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."

 

YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdU2VKZpGd0