French film icon dies at 91

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who revolutionized French cinema in the 1950s and became a symbol of sexual liberation, has died aged 91.

The film icon – known as “BB” in her native country – appeared in nearly 50 films, including “And God Created Woman,” but retired in 1973 to devote her life to animal welfare.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the country was mourning a “legend of this century”, while the Brigitte Bardot Foundation remembered her as a “world-renowned actress”.

In his later years, Bardot suffered reputational damage for making homophobic slurs and was fined several times for inciting racial hatred.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation said in a statement that it was “with great sadness” to announce her death.

The animal welfare group called her “a world-renowned actress and singer who chose to give up her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.”

It did not specify where or when Bardot died.

In his tribute, Macron wrote: “With her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrow, her generous passion for animals, the face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.

“France’s presence, its universal splendor. She moved us. We mourn the legend of this century.”

Meanwhile, French far-right politician Marine Le Pen said France had lost “an outstanding woman, her talent, her courage, her candor and her beauty”.

Bardot married in 1992 to Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to the late far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen and Marlene’s father.

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 to a wealthy family who wanted her to become a ballet dancer.

Discovered as a teenager after appearing on the cover of Elle magazine, she quickly became a sensation in her home country and was persuaded to enter the film industry.

She played iconic roles, most notably in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, in which she played a sexually liberated woman.

The film caused outrage among the American public and was banned in some U.S. states, while French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir praised her as a symbol of “absolute freedom.”

Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, she became a global phenomenon with her roles in The Truth, winning critical acclaim for her dramatic depth. “Contempt,” Jean-Luc Godard’s masterpiece; and “Viva Maria!” ”, showcasing her comedic talents alongside Jeanne Moreau.

In addition to her most iconic roles, Bardot also demonstrated her versatility in the films “Pillow,” in which she played a complex, emotionally torn character, and “Two Weeks in September,” a romantic drama that highlighted her ability to express vulnerability.

In “Bears and Dolls,” she brought a playful charm to comedic roles, proving her ability to cross genres. These films, while less well-known, highlight her ability to captivate audiences with different narratives.

In addition to her work in films, Bardot will also be remembered as a fashion icon whose tousled blonde hair and bold eyeliner set global beauty trends. After the off-the-shoulder style was worn in Cannes in 1953, a similar style became known as the Bardot neckline.

She was married four times and had a son, Nicolas, with French actor and film producer Jacques Charrier, who died in September.

Nicholas later sued his mother for emotional distress because she wrote in her autobiography that she would rather “have a puppy.”

Bardot was relentlessly promoted as a hedonistic sex symbol, but her ambitions to become a serious actress were thwarted.

At the height of her fame, she announced her retirement at the age of 39 and dedicated her life to animal welfare.

“I gave my youth and beauty to humans, and I gave my wisdom and experience to animals,” Bardot famously said.

In 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection of wild and domestic animals.

She became a vegetarian in 2013 and even Threaten to apply for Russian citizenship Protest against plans to kill two sick elephants at a French zoo.

In response to her death, France’s oldest animal protection society, the Society for the Protection of Animals, paid tribute to “an iconic and passionate figure in the cause of animals.”

But despite her success in film and animal welfare work, Bardot left a controversial legacy, with her reputation marred by a series of comments she made in her later years about Islam, homosexuality and the #MeToo movement.

Starting in the late 1990s, Bardot was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred after making comments about Muslims online and in interviews. In 2008 she was fined €15,000 (£12,000) after complaining on her website that Muslims “are destroying our country by imposing their ways.”

Bardot was roundly criticized for her 2003 book “The Cry of Silence,” in which she argued that homosexuals, modern art, politicians and immigrants had destroyed French culture.

In 2018, Bardot also Actress fired for commenting on sexual harassment The #MeToo movement is “hypocritical, ridiculous and boring”.

“There are a lot of actresses who flirt with producers to get a role,” Bardot told French magazine Paris Match.