Main Cast: Giulietta Masina, Mario Pisu, Sandra Milo, Valentina Cortese, Sylva Koscina
Release Year: 1965
Country: FR/IT/WG
Run Time: 142 minutes
Plot
Juliet of the Spirits is a fantastical showcase for Federico Fellini's vibrant imagery, starring his wife, Giulietta Masina, as the titular leading character. Juliet is a wealthy housewife who constantly fears her husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu), is cheating on her. While she yearns for a peaceful intimate evening on the night of their 15th anniversary, the egotistical Giorgio has forgotten about it and instead arrives home with his eccentric friends. After a trip to a séance, Juliet is haunted by images from the spirit world, including obsessions from her past involving religion and her late relatives. With her sisters and mother prying into her life, Juliet seems to be seeking an inner peace amidst all the sexual temptations surrounding her. She meets her neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), a showy pleasure-seeker who lives in a sensual playhouse. It appears that all of Juliet's family, friends, and fantasies demand that she loosen up and embrace sexual freedom, yet she remains chaste and dowdy, lamenting over her unfaithful husband. The reasons for Juliet's repression are not clearly defined by the narrative, despite glimpses into her supposed imagination. Forced to endure the constant bombardment of sexually charged imaginings, the demure Juliet retreats on her own. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Review
The first Fellini film in color, Juliet of the Spirits is one of the director's lesser-known works and one with enigmatic meanings. Intending to reveal the fantasies and inner world of Juliet (played by Fellini's wife, Giulietta Masina), the fantastic events still seem to be streaming from Fellini himself. Memorable moments -- like the seaside parade and a bed with a slide into a pool -- show the director indulging in his gift for painting bizarre images. However, the story suffers compared to the vivid appeal of the visual spectacle. Masina's talents are almost mocked as she seems uncomfortably placed in the realm of her husband's fantasies while playing a wronged wife. The parallel relationship of the fictional Juliet and Giorgio with Masina and Fellini is further complicated by the presence of the flamboyant Suzy (Sandra Milo), who appeared in 8 1/2 as the mistress. Apparently, the husband and wife fought on the set, and it is debatable as to what the ending scene means, where Juliet walks off into the distance. For Fellini, she is embracing her freedom; for Masina, she was descending into loneliness. Not the best picture from either, Fellini's La Strada and Nights of Cabiria make far better use of Masina's sweet and charming comic talents. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Juliet of the Spirits (Italian: Giulietta degli spiriti) is a 1965 surrealist drama film about an Italian housewife, directed by Federico Fellini. It was Fellini's first feature-length color film, following its use in his "Temptation of Doctor Antonio" in the portmanteau film Boccaccio '70 (1962). Juliet of the Spirits won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
Plot
Giulietta (Giulietta Masina) explores her subconscious and the odd lifestyle of her sexy neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), as she attempts to deal with the mundane life and philandering husband (Mario Pisu) that oppress her. As she increasingly taps into her desires, as well as her demons, she slowly gains more self-awareness and, ultimately, independence.
