Juliet Of The Spirits - Criterion Collection (1965)

Cinematographer Gianni di Venanzo's masterful use of Technicolor transforms Juliet of the Spirits, Fellini's first color feature, into a kaleidoscope of dreams, spirits, and memories. Giulietta Masina plays a betrayed wife whose inability to come to terms with reality leads her along a hallucinatory journey of self-discovery. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the fully restored version of one of Fellini's most dazzling dreams.

A French-Suburban Fantasy

This is my favorite Fellini film and I dissagree with most of the reviews which suggest it's not as complex or fulfilling as his earlier work; though, being an artist, I probably have a different perspective on it than most. First of all it's a very ironic film and I see it as a quietly dark comedy. This is Fellini playing with visions of 60's suburbia, the supernatural and sexual mores as seen through the eyes of a "proper" stay-a-home wife who is no longer satisfied with her limited role, especially in the face of her fillandering husband's neglegence.

Roger Ebert compaired this film, which he dedicated to his wife and the movie's star Giulliette Massino, to a husband who buys his wife the gift he really wants for himself. I find that view really annoying. This is a movie about a woman who is finding her strength and independance apart from her husband and stepping into a larger more spiritual world. To me it's as pure and lively a work of art as anything by Van Gogh or Monet. Even taken simply as a set piece it's worth seeing. The cinematography is stunning. June 12, 2008

Trippy

Not as powerful as several of his other films but Juliet has always been a fun watch for me. Arguably the weakest flimsiest plot of any Fellini movie and that's saying something. Even Satyricon and 8 1/2 have discernable plots that figure into the overall understanding of the film's intent or message. In Juliet a woman hallucinates about her suspicions about her husband and her childhood. That's it. That's the entire plot. Fellini might be trying to say something deep about loneliness, longing, disillusionment and betrayal but the message seems to be subordinate to the images in this case. It is as if Fellini had all of these bizarro images floating around in his head and needed some excuse, any excuse, to put them on celluoid for his first shot in color feature. Consequently, the viewer is treated to over two hours of loosely held together intriguing, beguiling, provocative, confusing, funny, fascinating and beautifully filmed images. I'd like to watch it high sometime. August 27, 2007

Accessible film about a Fantasy life transforming and informing reality.

One of Fellini's most accessible films (his use of color really helps), he once again plays reality against an active fantasy life... fantasies that combine memory, fears, fleeting desires and the way we imagine the lives of others. For me, one of the things that makes a film 5 star is that it provides something that only film can provide, and this is it; while the presentation is very theatrical, this quick intercutting of time/memory/mood can only be done in film.
While the overall message is a very conservative (pre/anti-feminist) one of it's day, Fellini DOES liberate a woman's fantasy life, and this is the essence of his leading "little woman." The predominant action of the film is in her imagination.
This was the day when middle/upper class Italian women did not work, and Masina represents the "good little woman." Rich enough to have servants, there was little to occupy her time or mind, other than similar friends who have veered to the outre and wierd just to have something to do. Masina's character searches more internally, and her fantasies color her vision of the lives of others. (Note that her usual circle of friends are equated with a fantasy of death, and you'll be clued into her psyche as these begin.)
I think you have to have lived a bit to "get" Fellini - I didn't like his work when I was younger - I love this. Also note his use of color as "percieved color" not literal color and this is worth many viewings.
And finally, if you are a larger woman... nothing makes you feel so great about being a large woman as watching Fellini's glorious Amazons!
April 11, 2007

My favorite film

This was the first Fellini film I ever saw and I was awestruck. I saw it ironically on a videotape that my English teacher had taped it off of public television- channel 11 here in Chicago. However, she had erased over it(the first 3/4 of the movie), as I had asked her if she could tape the season finale of the first season of "Twin Peaks"-whoa, I'm dating myself! Thank you Mrs. Cantrell for introducing me to a master director and shaping me into what I am today; though I always tended to favor the weird, whimsical and offbeat. So, I immediately rushed to the video store and rented out a copy of "Juliet"("Giulietta degli Spiriti,") so I could watch the first part. The print on the video was pretty old and faded but I've been enjoying Criterion's excellent remaster. This dvd is stunning and the colors are so vibrant. It just reminds me of an Easter, pastel fantasy- all that is transgressing in Juliet's disturbed mind.
In the opening scene, Juliet sets up for a romantic evening with her husband to celebrate their wedding anniversary but instead is disappointed when Giorgio comes home with an entourage of their freinds. Later, Juliet and freinds engage in a seance session with the assistance of Genius, the mystic. It is determined that Juliet is also gifted and has sort of a sixth sense and gravitates to spirits. Iris, a spirit that has surfaced from the seance follows Juliet throughout the film and becomes her conscience. Juliet escapes in her fantasies and hears so-called spirits may lead the viewer to believe she has gone off her rocker! Juliet's visions and or images vary from the beautiful to frightening. She's a tormented soul since her younger days as her childhood freind Laura committed suicide for love. Now as a lonely housewife she witnesses her husband calling out another woman's name as they lie in bed together. She suspects her husband is having an affair and hires private investigators. Juliet also appears to have an inferiority complex towards her overcritical mother and more "successful" older sister. In the interim Juliet befreinds Suzy, the lady of the villa next door. Suzy head of the bordello style household throws extravagantly lavish orgy filled parties and immerses Juliet in her freinds, weird play acting, sex and wine and even sets Juliet up with her nephew for an evening rendevous. Juliet struggles with her self; she desires to fulfill her lust for sex and man but the spirit of Laura is persuading her not to act upon her desires as it is sinful.
Will Juliet find her inner peace? Will the spirits guide her or is it just all in her world of fantasy she has created for herself to escape from harsh realities of life including her husband's infidelity. Or will she follow the path of her childhood freind Laura who is in eternal peace.


Julius-Allan H.
September 13, 2006

Not up to the best of Criterion

Simply put, the sound sucks on this DVD (the music soundtrack especially - it sucked on VHS and sucks on this DVD) - with so much technology around, the sound quality could have been improved -
Visually, the main body of the film is cleaned up, with a decent (if not overwhelming) color palette, but irritating when you can see specks during the opening credits (not the first Criterion Edition to do this ) -

Becuase I find the film endearing I'll put up with these deficiencies - But this is not one of Criterion's best efforts - June 28, 2006

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