Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A voluptuous outer space agent travels to another galaxy in search of a missing inventor in this science fiction send-up. Barbarella (Jane Fonda), an interstellar representative of the united Earth government in the 41st century, is dispatched to locate scientist Durand Durand, whose positronic ray, if not recovered, could signal the end of humanity. Outfitted in an array of stunning Star Trek/Bond girl outfits and cruising around in a plush, psychedelic spaceship, Barbarella travels to the Tau Seti system and promptly crash-lands. She then spends the rest of the film discovering the joys of interstellar sex with a keeper of feral children (Ugo Tognazzi), a blind, beatific angel (John Phillip Law), and an inept revolutionary named Dildano (David Hemmings). Slowly but surely, she also finds her way to Durand Durand by moving from one exotic, Wizard of Oz-style locale to another. Along the way, she meets the kindly Professor Ping (a surprisingly verbal Marcel Marceau), a Eurotrash dominatrix named the Great Tyrant (Rolling Stones gal pal Anita Pallenberg), and the Concierge (Milo O'Shea), a strangely familiar lackey of the Great Tyrant who tries to destroy Barbarella with his great big organ of love. Jean-Claude Forest, who created the character Barbarella in 1962 for V-Magazine, served as visual advisor on the adaptation. The film's missing scientist character famously inspired the band name of '80s pop stars Duran Duran (who altered the spelling slightly). Almost two decades later, the film also inspired electronic act Matmos, which was named after the aqueous personification of evil unleashed by the Concierge at the movie's climax. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: PCM Mono
• Features:
  • Widescreen version enhanced for 16x9
  • Dolby Digital: English mono; French mono
  • Interactive menus
  • Scene selection
  • Theatrical trailer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Jane Fonda - Barbarella
       John Phillip Law - Pygar
       Anita Pallenberg - Black Queen
       Milo O'Shea - Durand-Durand, The Concierge
       David Hemmings - Dildano
       Marcel Marceau - Prof. Ping
       Antonio Sabato - Jean-Paul (uncredited)
       Franco Gula
       Catherine Chevallier - Stomoxys
       Claude Dauphin - President of Earth

• Director:

  Roger Vadim

• Producer:

  Dino de Laurentiis

• Screenwriter:

  Vittori Bonicelli, Claude Brule, Brian Degas, Jean-Claude Forest

• Book Author:

  Jean-Claude Forest

• Screenwriter:

  Tudor Gates, Terry Southern, Roger Vadim, Clement Biddle Wood

• Cinematographer:

  Claude Renoir

• Composer (Music Score):

  Bob Crewe

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Bob Crewe

• Composer (Music Score):

  Charles Fox

• Editor:

  Victoria Mercanton

• Production Designer:

  Mario Garbuglia

• Art Director:

  Enrico Fea

• Costume Designer:

  Jacques Fonteray

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  David Hildyard

• First Assistant Director:

  Carlo Lastricati

• Conductor:

  Charles Fox

• Title Design:

  Maurice Binder

• Assistant Art Director:

  Uberto Campagna

REVIEW:

• A coy European sex comedy with space-opera trappings and an American accent, this frothy Roger Vadim/Jane Fonda collaboration reads like a grown-up, sci-fi update of Alice in Wonderland. Although it often pops up on "Worst Movies Ever" lists, it's actually something of a treat if one approaches it with the right attitude. From the eye-popping plasticity of the production design to the gentle grooviness of the Bob Crewe Generation's campy lounge soundtrack, Barbarella is a defiantly trivial film. But Fonda's studied vacuity, Anita Pallenberg's kinky glamour, and John Phillip Law's bronzed pecs and hippie truisms keep things sexy, sweet, and funny. Fonda has spent more than three decades trying to live down the zero-gee peep show that opens the film, but besides a few bare breasts and countless double entendres, nothing here crosses the line between erotic comedy and pornography. (In fact, the MPAA bizarrely let the film off with a mere PG.) The gender roles aren't particularly progressive, especially given the running gag about Barbarella getting her first few tastes of physical copulation after a lifetime of "advanced" virtual sex. But unless you're a humorless dogmatist, a puritan, or a holdover from the anti-"Hanoi Jane" school of patriotism, it's hard to be anything but amused and entertained by this campy classic. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi