Juliet of the Spirits

Infobox_Film
name = Juliet of the Spirits


caption= original italian film poster
imdb_id = 0059229
director = Federico Fellini
writer = Federico Fellini
Ennio Flaiano
Tullio Pinelli
Brunello Rondi
starring = Giulietta Masina
Sandra Milo
Mario Pisu
Valentina Cortese
Valeska Gert
producer = Angelo Rizzoli
music = Nino Rota
Eugene Walter
cinematography = Gianni Di Venanzo
released = flagicon|Italy 22 October 1965
flagicon|USA 3 November 1965
flagicon|UK November, 1966
editing = Ruggero Mastroianni
runtime = 137 min.
amg_id = 1:26726
language = Italian

"Juliet of the Spirits" (Italian: "Giulietta degli spiriti") is a 1965 surrealist drama film about an Italian housewife, directed by Federico Fellini. Although he first used color in the "Temptation of Doctor Antonio" episode of "Boccaccio '70" (1962), this is Fellini's first feature-length color film.

Giulietta (played by Fellini's wife, Giulietta Masina) explores both her subconscious and the odd lifestyle of her sexy neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), as she attempts to deal with the mundane life and philandering husband (Mario Pisu) that oppress her. As she increasingly taps into her desires, as well as her demons, she slowly gains more self-awareness and, ultimately, independence. "Juliet of The Spirits" (1965) again shows Fellini's mastery of the moving camera, as previously demonstrated in both "La dolce vita" (1960) and "8½" (1963). In "Juliet", this camera movement combines with Fellini's advanced use of both color and art direction to create a cinematic world unlike any other before or since. Fellini's wife, Giulietta Masina, commands the title role, and shows a depth and maturity beyond even the masterful performances she gave in her husband's "La strada" (1954)" and Nights of Cabiria" (1957).

Cultural references

In Annie Hall, Alvy and Annie stand on line at the cinema and Alvy grows annoyed with the pretension of the intellectual jerk behind him who, among other sins, engages in the then public-intellectual trope of dismissing Fellini's "later" work as "indulgent," citing Juliet of the Spirits as his smoking gun.

In 2008 The B-52's album 'Funplex' contained a track entitled "Juliet of the Spirits", based around the movie's themes of independence and self sufficiency.

The comededy duo French and Saunders parodied "Juliet of the Spirits" and "La Dolce Vita" on their eponymous show.

Singer Miho Hatori references the movie in "The Spirit of Juliet", a song about a cyborg who starts to attain memory.

External links

*imdb title|id=0059229|title=Juliet of the Spirits
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010805/REVIEWS08/108050301/1023 Roger Ebert's Essay on the movie]
* [http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=149&eid=207&section=essay Criterion Collection essay by John Baxter]
* [http://www.unlikelystories.org/schneider0307.shtml DVD review of the film]