Brigitte Bardot, who has died at the age of 91, swept away cinema's staid 1950s' portrayal of women - coming to personify a new age of sexual liberation.
On screen, she was a French cocktail of kittenish charm and continental sensuality. One publication called her 'the princess of pout and the countess of come hither,' but it was an image she grew to loathe.
Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress. Eventually, she abandoned her career to campaign for animal welfare.
Years later, her reputation was damaged when she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred. Her son also sued her for emotional damage after she said she would have preferred to 'give birth to a little dog.'
It was a scar on the memory of an icon, who - in her prime - put the bikini, female desire, and French cinema on the map.
With German troops occupying Paris during World War II, Bardot spent most of her time at home, dancing to records. Her mother encouraged her interest and enrolled her in ballet classes from the age of seven.
Her screen tests were not successful, but director Roger Vadim took her on as his protégé and fiancée, molding Bardot into the star he believed she could be.
In 1956, Vadim's debut film, 'And God Created Woman', catapulted her to international fame. Bardot's uninhibited portrayal of sexual desire challenged the norms of the time and solidified her status as an icon of freedom.
Despite her success, Bardot struggled with the sex symbol label, expressing a desire to be taken seriously as an actress.
After nearly 50 films, Bardot retired to devote her life to animal welfare, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. She campaigned against animal cruelty and contributed significantly to animal rights causes.
In her later years, she faced numerous legal controversies due to her outspoken views on immigration and racial issues. Bardot was convicted for inciting racial hatred, underscoring the complexities of her public persona.
Passing into semi-reclusion, she left behind a complicated legacy filled with both adoration and criticism. Bardot is survived by her fourth husband, Bernard d'Ormale, and remains an enduring figure in cinema, culture, and the ongoing discourse on freedom and identity.
