Fellini, after his two 1960s famous productions, LA DOLCE VITA and 8 1/2, made GIULIETTA DEGLI SPIRITI (1965), not only his first color film but a unique surreal work at various levels of analysis. While the two earlier movies dealt with the psyche of the male characters portrayed by Marcello Mastroianni, this movie deals with the psyche of a middle aged wealthy woman portrayed by Giulietta Masina, not only an actress - someone much more important: Fellini's wife who was at his side throughout his career. Yet, this is the film where Fellini becomes pretty vague, psychedelic towards viewers, but, at the same time, very friendly and sympathetic towards Giulietta. When I saw this film as a 17 year-old youngster, I did not like it. Now, however, when I see it again after 12 years, it appears much more artistic and clearer to me.
This is a sort of film that real connoisseurs of art will find ambiguous. Its entire content as well as its core idea have been, for all these 42 years, a true mystery: why the odd experience of the main character's mind affects us so powerfully, so magically? Fellini does not give final answers, he never does in his movies, he never forces us to like him - he invites us for the journey to the psyche. He introduces to us a profound insight into the very peripheries of a mind of the main character. Giulietta (Giulietta Masina) copes with a problem: her husband Giorgio (Mario Pisu) has a mistress. Some advise her to be a temple of love for her husband, some tell her to relax and ignore that, some prompt her to make more weird fun of life, to let out desires: these are the spirits who visit her, the spirits of her past and, supposedly, her presence. The transfers from reality are sometimes fluent, yet sometimes vague. We see various images derived from Giulietta's imagination where Fellini becomes very erotic like in his later work SATYRICON and uniquely egocentric like in no other of his movies. He claimed to have taken LSD before filming some scenes and therefore, the movie is at times extremely weird and pretty terrifying.
Because of its purely Felliniesque nature characterized as blending reality and fantasy, GIULIETTA DEGLI SPIRITI is not for everyone. It's, similarly to 8 1/2, rather a PSYCHOLOGY than LINEAR CONTENT and STORY. There are flashbacks, there are dreams, there are, foremost, fantasies. Moreover, this is yet another time Fellini has manifested his opinion about an individual within a decadent society. He seems to criticize social situations, its noise that looks for rest in magic and sensation. Meanwhile, he identifies with the characters, he understands them. It's at the same time, a biographical movie where, again, Fellini attempts at addressing the conscience of forgiveness to the female character in a marriage. Therefore, such short comments will never discuss the movie justly because it has to be deeply analyzed.
All those are resembled in many beautifully photographed scenes. For instance, I'll never forget the first 40 minutes of the film when we have a clear presentation of the characters and events of everyday life that have a serious impact on Giulietta's psyche. She is preparing a romantic party on the wedding anniversary; yet, her husband invites many noisy people to their house: various people, all bored with their wealth looking for more ecstasies. She does not show anger nor dissatisfaction and says to herself in the mirror: "At least don't be led to crying!" In Giulietta's house, they organize a meeting where they call spirits who post messages: "love for all" or "harlot" addressed to one lady whose aim in life is to sculpt, cook and make love. There is also a message for Giulietta: "Poor child, no one cares for you!" From this moment, Giulietta feels lost. She takes the words seriously and this leads her to a series of mental states that bring her to the very edge of hope, the very peripheries of mind; yet finally to a beautiful catharsis. Here, I would mention the character of Jose (Jose Luis De Villalonga), Giorgio's friend who offers Giulietta the drink, Sangria, and who gives her a beautiful advice about simplicity and water.
The performances are brilliant. Giulietta Masina does something really extraordinary in this movie. It is the third Fellini's movie after LA STRADA and NIGHTS OF CABIRIA where she was cast in the lead and here, we clearly see a mature woman absorbed by the naiveness of a child. She partly reflects Gelsomina and partly Cabiria; yet, Giulietta is neither the LA STRADA nor NIGHTS OF CABIRIA character: she is unique. In my opinion, Masina's Giulietta is one of the very best female roles in the history of cinema. Other great cast are Valentina Cortese as magic-absorbed Valentina, Sandra Milo as sensual woman of fantasies Suzy, Mario Pisu as the unfaithful husband and Lou Gilbert as the grandfather.
There is, however, a harmful aspect of the movie, too. What I mean by "harmful" is that the whole story does not have a more profound development of the consequence, a "moral" that always makes art more "ordered" and "available" for human mind and thought. Creativeness of order leads to harmony of art and Fellini ignores that in the movie. There is a cry for the reference to the sublime self assessment of human mind and actions. Why does Giulietta regain hope? What is the gist of those spirits in a life? What is the power of her psyche? Such questions may appear after seeing the film and may leave a viewer confused at times.
All in all, this is an important movie, a truly Felliniesque one. Although it is not my favorite work of the director, GIULIETTA DEGLI SPIRITI is, undeniably, a work of art thanks to its uniqueness, its performances, photography and direction.
This is a sort of film that real connoisseurs of art will find ambiguous. Its entire content as well as its core idea have been, for all these 42 years, a true mystery: why the odd experience of the main character's mind affects us so powerfully, so magically? Fellini does not give final answers, he never does in his movies, he never forces us to like him - he invites us for the journey to the psyche. He introduces to us a profound insight into the very peripheries of a mind of the main character. Giulietta (Giulietta Masina) copes with a problem: her husband Giorgio (Mario Pisu) has a mistress. Some advise her to be a temple of love for her husband, some tell her to relax and ignore that, some prompt her to make more weird fun of life, to let out desires: these are the spirits who visit her, the spirits of her past and, supposedly, her presence. The transfers from reality are sometimes fluent, yet sometimes vague. We see various images derived from Giulietta's imagination where Fellini becomes very erotic like in his later work SATYRICON and uniquely egocentric like in no other of his movies. He claimed to have taken LSD before filming some scenes and therefore, the movie is at times extremely weird and pretty terrifying.
Because of its purely Felliniesque nature characterized as blending reality and fantasy, GIULIETTA DEGLI SPIRITI is not for everyone. It's, similarly to 8 1/2, rather a PSYCHOLOGY than LINEAR CONTENT and STORY. There are flashbacks, there are dreams, there are, foremost, fantasies. Moreover, this is yet another time Fellini has manifested his opinion about an individual within a decadent society. He seems to criticize social situations, its noise that looks for rest in magic and sensation. Meanwhile, he identifies with the characters, he understands them. It's at the same time, a biographical movie where, again, Fellini attempts at addressing the conscience of forgiveness to the female character in a marriage. Therefore, such short comments will never discuss the movie justly because it has to be deeply analyzed.
All those are resembled in many beautifully photographed scenes. For instance, I'll never forget the first 40 minutes of the film when we have a clear presentation of the characters and events of everyday life that have a serious impact on Giulietta's psyche. She is preparing a romantic party on the wedding anniversary; yet, her husband invites many noisy people to their house: various people, all bored with their wealth looking for more ecstasies. She does not show anger nor dissatisfaction and says to herself in the mirror: "At least don't be led to crying!" In Giulietta's house, they organize a meeting where they call spirits who post messages: "love for all" or "harlot" addressed to one lady whose aim in life is to sculpt, cook and make love. There is also a message for Giulietta: "Poor child, no one cares for you!" From this moment, Giulietta feels lost. She takes the words seriously and this leads her to a series of mental states that bring her to the very edge of hope, the very peripheries of mind; yet finally to a beautiful catharsis. Here, I would mention the character of Jose (Jose Luis De Villalonga), Giorgio's friend who offers Giulietta the drink, Sangria, and who gives her a beautiful advice about simplicity and water.
The performances are brilliant. Giulietta Masina does something really extraordinary in this movie. It is the third Fellini's movie after LA STRADA and NIGHTS OF CABIRIA where she was cast in the lead and here, we clearly see a mature woman absorbed by the naiveness of a child. She partly reflects Gelsomina and partly Cabiria; yet, Giulietta is neither the LA STRADA nor NIGHTS OF CABIRIA character: she is unique. In my opinion, Masina's Giulietta is one of the very best female roles in the history of cinema. Other great cast are Valentina Cortese as magic-absorbed Valentina, Sandra Milo as sensual woman of fantasies Suzy, Mario Pisu as the unfaithful husband and Lou Gilbert as the grandfather.
There is, however, a harmful aspect of the movie, too. What I mean by "harmful" is that the whole story does not have a more profound development of the consequence, a "moral" that always makes art more "ordered" and "available" for human mind and thought. Creativeness of order leads to harmony of art and Fellini ignores that in the movie. There is a cry for the reference to the sublime self assessment of human mind and actions. Why does Giulietta regain hope? What is the gist of those spirits in a life? What is the power of her psyche? Such questions may appear after seeing the film and may leave a viewer confused at times.
All in all, this is an important movie, a truly Felliniesque one. Although it is not my favorite work of the director, GIULIETTA DEGLI SPIRITI is, undeniably, a work of art thanks to its uniqueness, its performances, photography and direction.