Female disobedience: on Bergman and Bardot.
A reflection on Summer with Monika and Smiles of a Summer Night.
Monika in Summer with Monika shows the beginning of Bergman’s switch from a female character being a plot device and a tool for male character growth and maturity, to that of an individual character with agency and more aspects that make her easy to identify with. What confuses me is the view of Monika as this character of rebellion against society and female disobedience and individualism, because of how she behaves and is portrayed in this film, and how those views differ from the views and opinions of Bridget Bardot in And God Made Woman (Roger Vadim), despite her similar behavior and the similar plots of the two films.
Each woman has very different and individual personalities and goals, and in Smiles of a Summer Night, are often shown helping one another achieve those goals. The Count’s wife and Desiree agree to help one another become the only lover of the men each of them love. Although this is not necessarily a friendship, it still shows women as cooperative teammates rather than completely depicting them as love rivals. Even though the Count’s wife clearly sees Desiree as a rival, she still agrees to help her with her plan so that they can both get what they want.
Mrs. Armfeldt: “I am tired of people. But that doesn't stop me from loving them.”
This idea of female support and friendship is even more evident in the relationship between Anna and the maid. The maid is very obviously a rebellious character, showing many similarities to how Monika and Bridget Bardot were portrayed in their respective films, except the maid was not punished for it. She ends up marrying the man she wants to marry and, from what we see, will live happily. She also openly discusses that she is not a virgin and does not vilify impurity, nor is she seen as such a villain, but is admired by Anna. Although Anna is not seemingly a rebellious character at the beginning, as she starts by falling into the trap of female rivalry in love, she abandons her animosity towards Desiree for sleeping with her husband and chooses to find her own happiness instead. She achieves this happiness by defying her husband and leaving with the man she truly loves, but also by fostering a friendship with her maid who helps Anna escape in a carriage.
Their rebellious nature and sense of defiance is brought by solidarity with other female characters. This adds to the idea of women being depicted more as characters to be identified with, like Monika, because of their unique personalities and the focus on their personal lives. In Smiles of a Summer Night, the personal lives of the women are just as important and focused on as much as the men, in fact the women are often a driving force of these events, despite men being more of what these issues are centered around. It is by no means a radical change, as men are still the focus, but it shows an interesting shift in how much focus there was on them.
What I’d like to look at now is how women are viewed in Summer with Monika and Smiles of a Summer Night and how it seems to be more kind to the women involved, while Bridget Bardot does not seem to be treated in the same way. Bardot is often talked about as a French export, which is very dehumanizing compared to how Bergman’s female characters were discussed, despite the similarities in the characters behaviors.
Both films have a huge focus on their female character’s sex appeal. Bardot and Monika are often portrayed with little to no clothing at all, but are shown to have a certain confidence and openness about their sexuality, as well as seeming to claim this part of themselves fully in an unashamed and rebellious way. This is shown for a very male centered gaze, but Monika’s character is looked at for her rebellion rather than being called a purely sexual exploit. Both characters seem to be dating or married to a more naive man, and both women seem to end up getting what they want. The same thing goes for the women in Smiles of a Summer Night. Each woman gets what they want in the film, and ends up going on to live the life they desire.
“Petra the Maid: And then the summer night smiled for the third time.
Frid the Groom: [to the audience] For the sad, the depressed, the sleepless, the confused, the frightened, the lonely.”
Monika is shown to be very independent throughout the film, as well being shown as more capable and adapting quicker to survival than her husband is. In the end she gets to go off on her own and live without the constraints of a family, defying her husband and choosing her own happiness. However cold or careless it may seem for her to easily shirk her responsibilities as a mother, it is still her choice and is ultimately what she wants.
The film does not completely seem to portray Monika as a villain, either, as her now ex-husband seems to think of the memories of that summer he spent with her fondly, despite the fact that he thinks it is for the best that she left him and their baby behind. Bardot is treated like a villain a bit more in her film, but she still also gets what she wants and isn’t really punished for her actions. She gets to stay married to Michel while also still getting to sleep with Antoine who she also loves. Her rebellious nature is seen as immature and erratic, but the story does not punish her actions with complete finality. Her life remains more or less how it was before.
I do believe it is likely that Bardot’s fame and popularity, especially in America, likely plays a huge role in how she is viewed and treated in the media and in life. Her level of fame brought with it a huge amount of potential marketing that people wanted to capitalize on. The level of fame likely changed views of Bardot and led her to be seen as more of a commodity, or at least discussing the effects of her image is treated as more relevant to her influence in film, rather than how Summer with Monika and Smiles of a Summer Night were seen as a step towards the rebellion against societal norms in media.
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