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20th Century Fox
Not part of a collection.
The story of two women whose friendship suddenly became a matter of life and death.
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
tmdb76622195
Sep 28, 2023 · via TMDB
The great filmmaker Fred Zinnemann, in the twilight of his career, proved he could still direct with the best of them. Jane Fonda plays writer Lillian Hellman. Hellman is living a quiet life with her lover, Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), as she tries to pound out a play. The duo are a perfect match- hard drinking, hard smoking; Hammett is Hellman's mentor and support. Through Hellman's memories, we see a different side. Hellman was once friends with Julia (Vanessa Redgrave), a passionate and lonely girl who was admired by Hellman. The two have physically lost touch over the years, but still remain close through letters. Finally, Lillian tries to contact Julia. Julia leads Lillian into some pre-World War II anti-Nazi intrigue which tests the bounds of their friendship. The most interesting aspect of the film is Fonda's portrayal of Lillian Hellman. She does an excellent job of being bold and confident around Hammett, but turns into an almost child-like, stuttering woman around Julia, and when involved with Julia's plan to smuggle money into Berlin to help out the Jews. Fonda does not seem a likely choice, physically, but she does well. Redgrave won the Oscar deservedly, especially when her character is not onscreen much of the time, or lying in bed bandaged and unable to speak. Robards is good, as is Maximilian Schell in a tiny role as one of Julia's co-conspirators. The supporting cast also includes familiar faces like Hal Holbrook, John Glover- who was also in "Annie Hall," that year's Best Picture Oscar winner, and Meryl Streep. Alvin Sargent's screenplay jumps back and forth in time, and Zinnemann keeps the viewer grounded. Every shot he makes is beautiful, the film looks very expensive, but there is a grittiness to the look that tells you Hellman's life was not all roses. "Julia" is a hard film to explain in one or two sentences. It concerns friendship, loss, sorrow, war, and chain smoking. It is one of the most underrated films of the 1970's, and my pick for the second best film of 1977 right after "Star Wars".
CinemaSerf
Mar 28, 2023 · via TMDB
"Julia" and "Lillian" have been best friends since childhood. Even as time has passed, the two have stayed in touch and remained affectionate. The former (Vanessa Redgrave) has found herself in Germany in the 1930s and is determined to do what she can to thwart the rise of the Nazis - or, at least, to help those in their sights to flee. To that end, she contacts her playwright buddy (Lillian Hellman, who wrote the screenplay based on her own book and played here by Jane Fonda) asking her if she could help move a rather large sum of money into the country for her to fund her ever more dangerous activities. What now ensues has Fred Zinnemann direct a train journey that has just about everyone - especially Miss Fonda - on the edge of their seats. Passport checks, customs checks - we know where the money is, but can she make it through? It's this stage of the film that offers us the most jeopardy and is really quite enthralling. Thereafter, it falls a little into melodrama and the intensity diminishes somewhat. That said, though, this sees a convincing effort from Jane Fonda and an engaging supporting one from her neighbour and confidante "Hammett" (Jason Robards). Redgrave actually features quite sparingly - but her scenes do go some way to reminding us of just how brutal and ruthless the regime was - and of how safety was definitely at a premium for any detractors. Georges Delerue has written a score that complements the story well - one which has a powerful degree of authenticity to it at times. The film looks good, there is plenty of attention to the detail of the production design and though it peters out a little at the end, is certainly a truth worth watching.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Jane Fonda
Lillian Hellman
Vanessa Redgrave
Julia
Jason Robards
Dashiell Hammett
Maximilian Schell
Johann
Hal Holbrook
Alan
Rosemary Murphy
Dorothy Parker
Meryl Streep
Anne Marie
Dora Doll
Woman Passenger
Elisabeth Mortensen
Girl Passenger
John Glover
Sammy
Lisa Pelikan
Young Julia
Cathleen Nesbitt
Julia's Grandmother
Maurice Denham
Undertaker
Mark Metcalf
Pratt
Stefan Gryff
'Hamlet'
Antony Carrick
Butler
Hans Verner
Vienna Concierge
Christian de Tillière
Paris Concierge
Lambert Wilson
Walter Franz
Lillian Hellman
Woman in Boat
Carmen Dillon
Production Design
Willy Holt
Production Design
Douglas Slocombe
Director of Photography
Anthony Waye
Assistant Director
Fred Zinnemann
Director
Walter Murch
Editor
Tom Pevsner
Associate Producer
Juliet Taylor
Casting
Georges Delerue
Original Music Composer
Lillian Hellman
Book
Alvin Sargent
Screenplay
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Oct 2, 1977
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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF
1978
Saddle Leather Law
1944
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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