The Barefoot Contessa

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The Barefoot Contessa

1954,

2h 8m,

Drama

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100%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Washed-up film director Harry Dawes (Humphrey Bogart) gets a second chance at stardom when he discovers stunning peasant Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner) dancing in a nightclub in Madrid, Spain. Goaded by his producer, strong-arming Wall Street financier Kirk Edwards (Warren Stevens), Harry convinces her to screen test for, and then star in, his next big picture. But as Edwards' possessive nature and the realities of stardom weigh on Maria, she seeks a genuine lover with whom she can escape.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Jul 31, 2021

"The Barefoot Contessa" is perhaps the most elaborately structured Hollywood film since "Citizen Kane."

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Mar 23, 2010

An imperfect film, but its excesses are as suggestive as its subtleties.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 12, 2023

3/4

Full of wit, wisdom, and caustic dialogue.

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Nov 6, 2019

There is enough witty dialogue and suave movie making in this over-subtle comedy-drama to make it worth attention, but writer-director Joseph L Mankiewicz doesn't seem to care enough about any of his characters...

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Christopher Machell

CineVue

Apr 23, 2018

4/5

At once a deeply satirical depiction of Hollywood and a sumptuous saga of the rise and fall of a star

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Mar 25, 2012

B+

Mankiewicz's bitter-sweet satire of Hollywood is extremely well acted by Bogart (witty), Avan Gardner (gorgeous), and Edmond O'Brien, who won the Supporting Oscar.

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Abraham R

Apr 22, 2018

At the beginning directing men, women, children watching it without showing a dancer one after another. A camera that copies the folds of people's mind as if it can be peeped at with the impact that a dancer brings to a person's heart. The joy of watching a movie made me feel full. Immediately after Brazzi's confession, the music of the outside garden suddenly resounds and the magnificent body of Eva Gardner, the statue itself, is thrown to the bed. Mankiewicz's work is amazed at the flirtiness of the story, but he always amazes me with his spectacular directing power.

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Ron M

Oct 29, 2017

This film wasn't too bad to watch. But it wasn't brilliant either. A bit slow, and not always easy to understand. The ending is a bit crazy too as things suddenly changed really quickly, and you don't fully know why .

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Leia R

Jul 27, 2017

Must-see film from Old Hollywood. Writing ambitious and skillful but cynicism on all sides wears on us after a while. Ava is gorgeous but doesn't change much. Plot problem for me: don't find basis for marriage of Maria and the Count credible at all. She is a lusty gal who would not marry for fairy tales and money without sex first. And the Count's supposed motivation is to prevent the family line from dying out, but he knows he cannot sire a child. Why marry her then?

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George R

May 14, 2012

Exciting movie that kind of fizzles out with Maria being vague and inaccessible as a character. Bogart gets old as the powerless director, but the film is still interesting. It is great to see the story from many different people and how they intertwine with different perspectives. Gardner is beautiful. 1001 movies to see before you die.

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Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Director

Humphrey Bogart

Harry Dawes

Ava Gardner

Maria Vargas

Edmond O'Brien

Oscar Muldoon

Marius Goring

Alberto Bravano

Rossano Brazzi

Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini

The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - Posing for a Statue

1:46

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - Maria On Display

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - I'm Drunk

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - Maria Had It

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - You Are Not a Woman

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - You're a Liar

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - I Hate Shoes

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - A Lot of Talent

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - What a Business

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The Barefoot Contessa: Official Clip - Funeral for an Actress

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Synopsis

Washed-up film director Harry Dawes (Humphrey Bogart) gets a second chance at stardom when he discovers stunning peasant Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner) dancing in a nightclub in Madrid, Spain. Goaded by his producer, strong-arming Wall Street financier Kirk Edwards (Warren Stevens), Harry convinces her to screen test for, and then star in, his next big picture. But as Edwards' possessive nature and the realities of stardom weigh on Maria, she seeks a genuine lover with whom she can escape.

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenwriter: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Distributor: Key Video, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: United Artists
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1), 35mm

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