Manina, la fille sans voiles

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!

On the face of it an unremarkable film concerning a young man's search for treasure with much murky underwater cinematography. However the young man is Jean-Francois Calve who is convincing and handsome enough to go on to considerable success in many albeit minor French films and the older guy looking to outwit him is played by Howard Vernon. Here, the much loved Vernon, is fine as he would be in many of his supporting roles including Wages of Fear (1953) but it is his work with Jess Franco for which he is probably best known and the poor man's quality of output tended to drift downward with that of his master, helped no doubt with a tipple or two. The main reason though for watching this is for the early cinema appearance of Brigitte Bardot, then seventeen. And even though the youngster does well enough it is probably the bikini wearing aspect that really caught the attention. Apparently one of the very first times a bikini would be seen on the screen and sufficiently scandalous, apparently, for the British censors to cut the film by almost half an hour, which must be all of poor Brigitte's screen time. As I say, there is nothing very special about the film apart from its participants and the place in history of an article of female swimwear but it is jolly enough and probably what used to be referred to as suitable Sunday afternoon fare, except for those 29 minutes, of course.

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.

Admittedly, Miss Bardot had not yet honed her acting skills, but what an enchanting creature, even at this young age (her 2nd film, I believe). Her dancing work as a teenager must have helped her incredible physique - perfectly proportioned with a nice voice, screen presence and youthful spirit. She would develop over the years (talent), but his film has an appropriate soundtrack and beautiful b/w cinematography.

A 5 out of 10. Best performance = Bardot. Beautiful locale off island with nice forest setting hidden from a rocky beach (what a great place to film).

Brigitte Bardot - young - fresh - sweet - and mostly in bikinis!

Oh yes, there was a story line too - she the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, and two guys who showed up for the summer. It was hardly the story that made BB famous, but the intense sensuality she radiated in this black-and-white movie, combined with a dear disposition - a winning combination that she did not quite reach again in all her later flicks.

A great gal!