Durand Durand
| 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 |
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| Budget | $4–9 million |
| Box office | $5.5 million (North American rentals) 878,015 admissions (France) |
Barbarella is a 1968 science fiction film, directed by Roger Vadim and based on the French comic book. The film stars Jane Fonda as Barbarella: a 41st-century representative of the United Earth government sent to find scientist Durand Durand, whose positronic ray could destroy humanity.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis bought the comic's film rights. Vadim, who had been a fan of the comics, wanted to adapt one of them to film. He attempted to cast several actors in the title role (including Virna Lisi, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren) before choosing his then wife, Jane Fonda. A friend of Vadim's, Terry Southern, wrote the screenplay. The screenplay was changed considerably during filming and several other writers are credited with having written it.
The film was particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where it was the year's second-highest-grossing film (after The Jungle Book). Contemporary film critics praised Barbarella's visuals and cinematography, but found its storyline weak after the first few scenes. Although several attempts at sequels, remakes and other adaptations have been planned, none have entered production.
In an unspecified future, Barbarella is assigned by the president of Earth to retrieve Dr. Durand Durand from the Tau Ceti planetary system. Durand is the inventor of the positronic ray, a weapon which Earth leaders fear will fall into the wrong hands. Barbarella crash-lands on Tau Ceti's 16th planet, and is knocked unconscious by two women. They bring her into the wreckage of a spaceship, where she is bound and several dolls with razor-sharp teeth attack her. Barbarella is rescued by Mark Hand, the Catchman, who patrols the ice looking for errant children. Hand tells her that Durand is in the city of Sogo, and she expresses her appreciation by having sex with him in the old-fashioned way (which was replaced on Earth long ago by exaltation-transference pills).
Barbarella leaves the planet and crashes into a labyrinth inhabited by outcasts from Sogo. She is found by Pygar, a blind angel who has lost the will to fly. Pygar introduces her to Professor Ping, who offers to repair Barbarella's ship. Pygar flies her to Sogo after she restores his will to fly with more old-fashioned sex. When they arrive, Pygar and Barbarella are captured by Sogo's Black Queen and her concierge. The concierge describes the Matmos: living energy in liquid form, powered by evil thoughts and used as an energy source in Sogo. Pygar endures a mock crucifixion and Barbarella is placed in a cage, where hundreds of birds prepare to attack her. She is rescued by Dildano, leader of the local underground, who joins in her pursuit of Durand. Dildano offers her an invisible key to a chamber of dreams where the Queen sleeps, and sends her back to Sogo.
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Wikipedia