Silly fun romp with the girls
This is a fun escapist romp. What was at the time(1965) a pretty racy stage act with Bardot and Moreau is now rather quaint and charming. I have to admit that when it came to sex the French were certainly more open minded then we Americans were at the time. Some of the political ideology of the time effects some of the action and dialogue providing a groan and a chuckle. The great on-location photography is colorful and provides realism. Many inventive visual jokes help make this fast paced adventure enjoyable and upbeat. George Hamilton as a revolutionary?...now that's a laugh!! I would have loved to have seen this bright sunny picture when it first came out, at a Parisian theatre on a cold dark rainy afternoon.

FUN, GLAMOROUS WESTERN
First and foremost I disagree with the shallow reviewer who says that but you'll have a hard time noticing Moreau, since in most shots she's standing next to Bardot! First and foremost, Bardot is alot younger than Moreau here. Secondly Moreau plays a more solemn character, while Bardot plays someone more naive and very very enthusiastic, also as demonstrated on the cover. More importantly, the two have GREAT chemistry, and in defense to the comment made by that shallow reviewer, Moreau holds her own next to Bardot. It's not a contest you shallow person, it's a collaboration of two strong characters who each hold their own and demonstrate great chemistry with one another. The story is silly, it's French, Bardot is in it, Moreau is in it, it's about two bandits, frankly you can't go wrong here.

Malle, Bardot and Moreau: a unique combination
Well, I've fallen in love with this movie when I was 22 and I still love it at 64. Did Louis Malle make any other comedies like this? I don't know. It's a masterpiece by an allround master of cinema giving his hand to comedy. Of course I know all his great 'serious' movies, what film-goer doesn't at my age in Europe. Newcomers please consult the IMDB. "Show but no substance" says Halliwell. But then he probably didn't get the satire (very French). And not the unique interplay of Bardot (for once allowed to be as beautifull as sexy and intelligent) and Moreau (who was always the sophisticated sexy one). "But" a show? what a show!
So I won't give you a summary - you can easily get that at Am.com, but a rating of what interests ME most cf. new releases: This DVD-transfer is ok, clear picture and sound, not restored but acceptable, and I wish I could get rid of the English subtitles.

Sexy, funny revolutionary adventure with Brigitte and Jeanne - but watch out for the Sixties ideology
What happens when two beautiful showgirls, both named Maria (Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau) get mixed up in the middle of a Latin American revolution? Louis Malle has the answer in "Viva Maria!", and it's a laugh-a-minute, thrill-a-minute ride.

The prime reason to get this DVD, of course, is the gorgeous duo of Bardot and Moreau. One of the highlights of the movie is their unintentional "invention" of striptease when they accidentially start losing pieces of their clothing during a rather cheesy song-and-dance number and end up livening up the whole act and becoming the toast of every male in the town.

The Sixties attitude does show up, though, as in one of the Maria's comments to a reporter that she thinks "property is theft" (which is a howl when you consider just how much money both Bardot and Moreau probably got from this movie), and in the rather broad caricatures of the ruling classes that the two Marias lead the peasantry in overthrowing.

As long as you don't pay too much attention to the politically sillier parts of the dialogue, though, and just sit back enjoying the onscreen doings of the duo, you can't go too far wrong.

Des sous-titres ! Que c'est bon !
This is great farce! You'll adore "Team Maria" (Bardot and Moreau), enjoy the often spectacular scenery, and get a real kick out of the bizarre and offbeat moments in this wonderful film. As for me, I highly appreciate the French subtitles. I have a number of French films, and although I understand French quite well, I sometimes miss bits of dialogue. This is the only French language film (though a few words of Spanish and English are uttered, too) I have on DVD that actually provides French subtitles. If you are a student of the French language, this film is a must. And if you are a student of La Bardot . . . eh bien, qu'attends-tu ?