BARBARELLA (FILM)

'''Barbarella''', also known as '''Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy''' is a 1968 erotic science fiction film, based on the French ''Barbarella'' comic book created by Jean-Claude Forest.

Contents

Style

Primary cast

Reception and cultural influence

Music

1980s

1990s

Duran Duran

Prince

Other influences

Special effects

Remake

Trivia

References

See also

External links

Style

''Barbarella'' is famous for a sequence in which the title character, played by Jane Fonda, undresses in zero gravity during the opening credits. (Her breasts are in fact inadequately concealed by the credits and can occasionally be glimpsed.)
''Barbarella'' is one of the few science fiction erotica films that includes an Orgasmatron.
The whole film is played in a very tongue-in-cheek manner—especially when it comes to the frequent (but non-explicit) sex scenes. To modern viewers, the film's special effects look cheaply-made and unconvincing, but they were ambitious by the standards of the day.
The film was simultaneously shot in French and English. In the French version, Fonda performs her own lines in French. In the English version, the character Pallenberg's lines are dubbed by Fenella Fielding, at least according to the region2 DVD booklet notes, although others have claimed that the voice actually belongs to Joan Greenwood. Marcel Marceau's lines are also dubbed into English.
De Laurentiis returned to camp science fiction (but with far less erotica) with 1980's ''Flash Gordon''.

Primary cast

★ Jane Fonda: Barbarella

★ John Phillip Law: Pygar

★ Anita Pallenberg: The Great Tyrant

★ Milo O'Shea: Concierge/Durand Durand

★ Marcel Marceau: Professor Ping

★ Claude Dauphin: President of Earth

★ David Hemmings: Dildano

Reception and cultural influence

The film was both a box office and critical failure. "Variety" claimed that "Despite a certain amount of production dash and polish and a few silly-funny lines of dialog, Barbarella isn't very much of a film. Based on what has been called an adult comic strip [by Jean Claude Forest], the Dino De Laurentiis production is flawed with a cast that is not particularly adept at comedy, a flat script, and direction which can't get this beached whale afloat."^[1] Another major critic at the time claimed the film was a "mix of poor special effects and the Marquis de Sade" However, it has gained a cult following since its re-release in 1977 on home video, and has had considerable influence on pop culture in the decades following its original release.

Music

One of the film's biggest realms of influence has been on the world of music.

1980s

★ Duran Duran, one of the most influential British acts of the 1980s, took their name from Barbarella character Durand Durand. They have frequently referenced the movie and character (see below).

★ When the 1980s girl group Fuzzbox could not get permission to use Thunderbirds for their song ''International Rescue'' they spoofed ''Barbarella'' with Adrian Edmondson playing the Durand Durand character.

1990s

In 1992, Techno producers Sven Väth and Ralf Hildenbeutel recorded an album entitled ''The Art of Dance'' under the alias Barbarella. The singles from this album, a few of which were very popular among electronic music enthusiasts, took their inspiration from the film, and included titles such as ''The Future'', ''The Spaceship'', ''The Mission'', and ''The Secret Chamber of Dreams'', as well as 5 tracks that were named for some variation on the name Barbarella.
Another famous singer to use the iconography of ''Barbarella'' in a pop video was Kylie Minogue who recreated the infamous zero-gravity strip-tease in her award winning 1994 video for "Put Yourself in My Place"
The British band Jamiroquai also mentions a "baby Barbarella" in their hit 1996 song "Cosmic Girl."
In 1998, front man Scott Weiland of the bands Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver released a solo album entitled "12 Bar Blues." The hit song from that album which spawned a music video was titled "Barbarella." The lyrics of the song pay homage to several science fiction television shows and movies.
The band Matmos takes its name from the underground fluid creature in the film (as does the lava lamp manufacturer Mathmos).

Duran Duran

The band Duran Duran takes its name from the mad scientist Dr. Durand Durand. O'Shea repaid the compliment by appearing (as an older version of Durand Durand) in ''Arena'', the band's 1985 concert film. (The ''Arena'' DVD subtitles spell the villain's name as "Duran Duran", either due to the popularity of the band or ignorance of the source material.)
Some of the band's early appearances were at a nightclub called ''Barbarella's'', in their home town of Birmingham, England. The band has continually used sound clips from the film in their songs, most notably 1989's "Burning The Ground" and the remixes for 1990's "Violence Of Summer". The band continued the homage to its roots with their 1997 US single, "Electric Barbarella" (released in the UK in 1998).

Prince

Rock-funk artist Prince also has a history of referencing and being inspired by the film ''Barbarella.'' His song ''Endorphin Machine'' from ''The Gold Experience'' album clearly relates to the sexual torture machine Durand Durand uses on Barbarella in the movie. There are even sketches of the ''Endorphin Machine'' showing it to be nearly identical to the device in the movie. His album '''' (a.k.a. ''Love Symbol'') contains between song segues about the adventures of a reporter (played by Kirstie Alley) trying to interview Prince. In one such segment his voice is distorted; he explains he is using a "tongue box", a device found in ''Barbarella'' (which is mentioned by name). Also, his band "The New Power Generation" contained for many years a keyboard player who used the pseudonym "Tommy Barbarella", which was certainly approved of by, and probably chosen by, Prince himself.

Other influences

While the film has had considerable influence on the music world, its influence certainly does not end there.
In the world of comics, the manga artists collectively known as Clamp parodied ''Barbarella'' in one chapter of their ''Miyuki-chan in Wonderland'', the chapter titled ''TV no Kuni no Miyuki-chan (Miyuki-chan in TV Land)'' shows several of the characters (including some female versions) trying to seduce the main character. The manga contains heavy lesbian overtones.
There is even a European Long/Short Hedge Fund quoted on the Irish Stock Exchange that has the name Pygar Fund, inspired by the character of that name.
A company in the UK also sells lava lamps and oil projectors under the name Mathmos.
From 1984 to 2002, a nightclub located in downtown Orlando, Florida was called Barbarella, inspired by the film.

Special effects

The psychedelic "blob" patterns that form much of the special effects in the film are created using an oil wheel projector, a popular visual effects device also used in many other '60s movies, as well as in many anti-drug educational films.

Remake

A remake of ''Barbarella'' is currently being planned. It will be penned by current James Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and produced by Dino and Martha De Laurentiis.^[2] It was recently announced that ''Sin City'' director Robert Rodriguez is slated to direct the remake for Universal Studios.^[3] The remake of ''Barbarella'' was originally planned in the 1990s with Roger Vadim as director, and actresses Sherilyn Fenn and Drew Barrymore were considered for the title role.^[4] As of May 2007, it was announced that actress Erica Durance of the WB's ''Smallville'' was a front-runner for a 2008 remake. However, subsequent reports have identified British actress Sienna Miller as the favorite to take the role, along with Rodriguez's ''Grindhouse'' star Rose McGowan.

Trivia

★ Virna Lisi was cast in the title role in ''Barbarella'', but she turned it down and returned to Italy.

★ Star Jane Fonda was married to director Roger Vadim during the production and distribution of ''Barbarella''.

★ Talitha Pol, a fashion icon of the late 1960s who was married to John Paul Getty, appeared in ''Barbarella'' in the uncredited role of a girl smoking a pipe.

★ The village name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch was used as the password for Dildano's headquarters

References

1. [1] - "Variety" review, 1968.
2. [2]
3. News Article - "Rodriguez Teams With 'Casino Royale' Scribes For 'Barbarella'"
4. ''Barbarella'' at Moria.co.nz

See also

★ List of films based on French-language comics

External links

★

★

★ Review by ''Science Fiction Weekly''

★ Jean-Claude Forest & Barbarella comics page

★ A French language site with many pictures of the 1968 movie