Julia

In the autumn of 1977, after a severe lack in the last few years of strong, complex women's roles in films several promising movies were slated to open where the female(s) would be front and center. These included Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine in "The Turning Point", Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek in "3 Women", Marsha Mason in "The Goodbye Girl" and Diane Keaton in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar". However probably the most eagerly anticipated of them all was Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave in "Julia". Not only was this to be Fonda's comeback Hollywood film, after her self-imposed exile and political blacklisting, but also there was avid curiosity to see these two notorious political firebrands playing radical women of the 1930's. People wanted to see if art would mirror life.As the film opens, it's early morning and there is a solitary figure sitting in a rowboat fishing on a mist-shrouded lake. She is Lillian Hellman (Jane Fonda), the renowned playwright and author, now an aging woman. Her thoughts are expressed in an inner monologue as she revisits her life as a young woman and remembers the two strongest influences in molding and developing her character. They are her lover and literary mentor for many years, the esteemed writer Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), and her best friend from childhood, the beautiful, passionate, socially committed Julia (Vanessa Redgrave). The majority of the film is set in the early to late 1930's where Lillian's two complicated relationships with Julia and Hammett are intertwined. Hammett and Lillian live together in a cottage on Long Island Sound as she tries to write her first play, and he serves as editor and critic. Blocked, Lillian decides to take a sabbatical in Europe, intending to visit Julia there who is studying for a medical degree in Vienna, living in a sector that has socialist and left wing activists striving to create positive political change. However Julia is brutally beaten and injured in a fascist riot, Lillian visits her twice in the hospital but then Julia is removed to an unknown destination for additional surgery and rehabilitation. An extremely frustrated and concerned Lillian is unable to make contact with her, and reluctantly returns home. She reworks her play, "The Children's Hour", it is a smash hit on Broadway and she is the toast of the town. In 1937, Lillian takes another trip to Europe and tries to visit with Julia. In the lobby of her Paris hotel Lillian is approached by a nondescript middle-aged stranger who identifies himself as Johann (Maximilian Schell). He is a friend of Julia's and gives Lillian a letter from her. In it, Julia asks a critical favor of Lillian to smuggle $50,000 into Nazi Germany for her to use to bribe Nazis to release Jews and other political prisoners. Lillian will need to take a train that will let her off in Berlin where she will exchange the money with a courier. Although Julia warns Lillian not to do it if she truly feels she can't, that there will be no dishonor, after some soul searching she decides to take on this dangerous mission.Fonda is unqualifiedly marvelous as the legendary writer Lillian Hellman. She is like a tightly coiled spring, ready to snap, releasing an incendiary temper. Her body language is tense and contained, her guard continually up, and she seldom seems to relax fully except when she is with Julia. Yet, Fonda suggests the many currents channeled inside Hellman, the relentless drive to be the best, her fierce integrity and her honest, forthright character. Her Hellman is not always endearing, but she will earn your respect and ultimately admiration. She incorporates a quirky little gesture the real Hellman used, which is making the sign of the cross while saying "Oi veh!' which adds a nice touch of authenticity. In addition Fonda uses a cigarette for a prop better than any actress since Bette Davis, and looks very sleek and stylish most of the time. This performance earned her a third Best Actress Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe, a British Film Academy Award and sealed her Hollywood comeback.As the title character Vanessa Redgrave doesn't come off quite as well. However, this is not her fault. Lillian Hellman's autobiography was entitled "An Unfinished Woman" and that exactly pinpoints the problem with the character of Julia both in Hellman's original "Pentimento" and Alvin Sargent's screenplay. Julia is an enigma, as ephemeral as a puff of smoke, too one sided and saintly, having no real flaws, and seems more like a symbol of nobility and justice rather than a flesh and blood woman. Redgrave is a luminous presence with a perfect American accent but really only has the opportunity to register strongly in her wordless scene in the hospital and especially in the meeting with Lillian in the Berlin café. This is hands down the best scene in the film and Fonda and she soar with it. These two scenes are what earned her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.The supporting cast is quite good, Jason Robards as the craggy, laconic Dashiell Hammett won his second Best Supporting Actor in a row. He and Fonda work much more fortuitously together than in their initial pairing eleven years earlier in the fluffy "Any Wednesday". Maximilian Schell in a cameo part as Johann makes such an impact that he was nominated as well for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. As the adolescent Julia and Lily, Lisa Pelikan and Susan Jones are well cast in terms of resemblance to Redgrave and Fonda. Rosemary Murphy (also an "Any Wednesday" alumna!) and Hal Holbrook are diverting as another noteworthy writer, Dorothy Parker and her husband Alan Campbell. Although I find Meryl Streep vastly overrated as an actress, for those that fancy her, she makes her film debut in a tiny part. Finally I do want to mention the veteran actress Cathleen Nesbitt who appears as Julia's grandmother, and clicks in her brief moments as a grande dame.In his next to last film master director Fred Zinnemann displays his usual meticulous craftsmanship and sensitivity. The script by Alvin Sargent is for the most part a skillful, literate adaption of Hellman's story, and he won an Oscar for his efforts. Great care and taste were evidenced in putting this film together, it's handsome, elegant, with a classic style as evidenced in the production design by Gene Callahan, Carmen Dillon and Willy Holt, and the costume design by Anthea Sylbert. The cinematography by Douglas Slocombe with exteriors in Oxford and Paris is outstanding as is the original musical score by George Delerue.Critically lauded for the most part, "Julia" performed quite well at the box office and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including besides those mentioned above, nominations for Best Picture and Director. Now many years later it seems to have slipped somewhat out of favor, the only extra besides the subtitle options are its original trailer. Too bad Fonda and Redgrave didn't do a commentary; their insights into the film would have been interesting. Perhaps a possible reason might be when it was released "Julia" was advertised with the byline "Based on a true story". However now there is a high degree of skepticism of it's authenticity, despite Lillian Hellman' insistence that it all actually occurred as written. More probably, on some strong evidence that has been presented the chapter of "Julia" in her book "Pentimento" was most likely fiction based on a real life counterpart Muriel Gardiner, an American heiress working for the Austrian resistance during the initial Nazi occupation before the outbreak of World War II. Although they never met Hellman and she shared the same lawyer, and it is thought he told Hellman Gardiner's story, which had many parallels to Julia's. Regardless, it is worth a viewing for what may be the only chance to see two of the finest film actresses of their generation act together, plus see the final film success of renowned director Fred Zinnemann.

Movie 4 of 1977 and 45 overall in my journey through films of my lifetime.This was exactly what I was hoping for when I began this retrospective. I wanted an amazing story told in an amazing way. Something to make me think, a puzzle to contemplate. From the opening scene to the beautiful final frame I was enthralled. While "Farewell My Lovely" was great I gave it five stars because I felt it accomplished its noble goals. "Julia" was just objectively fantastic. My top two favorite movies of all time are "Memento" directed by Christopher Nolan and "Mulholland Drive" directed by David Lynch. I rob those movies of nothing mentioning "Julia" in the same breath.The skill of this director is unmatched by many I have seen. It was the first of his for me and I hope it won't be my last. A good example of his abilities, other than the amazing use of the camera to show me the story, comes in the train scenes. Constant droning, like the tracks, the steam that sounded like everything could go wrong at any time, the close ups, the silencing of the music which was ubiquitous to that point. All of this came together to put me on that train but more importantly to feel the paranoia.Jane Fonda was stellar! She needed few words to convey emotion. Today female leads are usually there to appeal to the feminist and alienate males. I could completely relate to Lillian as Fonda tapped universal emotions that anyone could relate to. I'm no feminist and I don't believe "Julia" is a feminist film. Effeminate strength, which I am well equanted with having grown up with a strong grandmother and two aunts, was on display and I was so glad to see someone be female and show strength without having to imitate a male.There was indeed a pro socialist slant. Hagel, Marks, and the proletarian dream in Vienna, that is to say the time and place for the arts, was all there as part of Julia's education. We see her struggle with the Fascist wave in France. In a flashback we see Lillian was into the glamor and the jet setting. Julia had to scold her for "not listening" which really meant "you don't care" like a good old activist presenting her credentials for moral superiority. An interesting aside: the problem with Fascists was that they were at the seat of power. Interesting that the problem with communists/socialists was when they were at the seat of power. Look at ANTIFA today (anti-fascists like Julia in ideology not actions) their solution: silence opposition with violence. The problem is more that of anthropology than idiology. Humanity seems to be the issue more so than how it is governed by the few. So susceptible to corruption. More on Julia later but I'll just say that her bent toward idiology made the movie intellectually stimulating and was never used to try to persuade the audience to embrace her views.The Music was pitch perfect! If you have followed this retrospective you understand how important that is to me.This movie will never be remade as no one in Hollywood today smart enough to make anything like this.Later we discover that Julia is a force for good against the Nazis. In some sense we are to see that her socialist training prepared her for this. She is smart enough to be morally good as a socialist (after all she understood Einstein and was going to work for Sigmund Freud!) that we can trust her instincts. In truth education has hardly been the cause of good moral behavior. Ironically the Nazis were comprised of some of the most educated the world had ever seen to this point and today it's not hard to find a campus ethicist that couldn't justify almost any axiological supposition. It's important to note though that this merely betrays the assumptions of the movie's creator's unlike today where one is expected to go through rigorous indoctrination as one watches a movie. Don't believe me? Watch "The Deep End" or "Contact" as an example. You'll see. In the end it is edifying to the audience to see their intelligence respected this way."Julia" is not a perfect movie. There were obvious camera work flaws as well as anachronisms that are apparent on first viewing along with some editing stumbles.I felt that the friendship between Julia and Lillian was a little forced and never had the emotional impact the film wanted me to feel.Despite its flaws I will say that I was impressed. I will show respect for the film by offering no pro/con list. I fleshed out all points in the film that I wanted to make. I'm just thrilled I found such a wonderful movie!

And one of the best ever performances by Jane Fonda. Meryl Streep’s first performance in a major movie (at the time).

This is a review of the excellent but basic 2014 standard Region 2 DVD from Odyssey.Fred Zinnemann was one of THE great Hollywood directors, a maverick with a reputation for taking risks. His works include some of the best films ever made: ‘High Noon’ (1952); ‘A Man for All Seasons’ (1966); ‘The Day of the Jackal’ (1973), and he won 4 OSCARs. ‘Julia’ (1977), was his last success, winning 3 OSCARs and 8 nominations.Like Zinnemann, writer Lillian Hellman was Jewish. Well-educated and well-travelled, she had a play premiere on Broadway in 1934, aged only 29. She also became involved with mystery writer and screenwriter, Dashiell Hammett. Later, she herself had plays turned into films: ‘Watch on the Rhine’ (1943); ‘The Little Foxes’ (1941), both with Bette Davies. She was blacklisted after appearing before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and refusing to answer questions. She appears to have generated considerable controversy at times, largely because others challenged facts she described; one long-running feud ended in her filing a libel suit.One chapter of her 1973 book ‘Pentimento’, dealing with her lifelong friendship with the wealthy ‘Julia’, was adapted as this film. But the entire content of the chapter has been challenged; even the existence of Julia cannot be proved. It is possible that Julia was really psychiatrist Muriel Gardiner, whom Hellman had never met, but whose story accords closely with Julia’s ~ Gardiner and Hellman shared a lawyer. Zinnemann came to doubt Hellman’s account, called her a ‘phony’, and finished thoroughly disliking her.So then, what of this fictitious work? My husband saw it years ago, and seeing it again, commented that he still found it as slow and pretentious as he did originally! I liked it rather more, finding both good and bad aspects.Firstly, the title is a total misnomer. This film is not about Julia (played with passion and credibility by Vanessa Redgrave). It is about, ENTIRELY about, Hellman herself. Jane Fonda is superb in the role ~ believable, elegant, irritating and self-obsessed, clearly terrified. A lot of the film is given over to her struggles with composing her works, her frustration and her desire to be famous. And yes, these aspects are somewhat slow and introduce us to several unappetising characters, particularly Meryl Streep in her first role, as a bitchy friend.The ‘back story’ is curious, especially as it is clearly hokum; I cannot understand how Hellman came to write this.However, the parts of the film set in Europe are riveting. This is when Hitler was on the rise, and Fascism on the march across Europe. Being a Jew, being on the Left politically, could earn a beating or even death. This is superbly depicted in a way that is different from other accounts. Hellman’s train ride is memorably claustrophobic and terrifying.So, excellent in parts, flawed in others: 4 Stars for a Curate’s Egg !

It's hard to believe that this outstanding drama was largely overlooked at the Oscars in favour of Annie Hall. This was THE best picture of 1977 !.Both Jane Fonda & Vanessa Redgrave are superb along with excellent support from Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook & especially Maximilian Schell.The blu-ray transfer is equally excellent with sharp picture & clear sound throughout. Even though it's a US blu-ray release, it will playback on region B blu-ray players as I believe the disc is region free.There are other films from the 70's released by 20th Century Fox which neither look nor sound as good as this. Very strongly recommended.

Jane Fonda expressed her midlife crisis in a series of films about challenged and tortured characters lacking the usual conflict and resolution; her heartfelt ON GOLDEN POND is established as her masterpiece while her other Oscar material rarely comes out from the vaults.Purportedly a true story about the midcentury writer, Lillian Hellman, the first act of JULIA tells of the intimate friendship between Lillian, played by Ms. Fonda, and Vanessa Redgrave as Julia, a couple of middle-class schoolgirls living on the Atlantic shore near New York City. Made up like no make-up, the 40-year-old Fonda is hardly recognizable, looking like 30 in the teenaged role. The make-up artists did another tour de force on Ms. Redgrave, too. When Julia goes to Europe, Lillian shacks up with greybearded mentor, Jason Robards as Dashiel HammettThe long second act tells of Lillian's decision to go to Paris to write, where a letter from Julia persuades her to smuggle $50,000 in greenbacks to Berlin for antiNazi Germans to buy the release of political prisoners. The pace of the movie is slow; the train trip is so detailed as to feel like slow motion.After completing her mission successfully, Lillian gets out of Germany in the nick of time. Julia is killed by Nazis. Lillian spends the brief third act vainly seeking for Julia and her infant child.A street scene set in London shows an apartment building identical to the brownstones on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It is reasonable to suppose that a lot of New York's Victorian and Edwardian architecture was imported from England. Might one suppose that the producer of JULIA saved the cost of transporting the crew overseas by finding lookalikes in the warrens of old Manhattan?Supported by Maximillian Schnell and Meryl Streep's film debut, JULIA is a woman's movie portraying character and emotions amid prewar suspense. And for fans who want to scope every shot Jane ever made.

Fantastic cast, written by Alvin Sargent from a memoir by Lillian Hellman, directed by Fred Zinneman. It is not a masterpiece but with that line-up of talent, it is a fine film.

I have loved this movie forever. I lost my previous copy, and I am thrilled that I now have an excellent replacement copy. Well packaged and quickly delivered!