Giulietta degli Spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits) poster & wallpaper
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Giulietta Masina, Mario Pisu, Sandra Milo, Valentina Cortese, Sylva Koscina ... see more see more... , Caterina Boratto , Alba Cancellieri , Luisa Della Noce , Sabrina Gigli , Rosella di Sepio , Lou Gilbert , Silvana Jachino , Elena Fondra , Jose-Luis De Villalonga , Cesarino Miceli Picardi , Elisabetta Gray , Seyna Seyn , Dina De Santis , Dany París , Fred Williams , Alberto Plebani , Anne Francine , Mario Conocchia , Friedrich von Ledebur , Massimo Sarchielli , Bob Edwards , Valeska Gert , Milena Vukotic , Jose Luis de Villalonga , Rosella De Depio

Juliet of the Spirits is a fantastical showcase for Federico Fellini's vibrant imagery, starring his wife, Giulietta Masina, as the titular leading character. Juliet is a wealthy housewife who constan... read more read more...tly fears her husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu), is cheating on her. While she yearns for a peaceful intimate evening on the night of their 15th anniversary, the egotistical Giorgio has forgotten about it and instead arrives home with his eccentric friends. After a trip to a séance, Juliet is haunted by images from the spirit world, including obsessions from her past involving religion and her late relatives. With her sisters and mother prying into her life, Juliet seems to be seeking an inner peace amidst all the sexual temptations surrounding her. She meets her neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo), a showy pleasure-seeker who lives in a sensual playhouse. It appears that all of Juliet's family, friends, and fantasies demand that she loosen up and embrace sexual freedom, yet she remains chaste and dowdy, lamenting over her unfaithful husband. The reasons for Juliet's repression are not clearly defined by the narrative, despite glimpses into her supposed imagination. Forced to endure the constant bombardment of sexually charged imaginings, the demure Juliet retreats on her own. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Flixster Users

84% liked it

6,166 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

21 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 22 min.

Directed by: Federico Fellini

Release Date: January 1, 1965

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DVD Release Date: September 14, 1999

Stats: 342 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (342)

  • moonrivers
    July 31, 2011
    moonrivers
    "My wife thinks I'm cheating (and I am, I'm a great artist, I belong to everyone, how can anyone expect me to stay with only one, even my wife?) so I'll make a film, a great film ... it's about a wife who thinks her husband is cheating. Who do I get to play the wife? My wife, o... read moref course. It's so twisted, so vain, they'll call it genius."
    It may not be true, but its what I thought watching this empty exercise in visual overstimulation: this is the lie a cheating husband tells his loyal spouse.
  • RCCLBC
    April 29, 2010
    RCCLBC
    Giulietta Masina is a delight to watch.
  • flixsterman
    November 28, 2009
    flixsterman
    Semi-autobiographical piece put forth by Fellini and his wife, Giulietta Masina. It's the story of Giulietta (Giulietta), the spouse of a wealthy socialite who is forced to come to terms with her fleeting youth and her husband's infidelity.

    True to his nature, Fellini uses an... read more abundance of symbolism, abstract scripting and flamboyant characters to tell the story.

    For me, it's all a tad overwhelming. Maybe it's because this was his first color film, but there are so many extravagant visuals that it's hard to pay attention to the characters. I much prefer Fellini's earlier pictures where he cares about the story a little more and the scenery a little less.
  • binky013
    April 19, 2007
    binky013
    It's hard to tell if the world we live in is either reality or a dream. -- Bin-jip (3-Iron)

    This line from 3-Iron is very appropriate for describing Giulietta Masina's dilemma in Juliet of the Spirits. In her struggle to free herself from the life she

    ... read morelives, Masina has moments where she wonders about whether the people she sees are in fact real. In her struggle to transcend her current situation, she at times borders on a kind of descent into madness because of her inability to distinguish between the real and the imagined.

    If you want to see Masina finally win one, this is the film for you. To loosely borrow from Stephanie in Saturday Night Fever when she attempts to label Tony's life, in Juliet of the Spirits Masina is a cliche; she's going nowhere. She manages, however, through the course of this story to turn her life around and escape from the trap, break out of the stale cliche her life has become.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: Masina has an amazingly expressive face. Beautiful.

    Having used the word "cliche," I want to make it clear that Fellini's films are anything but cliches. He is a master of keeping his audience on their toes. Every transition to a new scene is a mystery; you never can guess where he's going next. And apparently, that's the way he made his movies: each is a kind of impromptu dance.
  • smootysveen
    April 13, 2007
    smootysveen
    Giulietta really had exquisite hats.
  • kingmob6
    January 10, 2012
    kingmob6
    I'm doing my best to fill in gaps on my classic film viewing, so I gave this one a spin from the TiVo awhile back. Fellini in color is a wonderfulk thing to behold and the story is fairly engaging, if a tad meander-y at times.

    I would definitely recommend checking this one out,... read more though the story of a rich housewife coming to terms with her husband's philandering may not be all that compelling for everyone.

    Worth a look for cinephiles for sure.
  • HuskersNC949597
    March 14, 2010
    HuskersNC949597
    I only assume, because Masina and Fellini were married, this was true to life. Why not? They're both dead, so it's not like they can dispute my claim. I fell asleep several times watching this, so waking up while Juliet is in her fantasy-land actually enhanced things.
  • ryanrv2015
    July 24, 2009
    ryanrv2015
    Another masterpiece by Fellini. This was his first movie to be filmed in color, and it deserved such an honor! This movie is so visually beautiful and near the end terifying! Not for everyone, but for Fellini fans and fans of surrealism you'll find a one of a kind film here.
  • baskilmojo
    July 2, 2009
    baskilmojo
    Katie's thoughts - Long, wandering and boring with some interesting characters/visuals/style. I really enjoyed the Susie

    Shawn's thoughts - A little weak in the story department but loaded with interesting visuals. Even a weak Fellini film is worth watching for the style and ou... read moretlandish set design.


    seen 6/27/09
  • holmennnguy
    June 29, 2009
    holmennnguy
    Wow. Only the great Federico Fellini could have made a film like this. Each one of his movies are very unique and have a certain quality to them that are easily recognizable. Like all of his films, Juliet Of The Spirits is stunning in the aspects of lighting and visuals. Giuliett... read morea Masina is of course pitch-perfect. One of her best performances, if not her best. At times it can be hard to follow because you really need to get into the mind of Juliet to truly understand the entire film. So I may need to rewatch this movie in a couple months and see if I love it even more. Featured in this movie are tons of creepy visuals. One of Fellini's most underrated.

View All Giulietta degli Spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Chris Vognar
January 31, 2002
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

A dazzling technical achievement, from the color to the tracking shots that delight in running down every detail of Juliet's companions. Full Review

Joe Baltake
November 30, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

The movie that swirls around Masina is a dazzling -- and, for some, incoherent -- production deep into the feminine psyche. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 16, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It never less than dazzling to look at. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
August 2, 2001
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

A mad, resplendent peacock of a film, a cinematographic riot of color and sensuality that evokes its era -- the swinging mid-'60s -- as much as any movie made during those giddy years. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
July 25, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

At once an eye-popping display of bravura and a work of compassionate insight. Full Review

Stephen Holden
May 23, 2001
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Fellini went deliriously and brilliantly bananas with the color to create a rollicking through-the- looking-glass series of tableaus evoking a woman's troubled psyche. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
May 16, 2001
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

Juliet is never less than eye-catching, but is rarely more. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
February 23, 2012
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

This gorgeously shot, surreal feature about a middle-aged usewife, Fellini's first work in color, stars his wife Masina in their last collaboration together. Full Review

Cole Smithey
June 14, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Sublime.

Dennis Schwartz
December 17, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Visually splendid piece of eye candy that hides behind its gaudy exteriors an emptiness and lack of vision. Full Review

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