Brigitte Bardot: The Blonde Icon Who Changed Cinema Forever

Brigitte Bardot, who has died at the age of 91, swept away cinema's staid 1950s' portrayal of women - coming to personify a new age of sexual liberation.

On screen, she was a French cocktail of kittenish charm and continental sensuality. One publication called her the princess of pout and the countess of come hither, but it was an image she grew to loathe.

Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress. Eventually, she abandoned her career to campaign for animal welfare.

Years later, her reputation was damaged when she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred. Her son also sued her for emotional damage after she said she would have preferred to give birth to a little dog.

It was a scar on the memory of an icon, who - in her prime - put the bikini, female desire, and French cinema on the map.

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris on 28 September 1934. With her father’s wealth and strict upbringing, she was encouraged to pursue ballet. Nonetheless, her striking beauty led her to modeling and, ultimately, acting.

The breakthrough came with her infamous role in And God Created Woman, which stirred debates about femininity and sexual freedom across America, distancing its audience from the chastity typically portrayed.

Her later years were shadowed by political controversies and legal issues, as she became known not just for her beauty, but for her divisive political opinions and statements. Brigitte Bardot leaves behind a complex legacy as both an enduring cultural icon and a troubled figure whose life reflected the tumultuous environment around her.