Overview
A woman's journey of self-discovery leads her through a surreal landscape of desire and guilt.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- surreal
- baroque
- dreamy
- arthouse film night
- classic cinema exploration
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Fellini’s first color film as a visually dazzling and compassionate landmark of psychological fantasy, though some find its ornamental excess overwhelming.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Juliet’s visions, psychic encounters, and eccentric doubles turn her marital anxiety and self-discovery into elaborate visual tableaux.
Fellini’s first color film uses vivid colors, extravagant costumes, and scenographic excess to render Juliet’s troubled psyche.
Juliet’s fear of her husband’s infidelity gradually becomes a catalyst for freeing herself from dependence and prescribed domestic roles.
Juliet is overshadowed by her mother and sisters while Suzy and other women offer provocative, conflicting alternatives to dutiful wifehood.
Films like Juliet of the Spirits, and why
8½
surreal psychological fantasy, marital crisis, and flamboyant color design
The Color of Pomegranates
dreamlike psychological symbolism, female self-discovery, and visually extravagant fantasy
Persona
stylized domestic alienation, erotic ambiguity, and inner psychological landscapes
The Enchanted Desna
fantasy-inflected self-discovery, eccentric spectacle, and compassionate melancholy
Movie Details
- Director
- Federico Fellini
- Release Date
- 1965-10-22
- Runtime
- 148 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (348)
Cast
- Giulietta Masina
- Sandra Milo
- Mario Pisu
- Valentina Cortese
- Valeska Gert
- José Luis de Vilallonga
- Friedrich von Ledebur
- Caterina Boratto
- Lou Gilbert
- Luisa Della Noce
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Juliet of the Spirits about?
- A dutiful wife’s fear of betrayal erupts into a kaleidoscopic fantasy of sexuality, memory, and emotional liberation.
- What is Juliet of the Spirits like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Juliet of the Spirits as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Juliet of the Spirits violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Juliet of the Spirits.
- What did critics think of Juliet of the Spirits?
- Critics broadly regard Fellini’s first color film as a visually dazzling and compassionate landmark of psychological fantasy, though some find its ornamental excess overwhelming.
- Which films are like Juliet of the Spirits?
- Films with a similar feel include 8½, The Color of Pomegranates, Persona, and The Enchanted Desna.
- How long is Juliet of the Spirits?
- Juliet of the Spirits runs 148 minutes.
- Where can I watch Juliet of the Spirits?
- In United States, Juliet of the Spirits streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
