Julia (1977)

Plot:  At the behest of childhood friend "Julia" - Lillian Hellman smuggles money into 1937 Nazi Germany to help the Resistance.
Stars: Jason Robards, Jane Fonda (Hellman), Vanessa Redgrave (Julia)
Best Quote: Oh, did you know about the McPhee boy? The little one? He was killed in Spain. Imagine having your brother die a Communist. I'm sorry he lost his life, but, I wonder why they rush over there!

The problem with Julia is quite simple. As a movie its a bore - as history a lie.  Its a Hollywood first, a boring Biopic about a non-existent person! Of course in 1977. the film-makers thought it was true - and they wanted to Jazz it up - but were vetoed by Hellman -"You can't change the truth" she lied.

And because the "True (Fictional) story" can't fill two hours of screen-time, we get lots of padding. The first hour is incredibly stretched out. Numerous walks on the beach, Lillian smoking/writing, gruff  ol' Dash telling Hellman to "buck up", flash-backs to her childhood, and elegant, picture postcard views of Paris and Oxford. But nothing exciting  happens, except Julia is injured and Lillian visits her in a Viennese Hospital.

"Julia" is a Minor Figure - The Movie Should be Called "Lillian" 
All the comments about Julia being about a "great friendship between two women" are bunk. Who is "Julia"? We're told *of* her, but we see little of Julia - and hear even less. Redgrave is only on-screen for 15 minutes, and speaks only to Fonda. Meanwhile, Fonda is in 90% of the movie. BTW, why did Redgrave/Robards win Oscars? They have little dialogue and do nothing extraordinary. I guess it was a slow year.

The  Boring 50 minute Train Ride/Smuggling Mission
The dull first hour is followed by Hellman's "dangerous" smuggling of $50,000 into Germany. Here again, the movie makers were forced follow Hellman's dull "true story."  Even worse, Zimmerman is no Alfred Hitchcock, and the whole thing is sluggish. It takes 15 minutes for Hellman (in Paris) to get on the train. And once on, we get endless shots of the train and Fonda looking worried.  But nothing actually happens - and Fonda never seems to be in danger.  And for no reason, we spend 10 minutes following Hellman to Moscow AFTER she delivers the $50,000.

How Dangerous Was Smuggling the $50,000?
Of course, even if Hellman had REALLY smuggled $50,000 into Nazi Germany she was in no real danger. Why would the Germans harm an American Citizen carrying American Dollars while travelling THROUGH Germany on a one-day visa?  What law would Hellman be breaking? Further, had the Gestapo found the money, they would've questioned her - maybe kept the money - and kicked her out of Germany. And that's it. Finally, Hellman's being Jewish, had nothing to do with it. In 1937, Hitler wanted to maintain good relations with the USA - so why harm a famous US writer?

The Silliness of the the Smuggling mission
For example:

• why does the "Anti-Nazi Underground" use eight people to get Hellman from Paris to Berlin? For example, they only  needed one person to give Hellman the money/hat and directions - but they use four (!)
• why is Hellman constantly escorted?  What protection do these escorts provide? And after she's delivers the $$$ in Berlin, she's in no danger. So why is she escorted back to the Train, and then to Warsaw?
• why isn't Hellman given a cover story for the $50,000. Had she been caught, what was she to say?
• why after all the hush-hush secrecy, do they openly talk about the $$$ in a Berlin Cafe?
• why is Julia, a beautiful American with one leg, and the most easily recognizable Underground agent ever, used as the drop point?
• and since there were American Banks in Nazi Germany in 1937 - why did they need to smuggle money?

There is no Controversy -Julia is Fiction
Don't believe those who write about "the controversy" regarding "Julia" or express doubts about whether we will ever know the real truth.  There is no Julia and the story is a lie.  No biographer has found evidence for a real-life "Julia" in Hellman's contemporaneous letters or papers, and she never told anyone Julia's real name. Nor is there any proof that Hellman smuggled dollars into Germany.

Also, Hellman recycled things from her previous work. The "they gave their leg to fight fascism" was used in The Searching Wind while "Smuggling dollars for the Resistance" is from Watch on the Rhine.

Summary Other than some lavish sets, pretty pictures, and a good performance by Jane Fonda, there's no reason to see Julia.  However, Lillian Hellman fans might be interested.