(Written in September, 1999) This month an extraordinary event occurs: Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot, born within a few days of each other in September, 1934 (Loren on the 20th and Bardot on the 28th), turn 65 years old. Extraordinary not only because it is hard to believe that these two amazing women have reached what is often thought of as the age of "retirement," but also because of the parallels between them.
Both women are European, of course. One French and one Italian, they both spent almost their entire careers making movies in Europe rather than falling under the spell of Hollywood as so many others have.
Both began their public careers at very young ages, with Sophia appearing in a beauty pageant at 14 and Bardot modeling at 15, both with the guidance of their mothers. They were initially viewed primarily from a sexual point of view. Both were, and are, compared to Marilyn Monroe, the reigning Hollywood sex goddess of the time.
Both had scandalous relationships with directors -- Bardot with Roger Vadim and Loren with Carlo Ponti -- whom they met and fell in love with as teenagers.
Bardot appeared in her first movie in 1952, Loren in 1950 (1953 as Sophia Loren rather than her birth name).
Both appeared primarily in movies made in their home countries. In fact, Bardot appeared in only three English-language films, Doctor at Sea (1955), Helen of Troy (1956), and Act of Love (1953) -- the latter two the only American films other than a cameo appearance as herself in Dear Brigitte (1965). Sophia made her American film debut in 1957 in Boy on a Dolphin and appeared in several American films. She was the only person ever to win an Oscar for a foreign language film (Two Women [1961]) until fellow Italian Roberto Benigni did it in 1999.
There are stark contrasts, as well. Sophia continued to work in films, though sparingly, and eventually gained respect as an actress. Brigitte retired from the business in 1973 and was never really respected for her acting talents, though she is credited with helping to lead the sexual revolution and paving the way for a whole generation of actresses, including Jane Fonda and Catherine Deneuve. Bardot was often unhappy, with at least three reported suicide attempts over the years, a life of sexual excess, and several failed marriages. Sophia, on the other hand, has been married to Carlo Ponti since 1966.
Bardot devoted her life after films to the cause of animal rights (though her husband is, curiously, a right-wing activist), while Sophia has been devoted to her husband and her two children, both the result of extremely difficult pregnancies (she also experienced near-fatal miscarriages), and to her love of cuisine. Bardot made some critical statements about Loren in 1994 over an issue involving fur.
Originally written as "mini-tributes," both articles linked below have been expanded into full-length tribute articles. As always, if you have comments or suggestions, please email me.
