The Barefoot Contessa
A dazzling movie star's rise through Hollywood and international high society becomes a mournful portrait of fame, desire, and doomed love.
Overview
A tale of love, ambition, and the price of fame unfolds in the glamorous world of cinema.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- lavish
- melancholic
- romantic
- classic movie night
- romantic drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's extravagance, visual beauty, performances, and daring show-business perspective, while some found its melodrama excessive and its later romantic turn unsubtle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maria Vargas's funeral frames successive recollections by Harry Dawes, Oscar Muldoon, and others.
Maria's rise is shaped by film producers, public relations, publicity stunts, and wealthy patrons.
The film moves through Madrid, Hollywood circles, wealthy South American society, and an Italian aristocratic romance.
Critics specifically praised the exquisite color, extravagance, and imaginative directorial touches.
Films like The Barefoot Contessa, and why
All About Eve
shared classic Hollywood melodrama, show-business satire, and retrospective storytelling
Sabrina
shared tragic romance, glamorous international settings, and emotionally guarded protagonists
The Egyptian
shared fatalistic romance, star-crossed lovers, and ornate mid-century production design
Movie Details
- Director
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Release Date
- 1954-09-29
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (287)
Cast
- Humphrey Bogart
- Ava Gardner
- Edmond O'Brien
- Marius Goring
- Valentina Cortese
- Rossano Brazzi
- Elizabeth Sellars
- Warren Stevens
- Franco Interlenghi
- Mari Aldon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Barefoot Contessa about?
- A dazzling movie star's rise through Hollywood and international high society becomes a mournful portrait of fame, desire, and doomed love.
- What is The Barefoot Contessa like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Barefoot Contessa as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Barefoot Contessa violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Barefoot Contessa as mild.
- What did critics think of The Barefoot Contessa?
- Critics broadly admired the film's extravagance, visual beauty, performances, and daring show-business perspective, while some found its melodrama excessive and its later romantic turn unsubtle.
- Which films are like The Barefoot Contessa?
- Films with a similar feel include All About Eve, Sabrina, and The Egyptian.
- How long is The Barefoot Contessa?
- The Barefoot Contessa runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Barefoot Contessa?
- In United States, The Barefoot Contessa streams on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
