Julia (1977)

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 and hard smoking with Hammett serving as Hellman's mentor and support. Through Hellman's memories, we see a different side of her life. 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 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 she becomes 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 deserved her Oscar, 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 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 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".

Stats:
(1977) 117 min. (10/10)
-Directed by Fred Zinnemann
-Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, Story by Lillian Hellman
-Cast: Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, Vanessa Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, Hal Holbrook, John Glover, Meryl Streep, Rosemary Murphy, Dora Doll, Mark Metcalf, Lisa Pelikan, Elisabeth Mortensen, Susan Jones
(PG)
*Academy Awards*
-Best Picture (lost to "Annie Hall")
-Best Actress- Jane Fonda (lost to Diane Keaton- "Annie Hall")
-Best Supporting Actor- Jason Robards (won)
-Best Supporting Actor- Maximilian Schell (lost to Jason Robards- "Julia")
-Best Supporting Actress- Vanessa Redgrave (won)
-Best Director- Fred Zinnemann (lost to Woody Allen- "Annie Hall")
-Best Adapted Screenplay (won)
-Best Cinematography (lost to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind")
-Best Costume Design (lost to "Star Wars")
-Best Film Editing (lost to "Star Wars")
-Best Original Score (lost to "Star Wars")
*BAFTA*
-Best Film (won)
-Best Actress- Jane Fonda (won)
-Best Supporting Actor- Jason Robards (lost to John Hurt "Midnight Express")
-Best Director- Fred Zinnemann (lost to Alan Parker "Midnight Express")
-Best Screenplay (won) -Best Cinematography (won)
-Best Costume Design (lost to "Death on the Nile")
-Best Film Editing (lost to "Midnight Express")
-Best Production Design/Art Direction (lost to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind")
-Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music (lost to "Star Wars")