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Julia More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 32 reviews in total |
31 out of 36 people found the following review useful:
Serious, splendidly done drama, 27 February 2006
Author:
arturus from New York, NY
This was one of the best pictures I had ever seen when it was first
released, and after almost thirty years, I still think so, especially
after watching the steady decline in quality of product that the film
industry has turned out since.
Gorgeously photographed, costumed and written, with some of the finest
acting on film, "Julia" succeeds in capturing the texture and truly
world shattering issues of a time and place, Europe between the wars
and on the brink of cataclysm. Everything about it shines, from the
scenes of childhood in flashback to the suspenseful and tense train
trip, I watch this film over and over waiting for one scene: the scene
between Fonda and Redgrave in the Berlin restaurant. I just saw it
again two hours ago and once again I was in awe of the acting, from
both stars, some of the finest work of their careers, the direction of
the scene and the spare, intense writing.
Whether the story itself was factual or not (Hellman might just have
made it all up!) it works on so many levels that it's still worthy, and
its truth or falsity just doesn't matter.
22 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
A great movie, 12 February 2006
Author:
pljewkes from Boston, MA
Fred Zinnemann's last great movie. Based on part of Lillian Hellman's memoir, the film stars Jane Fonda as Hellman as she recounts her friendship with the enigmatic JULIA, played by Vanessa Redgrave. Fonda is a bit too pretty to be entirely convincing as the homely Hellman, but she gives a gutsy performance, playing well with Redgrave and, to a greater degree, Jason Robards, who plays Dashell Hammett. Alvin Sargent's screenplay cleverly bends time, jumping back and forth as the story of Hellman's friendship with Julia is told. Zinnemann creates a melancholy feel that's sustained throughout. The movie has a deliberate pace not usually allowed in Hollywood. The excellent music by Georges Delerue is haunting and the cinematography by the under-appreciated Douglas Slocombe is beautiful. The supporting cast features Maximillian Schell, Cathleen Nesbitt as Julia's grandmother, Meryl Streep, Rosemary Murphy as Dorothy Parker and Hal Holbrook as Parker's husband Alan Campbell. They're all terrific with the exception of Holbrook, who tries to convey a witty raconteur, but only makes Campbell out to be a real jerk.
26 out of 35 people found the following review useful:
the gathering storm of Nazism, 11 August 2005
Author:
Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA
Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave continued their streak of formidable
roles with "Julia". Lillian Hellman (Jane Fonda) was childhood friends
with affluent Julia (Vanessa Redgrave). Julia has since abandoned her
wealth and devoted her life to fighting Fascism. She is currently
helping the resistance movements in Europe. Lillian decides to bring
some American currency to help Julia in her struggles. While in Europe,
she can certainly see the imprint of Nazism.
This movie does a masterful job not only showing the takeover by the
Nazis, but it also puts some other things in perspective. Since I saw
it a few days before the US invaded Iraq, I got the feeling of a
similarity in that way. Maybe the fact that someone in my dormitory was
playing a somber song on the piano (it may have been the "Schindler's
List" theme music) also contributed to that. But either way, the
perfect direction, script, cinematography, and performances by Fonda
and Redgrave, plus Jason Robards Jr as Dashiell Hammett and Maximilian
Schell as Julia's friend Johann, make this a perfect movie.
23 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
A masterpiece, 5 June 2001
Author:
Stormtrac2
After viewing this movie, I was in awe. What a brilliant movie! I could
watch it another 10 times. Jane Fonda is beautiful in her role. She plays
it as if it were her life story. The late Jason Robards is wonderful as her
grouchy companion. I'm surprised he won any awards, let alone an oscar for
his rather small role. However, as good as Fonda and Robards are, the
breathtaking Vanessa Redgrave shines over everyone else. Just looking into
those bright eyes can mesmerize you. She has the face of an angel: the
bright curly hair, the thin lips, and the eyes, too. She,too, had a rather
small role, and this was her only oscar winning performance (believe it or
not). The girl who portrayed her as a girl has the same face, and she, too
is magnificent. The writing is great, but the movie moves a little slow at
times.
8/10
16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Jane Fonda's Greatest Role: Jane As Lillian Hellman, 23 August 2006
Author:
FloatingOpera7 from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Julia (1977): Starring Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards,
Maximilian Schell, Rosemary Murphy, Meryl Streep, Lisa Pelikan, Susan
Jones, Cathleen Nesbitt, Hal Holbrook, Dora Doll, Elisabeth Mortensen,
Mark Metcalf, Maurice Denham, Stefan Gryff, Molly Urquhart, Jacques
David, Phillip Siegel, Anthony Carrick, Ann Quensberry, Jacqueline
Staup, Hans Verner, Edmond Bernard, Christian De Tilliere, Francis
Lemaire, Jacques Disses, Lambert Wilson, Dick Marr, Don
Koll....Director Fred Zinnemann, Screenplay Alvin Sargent.
Released in 1977, audiences who had read American playwright and
screenwriter Lillian Hellman's autobiographical novel "Pentimento",
were thrilled to watch this tale unfold with fine performances by Jane
Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards. Director Fred Zinneman (From
Here To Eternity, The Nun's Story) recreates a time in Lillian
Hellman's life with vivid intensity and powerful emotional impact. Jane
Fonda as Lillian is possibly her greatest performance. She captures the
spirit of the Louisiana-born playwright quite well and Hellman herself
must have been impressed. Hellman was still alive at this time (born
1905 died 1984). Among Miss Hellman's finest works include "The
Children's Hour", "The Little Foxes", "The North Star", "The Dark
Angel" and "Toys In The Attick" . The film follows the life of Hellman
and covers areas that are well-known, such as her long-term
relationship with mystery writer Dashiel Hemmett, played by Jason
Robards, her professional relationship with author Dorothy Parker
(portrayed by Rosemary Murphy), and her love of the city of Paris. But
the film focuses on her little-known relationship with a childhood
friend Julia (Vanessa Redgrave in a magnificent performance). Julia
studies medicine in Vienna but World War II breaks out. Julia becomes a
socialist and political activist who zealously opposes Nazism and
Fascism. She goes as far as to rescue the lives of Jews and other
victims of Hitler's regime. As such, she is always in mortal danger.
She maintains contact with Lillian through letters and eventually asks
for her help on a mission. Lillian travels to Moscow via Berlin, the
heart of danger at this time. Will Lillian reunite with Julia ? Will
the mission be accomplished ? Will things ever be the same now that
WWII has begun ? While the film is long, bittersweet and somewhat scary
in its powerful account, it's a well-written film and Jane Fonda and
Vanessa Redgrave, two noted stars, do their roles justice. Look for a
brief cameo by Meryl Streep, not yet a big star, as Julia's care-free
friend Ann Marie. Lillian Helman is finally vindicated in this fine
tribute to her as Hollywood of the late 70's was far more forgiving and
liberal than the old Hollywood of the 40's and 50's which had
blacklisted Hellman as communist and kept her from writing plays or
film scripts. With somewhat "stern" cinematography by veteran
film-maker Douglas Slocombe and haunting music by Georges Delerue, this
is an emotionally charged film that will move you and stir your soul.
It's a beautiful, tragic tale of two friends, full of the power of
human love.
12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
What a cast! What a production!, 14 February 1999
Author:
Harry Matthews from Brooklyn, NY
Just cast an eye at the credits (Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason
Robards, Maximillian Schell, Hal Holbroke, Meryl Streep, John Glover and
others directed by Fred Zinneman in a story by Lillian Hellman) and you know
this film is worth seeing. It delivers fabulous performances by some of the
best actors of our time, in a carefully -- yeah, sumptuously -- produced
film directed by one of Hollywood's most respected veterans, based on a
narrative by a gifted dramatist and tale-spinner.
The screenplay blends the two longest episodes in Lillian Hellman's
PENTIMENTO, the third, most engaging, and most imaginative of her memoirs.
It traces the (largely factual) struggle of Hellman to develop her talents
as a playwright under the tutelage of her long-time lover, Dashiell Hammett,
and the (largely fictional) course of her friendship with an anti-Nazi
activist. The character of Julia seems to be part fantasy, part composite
of women Hellman admired.
The film suffers from this blend of fact and fiction and even more from the
episodic nature of the intermixed stories. In addition (and to its credit),
it does not minimize Hellman's famously abrasive personality. But the
characters are so compelling, the performances so outstanding, and the
pacing so canny that it holds the viewer's interest for a full two hours.
A flawed but fascinating flick!
15 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
How Lillian Hellman saw the world around her, and despite personal success, was never satisfied with the injustice of it all., 27 October 2002
Author:
Aaron Louis Sqaat Lombard Arnold from Austin, TX
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.
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
It can't get much better than this., 18 January 1999
Author:
Shannon (julcharity@aol.com) from USA
The film "Julia" is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen. Vanessa Redgrave is not often given the credit she deserves for this film. I believe that it is her finest performance on film. Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Maximilian Schell also give stunning performances. Something that amazes me about this film is Lisa Pelikan's portrayal of a younger Julia. Her voice, her mannerisms and her all around screen presence is truly reminiscent of Redgrave. Normally younger counterparts in film seem nothing at all like the older version. The entire film just blows me away.
17 out of 28 people found the following review useful:
Fonda, Redgrave, Streep!, 27 April 2004
Author:
Christopher (mrcaw1@hotmail.com) from New York
Julia (1977)
Starring Jane Fonda as playwright Lillian Hellman and Vanessa Redgrave
(controversially winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) as a longtime
childhood friend. Meryl makes the most of her miniscule part as an
upper-class snob acquaintance of Ms. Fonda's. Basically it's a story of a
friendship. Redgrave's character, born into privilege, becomes part of the
Resistance movement in World War II torn Europe while Fonda fights her own
political battles in America while becoming a famous playwright.
The story focuses on an episode near the end of the friends' lives, when
Fonda goes to Europe to visit Redgrave, now completely consumed in
underground resistance activities and (summoning up bravery of her own)
smuggles in money to support the underground movement.
The movie succeeds on several levels. The cinematography, though shot in
color, successfully evokes a world of muddied browns, shadows and murkiness.
The screenplay, based on Hellman's own memoir is translated well,
capitalizing on Hellman's unique talent for imbuing simple moments with
heroic significance. The personal drama of the friendship is heightened
against the intrigue and always threatening possibilities of
war.
Julia provides a rare opportunity to see two female characters conducting
their lives not as appendages of men, but as independent protagonists.
Furthermore, social relationships, both on a personal and political level,
are presented, for a change, from a woman's point of view. Though not a
Streep showcase, it is a compelling movie that will haunt
you.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Redgrave shines in "Julia," despite controversy, 25 November 2005
Author:
rbarrett-1 from United States
Most remarkable, to me, about "Julia" is the understated acting of Vanessa Redgrave. For the amount of time she's on the screen, one would not assume her to be worthy of an Academy Award nomination, let alone the Oscar itself (1977, Best Supporting Actress). But there is something about that marvelous, tension-filled scene in the Berlin restaurant that comes across as nothing short of superior. Much the same can be said of Jason Robards as Dashiell Hammett, i.e. understated and short, and he, too, got the equivalent Oscar, rightfully outpointing co-star Maximillian Schell. What I had supposed would be a "chick flick" faux-biopic turned out to be a gripping drama on the highest order worth four stars from me.
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