JULIA

US, 1977, 117 minutes, Colour.
Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards, Maximilian Schell, Meryl Streep.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann.

Fred Zinnemann makes polished dignified films about strong individuals confronting society and this is no exception. Taking two politically active actresses, he draws from them superb performances - Vanessa Redgrave as Julia, the wealthy rebel and political activist in Hitler's Germany and Jane Fonda as playwright Lillian Hellman, sympathetic to the Left. The warm friendship, traced from childhood through infrequent visits, is valuable. It has dramatic focus in a long thriller episode in which we can easily identify with Lillian and which involves us in the tensions of Julia's commitment and the war savagery to come. Jason Robards gives sound support as Dashiell Hammett, also Maximilian Schell. Intelligent adult entertainment.

1. An enjoyable and interesting film? Its reputation in the late '705 for its quality, direction, production values, the performances of the leading actresses? Social issues?

2. The authenticity of the atmosphere: the American sequences, Paris in the '30s, Vienna and the threat of fascism, Berlin in the mid-130s, England? A recreation of the past? The memories of the past?

3. The contribution of colour, musical score, elegant style in re-creating the period and its atmosphere? The qualities of the colour photography and the tones of colour for the different places.

4. The complexity of the screenplay: the introduction to Lillian Hellman's reflections and the theme of Pentimento? The flashbacks, the flashbacks within the flashbacks? Her dreams, memories? The skill of editing this material for a coherent whole?

5. Lillian Hellman's initial explanation of Pentimento: painting, the surface painting and its ageing, the painting underneath, the artist changing his mind? Vision? Pentimento and the theme of the beginning and the end of the film? As a constant motif?

6. The film as a memoir? Lillian Hellman as ageing - her eyes underneath the fishing scene? The memories of the '30s and her career. friendship with Julia, growing social awareness, service of Julia and horror at her death, awareness of the coming war? The memories from the '30s of her girlhood, bonds with Julia, love, what she learnt. its influence in her helping of Julia in the '30s?

7. The contribution of the performances of the stars? Their activist background in the '60s and '70s and their taking these roles? Their skill at acting these roles at the age of forty? The reputation of Lillian Hellman as a playwright, blacklisted, reinstated in old age? Her caustic view of Americans under pressure from McCarthyism? Dashiell Hamett and his reputation for detective fiction.

8. Lillian Hellman as a person? The presentation of her life with Dashiell Hammett and her memories of it for thirty years? The house on the seashore, the night sequences, fishing, barbecues meals, Lillian at creative work at the typewriter. Hammett's guidance and his approval or disapproval, the collage of her creative work, of her cooking and the ordinary jobs around the house, the scenes of exasperation. satisfaction? How did Jane Fonda create a portrait of Lillian Hellman as creative artist in these sequences? America as a home to return to? The contrast with Paris and the world of Julia? A solid basis for her life and memories, a place for Pentimento?

9. The film's presentation of Lillian Hellman's creativity, her hopes, her work, dreams, the production of the play, creativity as being hard? The party and applause after the play, the importance of the discussion with Dashiell about buying a sable coat and the importance of fame? Going to Paris, to Moscow, being feted, the high society life? What had Lillian achieved in her profession?

10. The contrast with Julia? The nature of Lillian's memories of Julia? The various sequences of them as girls and as women? Julia's wealthy background, her grandparents, the long sequence of the New Year meal with its formal elegance, the aged and formal grandmother, the doddering grandfather? The car sequence and going for the holidays and Julia's resentment at being there? Memories of her absent mother? Her disdain at her grandfather's reaction to poverty in Cairo and telling her not to look? The various games that they played, dancing in the room, smoking and drinking, poems, running through the hills, the importance of the climbing of the waterfall and Lillian's fear? The therms of their talk together, the final memory of the word game and the soldier having no gun because there were no guns left? The chronological order of the memories - Julia's departure for Oxford and the absence of the two friends, the Oxford visit and Lillian's remembering that Julia was at her peak? The visit in Vienna after the aggression and Julia's injuries and her sudden removal. the importance of the visit to Berlin? Communication by phone., letters?

11. What the friendship and contact with Julia meant to Lillian? Its place in her memories, memories of duty and love, the importance of absences and the changes of years, memories of shared dreams and hopes? Julia in Berlin telling Lillian how she followed her career?

12. The build-up to the Berlin plan and the long sequence of the smuggling of the money? The departure of Lillian and the Campbells for Paris and Dashiell's ironic farewell? Presenting the Campbells and Lillian on the town, the meeting with Hemingway, meals and dances? Wealth and dressing up? The irony of the short encounter with Marianne and her caustic gossip comments on Julia? The sudden appearance of Mr. Johann, his appearance, breakfast., hesitancy? His proposal and her reaction - the sequence of watching her walk through the gardens reflecting, the memories of Julia helping her across the log? The decision, the obtaining of the visa, the realisation of the dangers? Her hurry with Alan and Dotty prattling and following her to the station? The encounter with Mr. Johann and the saying "Hello", his instructions?

13. Her feelings during the journey and the way that her expression, face, lack of words expressed her anxiety? Finding the contact, the compartment, her two companions and their protection and help.. the hat, her inability to eat the meal. the border and the search of the luggage. the passport interview and her talking about writing about Berlin? The gift for the couple meeting her? The escape to Poland and yet the information about her trunk being taken and examined? The potential dangers for Lillian?

14. The beauty of the final encounter with Julia? Lillian's going to the restaurant. the appearance of Julia. her friendship, beauty, her artificial leg? The sequences and action showing the bonds between the two? Lillian wanting to cry? The exchange of the money and the visit to the toilet? The caviar. the talk about their careers, the revelation about the child? The tenderness, Lillian's feelings, Julia urging her to go?

15. The transition to the Hamlet sequence, Lillian thinking of Julia and the intuition and visualising of the attack on Julia and her death?

16. The violence in the film - especially the prolonged sequence in Vienna and the attack of the youth and the murdering of the people in the hospital. Julia's involvement and injury? As drawn together by Julia's death?

17. Lillian's visit to England, her watching Julia in her coffin? No trace or information of Julia? The search for the child in Alsace? Lillian's frustration, her return home and the comfort of Dashiell, her nightmares. what more could she have done? The memory of Julia and the word game about the soldiers having no more guns?

18. Lillian's final comment on the memories of Dashiell and her outliving him, her memories of Julia? The contamination by Marianne's brother and the insinuations after the story of incest about Lillian's relationship with Julia - the attempt of ugly people to sully memory of friendship?

19. A portrait of women, of the 130s, Americans, causes, decisions, heroism, creativity?