Barbarella (film)
| Barbarella | |
|---|---|
French theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Roger Vadim |
| Produced by | Dino De Laurentiis |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on |
Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Claude Renoir |
| Edited by | Victoria Mercanton |
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Production
company |
Marianne Productions
Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | France Italy |
| Budget | $9 million or $4 million |
| Box office | $5.5 million (North American rentals) 878,015 admissions (France) |
Barbarella is a 1968 science fiction film directed by Roger Vadim based on the French comic Barbarella. The film stars Jane Fonda as Barbarella, a representative of the United Earth government in the 41st century sent out to locate the scientist Durand Durand whose positronic ray could end humanity.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis bought the rights to adapt Barbarella into a film. Vadim took the role as director as he had been a fan of comics and wanted to adapt one to film. Vadim attempted to cast several actors in the title role, including Virna Lisi, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren before casting his then wife, Jane Fonda. Vadim also had his friend Terry Southern write the screenplay; this was heavily altered during filming and several other writers are credited with it.
The film was particularly popular on its release in the United Kingdom, where it was the second highest grossing film of the year after The Jungle Book. Contemporary film critics praised the film's visuals and cinematography, but found the film's storyline to be weak after the first few scenes. Since its release, several attempts at sequels, remakes and other adaptations have been planned but none have entered production.
In an unspecified future, Barbarella is assigned by the President of Earth to retrieve Doctor Durand Durand from the Tau Ceti region. Durand Durand is the inventor of the Positronic Ray, a weapon that Earth leaders fear will fall into the wrong hands.
Barbarella crashes on the 16th planet of Tau Ceti and is soon knocked unconscious by two mysterious girls, who take Barbarella to the wreckage of a spaceship. Inside the wreckage, she is tied up as several children emerge from the ship. They set out several dolls which have razor-sharp teeth. As the dolls begin to bite her, Barbarella faints, but is rescued by Mark Hand, the Catchman, who patrols the ice looking for errant children.
While Hand takes her back to her ship, Barbarella offers to reward Mark and he suggests sex. She says that people on Earth no longer have penetrative intercourse but consume exaltation-transference pills and press their palms together when their "psychocardiograms are in perfect harmony". Hand prefers the bed, and Barbarella agrees. Hand's vessel makes long loops around Barbarella's crashed vessel while the two have sex; when it finally comes to a stop, Barbarella is blissfully humming. After Hand has repaired her ship, Barbarella departs and promises to return, agreeing that doing things the old-fashioned way is occasionally best.
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Wikipedia