7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Born to great wealth, the fiercely independent Julia devotes her life to political causes, fighting fascism in the 1930s. While traveling in Europe, Lillian Hellman, a dear friend to Julia, is approached by one of Julia's political acquaintances and is swept into a dangerous world, smuggling money across hostile borders.
Starring: Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards, Meryl Streep, Rosemary MurphyThriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Zionist hoodlums.
For some film aficionados, it’s that brief but shocking description which will forever be linked to Julia, for better or worse, an ironic
epitaph of sorts to what was otherwise a celebratory romp for a film which perhaps unexpectedly caught not just the favor of critics, but a
large swath of the film going public, who turned it into one of 1977’s biggest cinematic hits. The film received 11 Academy Award
nominations, tying with The Turning Point for the most
nominations that year (besting a little film called Star Wars, which received a “mere” ten nominations). Julia ultimately walked away with three trophies for
Alvin
Sargent (Best Adapted Screenplay), Jason Robards (Best Supporting Actor) and the controversial Vanessa Redgrave (Best Supporting
Actress), whose acceptance speech contained the above quote and whose comments caused a chill in an audience comprised at least
substantially by Jewish Americans who reacted with loud “boo”’s and other signs of censure. One of those Jewish Americans, the legendary
screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky, took Redgrave to task when he presented an award later in the evening, scolding the actress and with
typically dry but pointed Chayefskian humor letting her know that her win was not an epochal moment in history requiring a political
statement. It all tended to leave a bad taste in the mouths of folks on both sides of the so-called “two state solution”, and perhaps
unfortunately colored how Julia has been seen in the overall context of American film. What’s so ironic about all of this is, and
something that Redgrave perhaps inartfully attempted to address in her contentious acceptance speech, is that Julia’s subtext is all
about anti-Semitism and the fight against Nazism.
Julia is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Photographed by the legendary Douglas Slocombe (who was deservedly Oscar nominated for his efforts), Julia has an intentionally gauzy, soft focus look which some may infer is a "squishy" looking transfer, which is not the case. From the first moments showing Hellman in a boat on a misty river, through several scenic locales both at Hellman's beach house as well as interstitial elements that are literally global in scope, Slocombe tends to offer effulgent lighting sources which cast evocative glows on several long sequences. The palette is intentionally tamped down a lot of the time, favoring darker browns and blander tones like beiges, which only tends to make brief moments like a train traveling toward an awesomely pink and purple sunset all the more vivid. Detail levels remain high throughout the presentation, with elements like the tufted pill on the "none too subtle" (to quote Fonda) hat Hellman sequesters some money in popping quite nicely. A few dark scenes, including a nighttime beachside sequence, don't offer a lot in the way of shadow detail. Grain is natural looking and there are no overly problematic signs of wear or tear.
Julia offers a fine sounding DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track, one which more than capably supports the film's dialogue and lovely Oscar nominated score by Georges Delerue. Ambient environmental effects are lifelike and the track has no problems in terms of damage or prioritization.
Julia is an intelligent character study that probably ambles a bit too much for its own good, but which still provides incredible opportunities for a large and varied cast (including Meryl Streep in her first featured film role). The film stumbles a bit in the narrative department, but the performances elevate this film to a level that its occasional faltering might have otherwise prevented. Gorgeously lensed by Douglas Slocombe, Julia's reach may exceed its grasp, and it may have a tenuous (at best) connection to "the truth", but it's still a moving and remarkable film. Technical merits are first rate, the Fonda commentary is consistently interesting, and Julia comes Highly recommended.
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1984