Giulietta degli spiriti (1965)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Tullio Pinelli (story) ...

Release Date:

3 November 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Fellini's Masterpiece !

Plot:

Visions, memories, and mysticism all help a 40-something woman to find the strength to leave her cheating husband.

Plot Keywords:

Extramarital Affair | Circus | Drug Use | Androgyny | Catholicism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins

Cast

Giulietta Masina	...	Giulietta Boldrini
Sandra Milo	...	Suzy / Iris / Fanny
Mario Pisu	...	Giorgio (Giulietta's husband)
Valentina Cortese	...	Valentina
Valeska Gert	...	Pijma
José Luis de Villalonga	...	Giorgio's friend (as José De Villalonga)
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Medium (as Fredrich Ledebur)
Caterina Boratto	...	Giulietta's mother
Lou Gilbert	...	Grandfather
Luisa Della Noce	...	Adele
Silvana Jachino	...	Dolores
Milena Vukotic	...	Elisabeta (the maid)
Fred Williams	...	Lynx-Eyes' agent
Dany París	...	Desperate friend
Anne Francine	...	Psychodramatist

Also Known As:

Juliet of the Spirits (USA)
Juliette des esprits (France)

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Safa-Palatino, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Rizzoli Film

Trivia:

Director Federico Fellini claimed he took LSD in preparation for making this film.

Quotes:

Giulietta Boldrini: I don't care about the clemency you offer me but the salvation of my soul.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Familiar Spirits (1966) (TV)

Fellini's deepest dreams

Juliet of the Spirits has become one of my favorite Fellini films. The story involves a woman who discovers that her husband is cheating on her. The forces of family, tradition, the church, and an immoral society all pull at her and force her to make a difficult decision. These forces would be banal in a standard film but Fellini chooses to visualize them as images and dreams. The dream sequences are nearly perfect and create a sharp sense of the hazy logic and unreality of dreams. Other comments (as well as our friend Maltin) have noted that the symbolic nature of the film is a detriment. This is true only if you are constrained by reality and demand that film adhere to the rules you have set down (or more likely had set down for you). Taking the journey with this film is well worth the time and effort. I hesitate to state that a male director has successfully penetrated the inner desires of a woman, but in this case I think Fellini has at least come close to the mark. A film to be looked at, talked about, and enjoyed again and again.