Wednesday, September 17, 2014

VIVA MARA!

Viva Maria! – International title
¡Viva María! – Argentina title
Viva Maria – Hungarian title
¡Viva María! – Mexican title
¡Viva María! – Spanish title
Viva Maria – Turkish title
 
A 1965 French, Italian co-production [Les Productions Artistes Associés, Nouvelles Éditions deFilms (Paris), Vides Cinematografica (Rome)]
Producers: Óscar Dancigers, Louis Malle
Director: Louis Malle
Story: Louis Malle, Jean-Claude Carrière
Screenplay: Louis Malle, Jean-Claude Carrière
Cinematography: Henri Decaë [Eastmancolor, Panavision]
Music: George Delerue
Songs: “Paris, Paris, Paris”, “Le petites femmes”, “Maria Maria” sung by Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau
Running time: 122 minutes
 
Cast:
Maria Fitzgerald O’Malley – Brigitte Bardot
Maria – Jeanne Moreau
Madame Diogène – Paulette Dubost (Paulette Deplaque)
The Great Rodolfo – Claudio Brook
Don Rodríguez – Carlos López Moctezuma
Werther – Poldo Bendandi (Leopoldo Bendandi)
Diogene – Gregor von Rezzori (Gregor d'Arezzo)
Father Superior – Francisco Reiguera
Juanito Diogène – Jonathan Eden
Pablo – Roberto Pedret
El Presidente – Ferrusquilla (José Espinosa)
Flores – George Hamilton
Don Alvaro – José Baviera (José Navarro)
Turcos/scout soldiers – José Luis Campa, Roberto Campa, José Esqueda, Eduardo Murillo
Town mayor – Carlos Riquelme
Strongman – Luis Rizo
Janine – Adriana Roel
Mr. O’Malley – Fernando Wagner
With: Ramón Bugarini
 
 
It's 1907 in a Central American country called San Miguel. Maria O’Malley, the daughter of an Irish Republican anarchist, meets another Maria, a singer in a circus. After her father dies, Maria O’Malley hides in the circus where she sees Maria’s partner commit suicide after a failed love affair. Both Marias agree to form a theatrical team.
 
In her debut as a singer O’Malley accidentally invents the striptease, an action that lets the circus achieve great fame. Shortly afterwards the Marias meet Florès, a socialist revolutionary. He invites them to join his cause, a revolution against "El Presidente". But Florès is soon shot. On his deathbed he makes Maria O’Malley promise to carry through with his cause and she agrees. Though at first reluctant to acquiesce to Florès' and O’Malley’s endeavor, Maria II joins the cause when she comes to the aid of her vulnerable friend.
 
After Maria O’Malley leads her men into an ambush, Maria II saves them and the women create a peasant army, organizing the countryside into a quasi-Socialist state. There are numerous sight gags and comic actions.
 
Preparing to take the capital city, the Marias are captured by Catholic churchmen who fear the disorder of a revolution and want to stop the people from treating the women like saints. After a bungled attempt to tickle torture them (the Inquisition's equipment is too old to work well) the Marias are rescued by their victorious army. Finally they move to France, where the circus is recreated as a successful musical version of the revolution. The women now wear dark wigs to look more "Spanish."
 

No comments:

Post a Comment