Juliet of the Spirits

by Federico Fellini

Review of the film and Criterion DVD by Gary W. Tooze

Viewers of Federico Fellini's 1965 "Juliet of the Spirits" are melded into two visually splendid worlds. We are exposed to both unrestrained artistic affectations of a bourgeoisie lifestyle, later to be heavily representative of the directors style, and a delusional universe of a woman who recoils into fantasy, unable to deal with her impending marital divide.

In the character Juliet, we see a compliant wife who continually forgives her husband Giorgio's selfish shortcomings such as forgetting their wedding anniversary. Regardless, she seems content in her own world surrounded by domestic staff, and an entourage of eclectic friends and neighbors. However, one night her suspicions of her husbands infidelity are hinted at by a parlor psychic at a get-together at her home. The stress proves too much for Juliet and she passes out.

A similar, if more elaborate ritualistic encounter occurs a few days later when a bizarre eastern mystic once again confirms the marital discord, blaming her for Giorgio's roving eye.  She is still disbelieving and attempts to prove the accusations false and hires a very thorough private investigation agency who, a week later, callously inform her of the sordid details. Juliet now seems quiet, sad and accepting on her external persona but starts to avoid the harsh reality of the situation using her fertile imagination as a coping mechanism..

Juliet is played by Fellini's wife, Palm D'or winning actress, Guilietta Masina. Comparatively to the surrounding ensemble cast, she plays by far the most conservative character in the film in both attitude and stylish yet understated wardrobe. Undeniably though, she can still carry the film with her bright, receptive eyes... expressing Juliet's demeanor with a simple furrowed brow or shy smile.

The film bursts forth with bright colors and contemporary and nostalgic imagery of children playing, nature's beauty and the harmonious  warmth of friendly parties. Like future Fellini offerings, one can watch and enjoy, separating themselves from the story and allowing the interesting imagery to take over. Another of his enduring values in cinema history.

From his background as a cartoonist Fellini utilizes his unique command of exhibition and fantasy  with full force in this his first color film. The rich images are so friendly and expressive making it quite easy to attain the level of comfort and relaxation Fellini must certainly have been attempting to convey. His scenes skirt fearlessly between Juliet's daily exploits and her budding imagination, alternating between dream-like reality and the clouded diverse fantasies of her childhood and beyond.  

In one of the final scenes, Juliet's Mother appears as an apparition fulfilling the title characters unspoken opinion of her as a demanding, icy princess further enhancing the impossible expectations she has put on her daughter throughout her life.

With the reminiscent "Nights of Cabiria" musical theme playing almost nonchalantly in the background, the film ends with Juliet freeing herself from the confines of her out-of-control imagination as well as the marital home. She strolls through the front gate into the splendid magnificence of the adjoining forest. As all great artists, Fellini leaves us to interpret this conclusion in the variety of personal ways. Is this the conclusive fate for a lonely, aging, soon-to-be spinster? , or perhaps has she broken through the stress of her imminent emotional breakdown and overcome her mental delusions? or has she gone through the finals stages of emotional stress and mentally snapped ?

Perhaps one of my favorite of Fellini's films if only for the appeared restraint to adhere to the narrative while still allowing his cinematically explosive spectacle to appear in dynamic force on the screen. It is masterful and I give it out of

FILM and DVD Details

With a new and improved restoration and sub-title transfer Criterion has done it again with this DVD by bringing a masterful directors vision of beauty to a heightened new level within the medium. The disc includes a trailer and 20 minutes interview with Fellini where the master director relates experiences on LSD 25. I found it quite fascinating and the disc colors and clarity marvelous out of .

Release Information:
Studio: Home Vision Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: January 1, 1965
DVD Release Date: March 12, 2002
Run Time: 137 minutes
Production Company: Home Vision Entertainment
Package Type: Keep Case

Aspect Ratio(s):
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Discographic Information:
DVD Encoding: All Regions
Layers: Dual
Available Audio Tracks: Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Available subtitles: English

Edition Details:
• All Regions
• Color, Widescreen
• Theatrical trailer(s)
• New digital transfer
• New & improved English subtitle translation
• Familiar Spirits, a 19-minute interview with Fellini by Ian Dallas
• Widescreen anamorphic format