...And God Created Woman

Set in Saint-Tropez, this French drama follows Juliette Hardy, an 18-year-old orphan whose provocative beauty and appetite for pleasure unsettle the men around her. Raised by adoptive parents who run a bookshop, she draws the attention of Eric Carradine, a wealthy nightclub owner, while she herself is drawn to Antoine Tardieu, who works at his family's small shipyard. Facing the threat of being sent back to the orphanage over her reputation, Juliette accepts a marriage proposal from Michel, Antoine's younger brother, a decent and rather dull man who has long loved her from a distance. The arrangement brings stability but not contentment, and the tension between the brothers and Juliette's own desires drives the story forward.

The film is Roger Vadim's first as director and the earliest title in his filmography, ahead of The Night Heaven Fell, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Game Is Over, Barbarella, Spirits of the Dead, Pretty Maids All in a Row and his 1988 film of the same name. Vadim wrote the screenplay with producer Raoul Lévy. Brigitte Bardot plays Juliette, with Jean-Louis Trintignant as Michel, Curd Jürgens as Eric, Jane Marken, Jean Tissier and Isabelle Corey among a credited cast of 22.

Released in November 1956, it runs 92 minutes and took about 33 million dollars worldwide, a strong return that reflects its international reach. On IMDb it holds 6.3/10 from around 11,000 votes and on TMDB 6.1/10 from roughly 271 votes, while a critics' rating of 6.4/10 from 14 reviews places critical opinion close to the audience average.