Juliet of the Spirits

Juliet of the Spirits (Italian: Giulietta degli spiriti) is a 1965 Italian-French fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo, Mario Pisu, Valentina Cortese, and Valeska Gert. The film is about the visions, memories, and mysticism of a middle-aged woman that help her find the strength to leave her philandering husband.^[2] The film uses "caricatural types and dream situations to represent a psychic landscape."^[3] It was Fellini's first feature-length color film, but followed his use of color in The Temptation of Doctor Antonio in the portmanteau film Boccaccio '70 (1962). Juliet of the Spirits won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1966.

Plot

Giulietta explores her subconscious and the odd lifestyle of her sexy neighbour, Suzy, as she attempts to deal with her mundane life and her philandering oppressive husband, Giorgio. As she increasingly taps into her desires (and her demons) she slowly gains greater self-awareness leading to independence although, according to Fellini's wife, the real-life Giulietta, this end result may be interpretable.^[4]

Cast

• Giulietta Masina as Giulietta Boldrini
• Sandra Milo as Suzy / Iris / Fanny
• Mario Pisu as Giorgio, Giulietta's husband
• Valentina Cortese as Valentina
• Valeska Gert as Pijma
• José De Villalonga as Giorgio's friend
• Fredrich Ledebur as Headmaster / Saint
• Caterina Boratto as Giulietta's mother
• Lou Gilbert as Grandfather
• Luisa Della Noce as Adele
• Silvana Jachino as Dolores
• Milena Vukotic as Elisabeta, the maid
• Fred Williams as Lynx-Eyes' agent
• Dany París as Desperate friend
• Anne Francine as Psychodramatist
• Sylva Koscina as Sylva
• Elena Fondra as Elena
• George Ardisson as Dolores' model
• Genius as Valentina's lover
• Elisabetta Gray as Teresina, the tall maid
• Alberto Plebani as Lynx-Eyes
• Yvonne Casadei as Susy's maid
• Mario Conocchia as Lawyer
• Federico Valli as Lynx-Eyes' agent
• Sabrina Di Sepio as Granddaughter
• Asoka Rubener as Bhisma's helper
• Alba Cancellieri as Giulietta as a child
• Sujata Rubener as Bhisma's helper
• Cesarino Miceli Picardi as Friend of Giorgio^[5]

Production

Juliet of the Spirits was shot at Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy; Fregene, Fiumicino, Rome, Lazio, Italy; and Safa-Palatino, Rome, Lazio, Italy (studio).^[6]

Awards and nominations

• 1965 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film Won
• 1966 David di Donatello Award for Best Actress (Giulietta Masina) Won
• 1966 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film Won
• 1966 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Cinematography, Color (Gianni Di Venanzo)
• 1966 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Production Design (Piero Gherardi) Won
• 1966 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress (Sandra Milo) Won
• 1966 National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film Won
• 1966 National Board of Review Award for Top Foreign Film Won
• 1967 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director (Federico Fellini) Won
• 1967 Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Film (Federico Fellini) Won^[7]

Reception

Juliet of the Spirits holds an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the New York Times, Stephen Holden wrote, "Fellini went deliriously and brilliantly bananas with the colour to create a rollicking through-the- looking-glass series of tableaus evoking a woman's troubled psyche."

References

Bibliography

External links

• Juliet of the Spirits at the Internet Movie Database
• Juliet of the Spirits at AllMovie
• Juliet of the Spirits at Metacritic
• Roger Ebert review
• 1965 NYT review by Bosley Crowther