Directed by

Roger Vadim
Made by

Filmsonor
See current US streaming, rental, and purchase options for Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973) via JustWatch.
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Jeanne Brigitte Bardot arrives at a funeral service to visit her cousin Paul Mathieu Carrière, a priest. As Paul prays, he spots Jeanne. When the funeral ends, the two reconnect after a year apart, and Jeanne confesses she has killed someone. Back at her residence, Jeanne talks with Léporella Michèle Sand, her secretary, about inheriting her father’s wealth after he died of a heart attack. She believes she is the reincarnation of Don Juan and prides herself on destroying men who fall for her charm. Shortly after, Léporella leaves and Paul arrives. He questions Jeanne’s claim that she murdered someone, and she recounts the tale.
At an archery competition, Jeanne and Paul watch Pierre Gonzague Maurice Ronet win the championship. Pierre drives Jeanne home; as a married man, he admits adulterous affairs. They begin an affair, but he leaves while she is bathing. A week later, at a dinner invited by Pierre’s wife, with a playwright and his girlfriend present, the scene thickens. Three months later, she sees Pierre outside as he leaves his workplace. At Pierre’s residence, Jeanne confesses her love, but he declines to continue the affair.
Angered by the rejection, Jeanne schemes to trap Pierre in a public scandal by luring him to a secluded mansion on an island near Sweden. The two exchange a tense encounter, but days later they attend a university party. During an orgy, a female blonde student is struck, and Pierre is photographed helping the student, which becomes a front-page French press story. The scandal leads to a political uproar, and Pierre’s wife chooses to divorce him.
Back in France, Pierre finds himself nearly destitute. He enters a bar where he spots Jeanne and blames her for ruining him. Jeanne then rides with Louis Prévost Robert Hossein and his wife Clara Jane Birkin. Louis hosts a party at his suite that night; Clara explains to Jeanne that Louis is a savage. Enraged, Louis tosses Clara into an interior pool, leaving Clara to hurry upstairs. Later, Jeanne accepts an invitation to London with Louis and Clara, and the train ride offers a chance for Jeanne and Clara to form a romantic bond.
In London, Louis discovers Jeanne and Clara in bed together, hoping for a ménage à trois. The two women walk for a bit instead, while Louis orders them to stay put. Jeanne bluntly tells Louis she was never interested in him, but only wanted to possess him through Clara. Anger drives Louis to slap her repeatedly. Paul contemplates leaving, but discovers Jeanne has locked the door from the inside. He tries to leave, but Jeanne keeps him inside as she continues her story.
Jeanne then recalls her relationship with the guitarist Robert Walker Jr., spotted at Louis’s party. After the nightclub closes, the guitarist serenades Jeanne; she asks if he would give up everything for her. He agrees, and the two consummate, only for the guitarist to slit his wrists with broken glass. Jeanne calls an ambulance, but the guitarist dies.
Jeanne finally confesses her guilt, and she and Paul have sex. She meets with Léporella again and spots Pierre outside, arranging to meet with him the next day. Before Jeanne arrives, Pierre doses the floor with gasoline and lights a fire. Pierre escapes, but Jeanne is burnt alive in the blaze.
Follow the complete movie timeline of Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Funeral encounter and confession
Jeanne arrives at the funeral service in France to visit her cousin Paul. As Paul prays and the ceremony ends, they speak of the year since they last saw each other. In their chat, Jeanne confesses that she has killed someone.
Inheritance and the Don Juan image
Back at her residence, Jeanne discusses her inheritance and the dead father's fortune with her secretary, Léporella. She proclaims herself the reincarnation of Don Juan and takes pride in destroying men who fall for her charms. Léporella leaves, leaving Jeanne with her schemes and ambitions.
Archery competition and first affair
At an archery competition, Jeanne and Paul watch Pierre Gonzagues win the championship. Pierre drives Jeanne home and, as a married man, admits to adulterous affairs. Their affair begins that day and quickly becomes consuming.
Dinner invitation and continued affair
A week later, Jeanne is invited to a dinner hosted by Pierre's wife, joined by a playwright and his girlfriend. The gathering exposes the social circle around Pierre, while the affair with Jeanne continues in the background. The dynamic between Jeanne and Pierre grows more tangled.
Love confession and rejection
Three months later, Jeanne waits outside Pierre's workplace and then later goes to his residence to press her case. She confesses her love for Pierre, but he declines to continue the affair. The rejection spurs Jeanne to engineer bolder moves.
Jeanne's island trap plan
Jeanne devises a scheme to trap Pierre by inviting him to a secluded mansion on an island near Sweden. They argue briefly during the visit, but days later they attend a university party where the scheme is staged. The public scandal remains part of her plan.
University party and scandal
During the university party and an ensuing orgy, a blonde student is involved in a scuffle. Pierre is photographed helping the student, and the images are published in the French press. The scandal triggers political fallout and Pierre's wife divorces him.
Pierre's fall and the bar encounter
Back in France, Pierre is nearly destitute and drifts into a bar where he encounters Jeanne. He blames her for ruining him, reigniting their destructive dynamic.
Flight to London with Louis and Clara
Jeanne rides with Louis Prévost and his wife Clara, and Louis hosts a party at his suite. Clara complains about Louis's savagery, and Louis throws Clara into an interior pool before Jeanne joins them on a trip to London.
London: Jeanne and Clara bond; Louis's jealousy
In London, Louis discovers Jeanne and Clara in bed together and tries to push for a ménage à trois. The two women walk away, mocking his demand, and Jeanne reveals she only wanted to possess him through Clara. Louis responds with a brutal slap.
Locked door and the storytelling continues
Inside the London house, Paul decides to leave but discovers Jeanne has locked the door from the inside. He and Jeanne argue over the house key, and Jeanne presses on with her story to keep him engaged. Their confrontation underscores the manipulation at play.
Guitarist and suicide
Jeanne recalls her relationship with the guitarist she spotted at Louis's party. After the nightclub closes, the guitarist serenades her and agrees to give up everything for her. They consummate, but the guitarist slits his wrists and dies; Jeanne calls the ambulance.
Guilt and reconciliation with Paul
Jeanne confesses her guilt to Paul again, and he and Jeanne have sex, deepening their complicated bond. The scene reinforces the sexual power she wields over him and others.
Plan to meet Pierre again
Jeanne spots Pierre outside and arranges to meet him the next day, continuing to weave her network of encounters. The anticipation of another liaison heightens the tension between old flames.
Final arson: Jeanne burns alive
Before Jeanne can reach the planned meeting, Pierre doses the floor with gasoline and lights a fire. He escapes, but Jeanne is burned alive in the blaze, ending the deadly game.
Explore all characters from Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Jeanne
A charismatic, self-styled Don Juan who believes she can destroy men with her allure. She wields seductive power to manipulate lovers and shape their fates for wealth and independence. Beneath the charm, she remains calculating and ready to confront the consequences of her actions.
Pierre Gonzague
A magistrate whose respectable facade hides a history of affairs. He is drawn to Jeanne but fears losing status and moral compromise. His pride and vulnerability make him a prime target for Jeanne's schemes.
Louis Prévost
A volatile husband whose vanity and cruelty fuel the conflict. His pursuit of Jeanne and jealousy drive him to forceful confrontations and reckless decisions. The volatile dynamic exposes how wealth and power can corrupt personal relationships.
Léporella
Jeanne's secretary and confidante who manages her schemes. Léporella's loyalty and efficiency keep the plot moving, even as she remains morally watchful of the danger around Jeanne.
The Guitarist
A romantic guitarist who is drawn to Jeanne and agrees to give up everything for her, only to be crushed by her manipulation. His love ends in tragedy, revealing the human cost of Jeanne's ruthless games. His death underscores the violence that can accompany obsession.
Clara
Louis Prévost's wife, a figure who provides a moral counterpoint to Jeanne's schemes. She participates in the London segment and reveals the strains of a marriage under public scrutiny. Her interactions with Jeanne complicate the power dynamics at play.
Learn where and when Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
The events take place in a contemporary setting, reflecting the era's fashion, social mores, and media-driven scandals. The narrative moves through intimate interiors, upscale gatherings, and public confrontations, showing a world where personal exploits become public spectacle. The pace and settings evoke a modern, transnational atmosphere rather than a distant historical period.
Location
France, Island near Sweden, London
The story unfolds across modern European settings, with key scenes in France (funeral, courtrooms, bars), a secluded mansion on an island near Sweden for the pivotal scandal, and London during the trip that tests Jeanne's boundaries. Each locale underscores a cosmopolitan, high-society milieu where reputation and desire drive the plot. The cross-border locations emphasize the characters’ mobility and the global reach of their schemes.
Discover the main themes in Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
💋
Seduction
Jeanne uses her charm and allure to manipulate men, casting herself as a modern Don Juan. Her seductive power fuels a cycle of betrayal and power plays that drive the plot. The film explores how desire can function as a weapon, shaping relationships and reputations.
🗞️
Scandal
A planned encounter becomes a catalyst for a national scandal, showing how media sensationalism can ruin lives. Pierre's fall from grace unfolds as Jeanne orchestrates circumstances to expose his alleged indiscretions. The press and public reactions amplify personal vendettas into political storms.
🪞
Identity
Jeanne embodies a Don Juan-like fantasy of control, challenging gender norms and playing with identity. Her self-concept as the 'reincarnation' of Don Juan drives her actions and justifies her ruthlessness. The film probes how self-image and performance intersect with real consequences.

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In the glittering yet restless world of post‑war Paris, a young heiress moves through high society with a swagger that feels both timeless and defiantly modern. Jeanne—blonde, brilliant, and unapologetically confident—has taken the legendary reputation of Don Juan and reshaped it for a woman who views every encounter as a game of power and pleasure. Her days are spent drifting between lavish apartments, elegant cafés, and the glittering circles of politicians, financiers, and bohemian artists, each drawn to her magnetic charm and the promise of a fleeting, intoxicating liaison.
Behind the façade of effortless seduction, Jeanne carries an unsettling conviction that allure alone is insufficient; she believes that true mastery lies in the calculated dismantling of the very men who fall under her spell. The notion that “seduction is easy but destruction requires planning” haunts her conversations, and she often likens herself to a spider—delicate, patient, and ever‑watchful. Her confidante, the ever‑loyal secretary Léporella, attempts to serve as a moral compass, though the tug‑of‑war between conscience and ambition only deepens the intrigue that surrounds their friendship.
Amidst this decadent tapestry, a quiet figure from the clergy reappears in Jeanne’s life: Paul, a young priest and her distant cousin, who becomes the unexpected audience for her most guarded confession. Their meetings are charged with a strange blend of intimacy and tension, as she reveals a dark secret that hints at a past far more complex than the dazzling present she projects. The film swirls with a provocative tone—part erotic drama, part darkly comic study of vanity—inviting the viewer to wonder how far a woman will go when she believes she has rewritten the rules of desire itself.
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