think the songs are unnecessarily tacked on, they're pleasant in and of themselves, and the cast are fine. Broadly speaking this is well made, if less than revelatory. And hey, sometimes that's all a picture needs to be; there's no rule that says every title has to change one's life. Yes, there are aspects of this that are questionable, and the layman can discern ready room for improvement, but I can't say this isn't duly entertaining on some level. Even if you're a huge fan of someone involved I don't think this is anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but it's something light that doesn't require significant investment as a viewer, and suitable for a lazy afternoon. Keep your expectations low and mind the faults, but 'Manina, la fille sans voiles' is softly enjoyable if you come across it, and good enough as it is.

Yes, 18 year old Brigitte Bardot in her bikini really makes this film live on !

However, the most lasting part of the 'Manina'-shooting is a photo. It shows Brigitte naked on her belly, lying on a beach. Torso on the sand, legs in the water. Every BB-addict surely knows it, because it is the only shot showing young Bardot naked (nudity shots from the fifties are very rare anyway). Apart from the nudity this photo also is famous for its magnificent composition. BB's hooked right leg makes the picture alive, while the breaking waves make it move.

Did you know Brigitte's wealthy father was outraged after seeing 'Manina'? He sued the film company for showing his daughter indecently (and lost the case).

Another side of 'Manina': Brigitte is still very young, and her acting is downright terrible. Later on future husband Roger Vadim teaches Brigitte, that nudity alone is not enough to make it in the movies. So Brigitte progresses, reaching her peak in the second half of the fifties. Then she is at her best while playing light comedies.

As I said, back in 1952 BB's acting does not live up to the dream she tries to create. This bad acting gives 'Manina' a charm of its own, I think, because we know now what came afterwards.

Manina may have been sold as a Bardot film but she is merely the love interest of lead Jean-Francois Calve, and she does not make an appearance until 40 minutes into the film. Calve gives an interesting, unique, and slightly mannered performance, yet does hold your attention when he is on-screen. Bardot is lovely to look at but the sections where she is supposed to be singing are poorly executed. There are a couple bits of nice dialogue, but overall most of the film isn't really all that engaging. The final section does however pick up and captivates, but by then it's a matter of a too little too late. If you're a Bardot or Calve fan than you will want to check Manina out, but for everyone else maybe not.

Note: The DVD has significant sound issues at about the 25 minute marks--sounding almost like someone crunching potato chips next to a microphone! Why this occurred and why it was allowed to remain like this on the DVD is a puzzler.

The story involves a college student following a possible treasure. It seems that years earlier he'd actually gotten a clue as to the treasure but only connected the clue to treasure recently. Once at the island where the treasure might lie, the young man finds the important treasure--sexy Brigitte!

If Brigitte Bardot had not been in this film, I doubt if it would have ever made it to DVD. It's not it's a bad film--it just isn't all that good a film. Plus, it is a bit dull up until the very good ending. However, a young Bardot DOES star in the film and, as the title character, she runs around in a bikini--and is quite stunning. But she really is NOT the star of the film--just a gorgeous woman showing off her beautiful figure. But, this is the only reason anyone would want to see this listless tale...just d to ogle Bardot and to see her in one of her earliest roles. As for me, however, the beautiful Bardot was a tad unsettling...as I have two daughters the same age she was in the film! Yikes!