Review of Juliet of the Spirits (1965) by Eric F — 25 Jul 2009

Working with technicolor for the very first time, beloved Italian director Federico Fellini experimented with psychedelic imagery and a thorough embrace of the color palette in "Juliet of the Spirits". While black-and-white photography tends to be associated with a dreamlike elegance, color films are typically referred to as more realistic and accessible. Directors like Fellini or Powell & Pressburger, however, often abandoned those notions of realism and simply flaunted their terrific art direction in an over-saturated display of bright costumes, exaggerated lighting, and overwhelming set design. Although it was released in 1965, the production at times resembles an early Hollywood technicolor film from the 1930s.

While Fellini was beloved by film fans throughout the 50's and the early 60's, to some "Juliet of the Spirits" marked his decline. While his earlier works are almost universally praised, from "La Dolce Vita" to "8 1/2", the later color films are often criticized for a lack of vision and being nothing more than a masturbatory display of style over substance.

Juliet (Giulietta Masina, Fellini's wife) is a bourgeois housewife married to the unsatisfying and empty businessman, Giorgio (Mario Pisu). Soon, after discovering she can hear voices in an odd seance scene, Juliet begins existing simultaneously with her ghostly visions. She spends much time with her neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), a confident tease with a never-ending onslaught of admirers. Not only does Suzy have a treehouse with an elevator to carry her lovers to the top, but she has a slide in her bedroom that leads to a swimming pool.

Many of Juliet's visions deal with Catholic guilt, a reoccuring theme in Fellini's films. The visions aren't handled typically, but rather in a circus of flamboyant and often horrifying creations. One of her biggest nightmares, a grinning woman burning on a crucifix, seems to pop up around every corner.

"Juliet of the Spirits" doesn't work as well as Fellini's other films do. Whereas Masina was unforgettable and relentlessly lovable in "Nights of Cabiria", here she is completely distant. I found myself unable to connect with the material on an emotional level, but I was nevertheless always interested by the fantastical display of costuming and set design. It's a strange film, but one with a never-ending amount of unique visions that you'll remember for a lifetime.