Barbarella

A movie adaptation was made in 1968 starring Jane Fonda as Barbarella, with David Hemmings, John Philip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, and Marcel Marceau. The film was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by Roger Vadim, Fonda's husband at the time.

It is famous for a sequence in which the title character performs a striptease in zero gravity during the opening credits. Barbarella is one of the few science fiction erotica films.

The whole film is played in a very tongue-in-cheek manner—especially when it comes to the frequent (but non-explicit) sex scenes. The special effects look cheaply-made and unconvincing, but there is a suggestion that they are meant to look that way in order to reinforce the film's camp atmosphere.

The film was simultaneously shot in French and English. In the French version, Fonda performs her own lines in French. In the English version Pallenberg's lines are dubbed by Fenella Fielding. Marceau's lines are also dubbed into English.

De Laurentiis returned to camp science fiction (but without the erotica) with 1980's Flash Gordon.

Trivia

The band Duran Duran takes its name from Dr. Durand Durand (O'Shea), a mad scientist who appears in the film as one of the villains. O'Shea repaid the compliment by appearing (as an older version of Durand Durand) in Arena, the band's 1984 concert film. Some of the band's early appearances were at a nightclub called Barbarella's, in their home town of Birmingham, England.

Musical

A musical based on the movie and written by Dave Stewart is due to premiere in Vienna, Austria on March 11, 2004.

External link

• Barbarella IMDB entry

Referenced By