Julia (1977)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Lillian Hellman (novel)
Alvin Sargent (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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:

Nazi | Writer | 1930s | Female Bonding | Smuggling

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 21 nominations

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

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Trivia:

Early on, director Fred Zinnemann actually considered casting Meryl Streep in the title role. However, as Streep was almost totally unknown as an actress--she had only one play to her credit, and never appeared in a film--Zinnemann decided to cast Vanessa Redgrave instead.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The plot of the entire film revolves around 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 "Saturday Night Live: Christopher Lee/Meat Loaf (#3.15)" (1978)

How Lillian Hellman saw the world around her, and despite personal success, was never satisfied with the injustice of it all.

A brilliantly acted masterpiece that thrives on a long time personal conflict many have with idealism versus self indulgence. Lillian Hellman, played by Jane Fonda, is unable to celebrate the thrill of her life time, success as a Broadway writer, as she looks at what's going on in the world, and attempts to ease her conscious by being drawn into European resistance by her longtime friend. Jason Robards plays Dashiell Hammett, her personal success encouragement. Vanessa Redgrave is her friend Julia, the other side of her personal dilemma. Also, the sets are exquisite. The acting is top notch.