Boulevard du Rhum

"Boulevard du Rhum" is the pleasant, entertaining story of Captain Cornelius (Lino Ventura), a rum-smuggler of the Caribbean Sea during the prohibition in the States. Along his many adventures, he falls in love with the silent-movie actress Linda Larue (Brigitte Bardot), just seeing her on the screen. Afterwards he meets her in flesh. A turbulent love-story follows...

Lino Ventura is a great actor in every role. Brigitte Bardot is gorgeous and tremendously sexy, as always. She can act, too, but that's not so relevant. Unfortunately, she has her eyebrows shaven, an awful fashion of the 60's, which partially affected BB's beauty along the second part of her career.

The photography is good and the sceneries of the Gulf of Mexico are magnificent, as expected. To show pieces of the silent movies interpreted by Linda Larue is by far the best idea in "Boulevard du Rhum". These funny silent flicks all share a delightful sexy aura, gently mocking the erotic taste of that epoch. You know, Linda Larue has always the role of a half-naked sort-of-queen of some savage tribe. And she is last-minute-rescued when, bounded in chains, she is going to be sacrificed to some ferocious beast...

However, it is to be pointed out that the film is definitely too long, and some episodes are just boring or clumsy, in particular the stuff concerned with the English Lord.

But in any case one must wait for the final scene. With the accompaniment of the song "Desir d'amour", it is incredibly romantic, evocative and poignant, without leaving off a touch of gentle sense of humour. This single scene might be enough to recommend to see "Boulevard du Rhum" (don't forget Brigitte's sex-appeal, though).

During the prohibition period, the three-mile zone on the American coast was a busy shipping area. This was the only place where alcohol smugglers could get their forbidden goods past the coast guard and to the thirsty souls of America. The powerful but somewhat stupid Captain Cornelius von Zeelinga (Lino VENTURA) also travels along this "rum boulevard" on his various ships. On his journeys between Cuba, Jamaica and America, the film fan repeatedly sees adventure films with the popular silent film diva Linda LaRue (Brigitte BARDOT), who knows how to enthuse her audiences, especially in skimpy leopard skin costumes. One day the captain actually gets to know the blonde beauty. This is accompanied by the most hair-raising events. Because the voluptuous diva is not only followed by her film family (Guy MARCHAND as a dapper screen partner), but soon also by an English lord (Clive REVILL), who even wants to make the cheeky blonde a margravine.

This French film by Robert ENRICO was shot mainly in Mexico and Belize (formerly British Honduras). Without a stringent plot, the turbulent comedy is entertaining with its bizarre ideas and slapstick interludes. BARDOT in particular can really put on a great show and shows in various silent film scenes what enormous star power she had. BB also goes all out comedic, so that the film from the legendary French film studio GAUMONT is remembered above all for her presence.

Brigitte Bardot's later movies are generally not considered as good as her earlier ones, but 'Boulevard du rhum' is an exception to that. Aged 36 at the time, Brigitte plays a strong supporting role to leading man Lino Ventura. He plays an important runner, smuggling liquor in the time when this was prohibited by some very strict US laws. Unpleasant contacts with the US Coast Guard are part of the story.

With her singing and dancing Brigitte certainly adds a big dimension to 'Boulevard du rhum'. She also provides an element of twenties fashion, thus strongly contributing to this movie's lovely mix of Charleston and Carraïbean moods.

Just sit back, relax, and enjoy 'Boulevard du rhum'. This movie is worth 125 minutes of your time.

Two hours of mostly boredom. No Lino Ventura and no Brigitte Bardot can help at a movie that is concocted from various small scenes that could have been encountered under the umbrella topic of smuggling alcool during Prohibition.

A captain and alcool smuggler lets himself being shot at with live ammunition for money. Then he buys a new ship from the money gained from that exercise, and instead of smuggling alcool, he follows the screenings of a movie star (BB) throughout the Caribbean. Until he finally happens to come across her incidentally at some remote beach. They fall in love, and remain happy until she decides to marry someone else.

That's about the worst that one can do from the topic of 'running rum' during Prohibition.

From my angle, I wouldn't even wanted to watch this one again, if there was nothing else available.

Other than the unmatchably beautiful Brigitte Bardot, there is little reason to see this turkey. She made only one other movie after this, in the same year (1971). The action is mindless except for a bizarre sort of reverse-Russian roulette: instead of a player pointing a gun at his own head and taking his chances, the player stands before a group of armed men with loaded guns, the lights go off, and then he ducks and hopes he can dodge their bullets, as each fires once. Nonetheless, the plot, such as there is, is stupid, the attempt at period-piece farce pathetic, the acting poor (save for Bardot)). The Caribbean scenery is pleasant. The movie is neither funny, nor exciting. The hero is singularly unappealing. Three stars.