Barbarella
1968, Dino de Laurentiis et al
If ever there was a perfect encapsulation of the carefree excesses of the psychedelic sixties, Barbarella is it. Cheeky, campy, vulgar, some or all of the above, it remains the only attempt at adapting the French comic to make it to the screen. Jane Fonda is remarkable in that her intelligence shines through Roger Vadim's overt sexualization of her, maintaining just enough dignity to keep the film from descending into the realm of softcore. There's no point in trying to understand it; the film succeeds much better as an object of curiosity.
DKS 12/17/17
