Barbarella (1968)

Overview

Barbarella (1968) is a psychedelic, erotic, and often absurd space opera that defies traditional cinematic classification. Directed by Roger Vadim and starring Jane Fonda in one of her most iconic and polarizing roles, the film adapts Jean-Claude Forest’s French comic strip into a freewheeling, surreal exploration of science fiction, sexual liberation, and pop-art aesthetics. Dismissed by some at its release and celebrated by others, Barbarella has since grown into a cult classic—a gleaming artifact of late-60s counterculture, fashion, and fantasy.

Plot Summary

Set in the 41st century, the story follows Barbarella (Jane Fonda), a space adventurer dispatched by the President of Earth to locate the missing scientist Durand-Durand, whose discovery of a powerful weapon threatens the galaxy’s peace. Barbarella embarks on a series of bizarre and often sensual adventures across various alien landscapes, encountering eccentric characters and narrowly escaping death.

Along the way, she:

crash-lands on a planet of feral children with mechanical dolls,

is rescued and seduced by a hairy, angelic hunter named Mark Hand (Ugo Tognazzi),

travels to the decadent city of Sogo, ruled by the unseen Great Tyrant (Anita Pallenberg),

meets the blind revolutionary Pygar (John Phillip Law),resists the torturous pleasures of the Excessive Machine (in a now-infamous scene),and ultimately confronts Durand-Durand (Milo O’Shea), who reveals his deranged ambition.

The film ends not with a traditional climactic battle but with Barbarella’s survival through pure goodness, leaving a trail of suggestive chaos in her wake.

Jane Fonda’s Performance

At the heart of the film is Jane Fonda, who delivers a performance that is by turns wide-eyed, campy, seductive, and ironically detached. Her portrayal of Barbarella shifts between naiveté and empowerment, often framed through the lens of the male gaze but subtly challenging it as well.

Fonda imbues the character with a sense of comic intelligence that transcends the script’s superficialities. She’s frequently objectified but never passive; her sexual encounters are consensual, often self-directed, and portrayed with a humorous matter-of-factness that was unusual for the era. Fonda herself later reflected critically on the film, but her presence is undeniably one of its greatest assets—imbuing it with star power and ironic wit.

Visual Style and Design

Visually, Barbarella is a kaleidoscopic triumph. Designed by Mario Garbuglia with costumes by Paco Rabanne, the film explodes with colour, texture, and surreal sets. From the shag-carpeted spaceship to the lava-lamp tunnels of Sogo, each location is a distinct visual fantasia. The costumes are legendary—metallic bikinis, transparent bodysuits, feathered helmets—turning Fonda into a living fashion doll in space.

The special effects are deliberately lo-fi, often employing matte paintings, miniatures, and theatrical backdrops. These choices, rather than undermining the film, enhance its charm, anchoring it in a comic-strip aesthetic that honours its pulp origins.

The opening sequence, featuring a zero-gravity striptease, is both playful and emblematic of the film’s campy tone. It sets the mood: this is not hard science fiction, but a space-bound sex farce filtered through 1960s mod style and Euro-fantasy surrealism.

Direction and Tone

Roger Vadim, known for his earlier work with Brigitte Bardot (...And God Created Woman), brings a sensuous, languid style to the material. The pacing is episodic and dreamlike, more interested in mood and visuals than plot coherence. Barbarella moves like a stoned odyssey through space, each sequence more ridiculous—and more lavish—than the last.

The tone is hard to pin down. At times it feels like parody; at others, like a sincere celebration of sex-positive adventure. There's almost no emotional tension, and the stakes never feel serious, but this lightness is part of the film’s identity. It plays more like a pop-art fantasy than a narrative film, and in that sense, it anticipates the aesthetics of music videos and avant-garde fashion photography.

Themes and Subtext

While Barbarella is often dismissed as campy softcore sci-fi, there are interesting thematic currents beneath its glittering surface:

Sexual Liberation: The film is clearly a product of the sexual revolution, presenting a world where traditional morals are outdated. Barbarella, who begins the film unfamiliar with “physical love,” quickly adopts and enjoys its pleasures. Her sexuality is portrayed as joyful and unashamed, a rare depiction in the sci-fi genre of the time.

Innocence vs. Decadence: Barbarella’s cheerful idealism is frequently contrasted with the degeneracy of Sogo and the cold rationality of Durand-Durand. This tension parallels 1960s fears and fantasies—technology versus hedonism, freedom versus control.

Feminism and Objectification: The film walks a tricky line. On one hand, Barbarella is a classic object of the male gaze; on the other, she’s assertive, curious, and in control of her own pleasure. Critics remain divided: is the film empowering or exploitative? Perhaps it is both, a mirror of its complex cultural moment.

Anti-War and Anti-Technology Sentiments: Like many post-atomic sci-fi stories, the plot warns of powerful weapons falling into the wrong hands. Durand-Durand’s misuse of technology becomes the central threat—not because of the technology itself, but because of his corrupted ideals.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Upon release, Barbarella was met with mixed reviews. Many critics dismissed it as incoherent and frivolous. However, in the decades since, the film has undergone significant re-evaluation. Today, it is regarded as a cult classic, influencing a wide array of artists, filmmakers, fashion designers, and musicians.

It has been referenced or parodied in works ranging from Futurama to Madonna’s music videos. The band Duran Duran famously took their name from the film’s villain. Designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen have cited the film’s style as inspiration.

In academic circles, Barbarella is often examined as a feminist paradox—simultaneously reinforcing and subverting gender norms.

Criticisms and Flaws

Despite its charm and influence, Barbarella is far from perfect:

Narrative Weakness: The film’s plot is thin and episodic. There’s little momentum, and the resolution feels arbitrary.

Dated Humour and Dialogue: Some of the jokes haven’t aged well, and the dialogue can be stilted or laughably awkward.

Pacing: The episodic nature leads to uneven pacing, with some sequences dragging despite their visual flair.

Gender Politics: While Barbarella is sexually empowered, the film often places her in damsel-in-distress situations that undercut her agency.

Yet, many of these flaws are inextricable from its charm. Barbarella isn’t trying to be logical—it’s aiming to seduce, bewilder, and entertain.

Final Assessment

Barbarella (1968) is one of the most visually distinctive and culturally significant cult films of the 20th century. It’s kitschy, indulgent, and often ridiculous—but also bold, playful, and unexpectedly thought-provoking. Jane Fonda’s star power, the psychedelic design, and the film’s unique tone make it a fascinating document of a rapidly changing era.

Whether viewed as feminist satire, camp artifact, or sci-fi fashion opera, Barbarella endures because of its fearless commitment to style, sensuality, and surreal spectacle.

Verdict: A dazzling, bizarre, and subversively fun sci-fi romp. More than the sum of its (barely clothed) parts.