Product: Julia (1971)
Rating: 5.0
A Story of Two Friends
This story traces the friendship of writer Lillian Hellmann and her friend Julia, from their times together as adolescents to their very different lives as adults. Jane Fonda is somewhat one-note as Hellmann, struggling to get her first play finished, feeling overshadowed by her lover, the great Dashiell Hammett, well played by Jason Robards. She also tries to keep contact with Julia, played by a glowing Vanessa Redgrave, as Julia becomes more and more mired in the tumultuous politics of 1930's Europe. Eventually, Fonda herself gets pulled into the political upheaval as she tries to help her friend out. There are a number of reasons why I liked the film. The production team does an excellent job of recreating the time period, giving the viewer a real sense of what it would have been like. I enjoyed the insight it gives to the writer's process and the frustrations that go with it. The "adventure" that Fonda goes on to get money to her friend is well played out dramatically, and their meeting is filled with unspoken words, a credit to the screenplay, the actresses, and the fine direction by veteran Fred Zinneman. I don't know how much of the story would prove to be true, but I think there are many truths in it.