Julia (1977)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Lillian Hellman (novel)
Alvin Sargent (writer)

Release Date:

20 enero 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Frase comercial:

The story of two women whose friendship suddenly became a matter of life and death.

Plot:

At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.

Plot Keywords:

London | Hat | 1930s | Austria | Smuggling

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 21 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Good Tension

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Lillian Hellman
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Julia
Jason Robards	...	Dashiell Hammett
Maximilian Schell	...	Johann
Hal Holbrook	...	Alan Campbell
Rosemary Murphy	...	Dorothy Parker
Meryl Streep	...	Anne Marie
Dora Doll	...	Woman Passenger
Elisabeth Mortensen	...	Girl Passenger
John Glover	...	Sammy
Lisa Pelikan	...	Julia (younger)
Susan Jones	...	Lillian (younger)
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Grandmother
Maurice Denham	...	Undertaker
Mark Metcalf	...	Pratt

Duración:

118 min

País:

USA

Idioma:

French | German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonido:

Mono

Clasificación:

Indonesia:Dewasa | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Central Station, Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivialidades:

Faye Dunaway turned down the role of Julia.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The basis of the entire film is the restrictions in pre-WWII Nazi Germany on the import of foreign (such as American) currency. There was no such restriction. Stable foreign currency was welcomed in an era when extreme inflation was a recent memory.

Quotes:

Dottie: Way down deep he's very superficial.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in It's My Party (1996)

Good Tension

If a film is nominated for nine Academy Awards, it has to be worth something. Anyone who pans this film simply is trying to be negative to be negative. What's the point in that? Seeing the positive is much more convincing, and Julia has plenty to offer. Jane Fonda proves she is one of the last great actresses who can deliver material with an emotional fervor and still be mature about it. We have Glenn Close and Meryl Streep today, only to name a couple of talents, but they are entering their twilight years. The days of mature women gracing the screen giving superb performances are seemingly in decline. They're out there, yes, but not in abundance – that's for sure.

In any event, Julia is highlighted by a number of great performances and some tense moments. The film is thoroughly engaging, especially the last half of it. I love Vanessa Redgrave, but an Oscar for that performance was not justified in my mind. The Oscars are a tricky bag and not always correct, but politics are forever present. Judi Dench won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love and did not deserve it for that role, either. An aging actress playing a queen for eight minutes, which could have been played just as well by a number of other actresses, does not justify an Oscar. I know I am rambling here, but I feel if you, as the viewer, can picture another actor/actress playing the part on an equal par or even better perhaps, then an Oscar is not warranted. One last example: Melanie Griffith in Working Girl was outstanding, memorable, and unique. It may not have been the most difficult role, but she nailed it and made it her own.

Regardless of Redgrave's win, she is still terrific as is the rest of the cast. If you can catch this film on cable, watch it!