Film+Theory+Analysis 

=** Juliet of the Spirits **= In Juliet of the Spirits by Federico Fellini, Juliet is a calm and insecure woman that, in a sense, is dominated by the people that surround her. She is greatly dependent on her husband, despite being aware of the fact he is cheating on her. She also feels a great deal of pressure by her friends and family to loosen up. The film centers around her struggle in coping with the reality of her life- in particular, the idea (as well as fact) that her husband is cheating on her. This inability to cope with the reality of her life causes her to hallucinate, as well as be haunted by her childhood.

One of Juliet's biggest struggles in the film is coming to terms with the idea that her husband is cheating on her. At first, Juliet preoccupies little of her thought with the chance that her husband may be cheating on her. Instead, one just notices that she is frequently disappointed by his absence, or lack of engagement within their relationship. For the most part, she is portrayed as a stereotypical "wife" that tends to her husbands needs. As the story progresses, one sees how Juliet becomes increasingly bothered by the chance that her husband is cheating on her, to the point where it consumes her. She hires a detective to investigate the possibility, and is constantly shown reminding herself of what her relationship once was. Thus, one can see how the plot itself characterizes Juliet as a naive, sensitive and weak character, ultimately portraying her as secondary to her male counterpart. An example of how this is if further revealed in the film is through familiar image.
 * Feminist Film Theory **

In the film, familiar image is used to show the divide between Giorgio and Juliet, as well as Juliet's excessive engagement in their relationship. There are two main instances of familiar image. The first shot shows Juliet and Giorgio sleeping in bed together. In the beginning of the movie it shows them differently to how Juliet remembers them from the beginning of their relationship.The second shot shows Juliet and Giorgio in their living room. In the beginning of the movie one saw them sitting together watching a TV show which specifically talks about how to regain the "sparkle in your eyes". At the end of the movie, it shows how Juliet and Giorgio are now both sitting alone. Giorgio is eating his dinner in the dining room, and does not seem preoccupied with Juliet at all. Juliet, on the other hand, has her back to the screen, as she is watching the TV. Her gaze towards the TV could perhaps be more implicit of a gaze towards Giorgio (as if she is watching him opposed to the TV). The significance of Giorgio facing the screen, however, is perhaps done to imply the importance of Giorgio, as a male, in comparison to Juliet, as a female. Thus, although Giorgio and Juliet's relationship is shown to be on "rockier path" as revealed through the familiar image, Juliet is continually shown engaged in the relationship, regardless of it's state.

Juliet is a very conflicted character, and a lot of her struggle relates to her inability to make choices based upon her own will, but also from hiding from problems she knows are present. Often she is lit in such a way where shadows cast everywhere on her but her eyes. This instantly draws ones focus to her eyes, which often reveals most of the emotions she is feeling. The shadows also add a duality to Juliet's personality, making it seem as if she is hiding behind something. This is an idea that is expressed further by Fellini throughout the film by the way in which he portrays other characters. Throughout the movie, Fellini portrays his characters in mysterious ways through his use of light. On many occasions, the characters are both back lit and rim lit. Fellini's purpose in portraying his characters in such mysterious ways is to perhaps imply that everyone has a side to them that we don't show, or that we ourselves try to hide from.
 * Freudian Theory **

Juliet's hallucinations are also particularly significant as they may be representative of a number of things. On a surface level, her hallucinations may represent her childhood, her experiences, her memories and people from her past. However, if one digs a bit deeper, her hallucinations could be representative of her desires and fears, both conscious and unconscious. Also, as stated, Juliet has a hard time acting upon her own free will. Perhaps her hallucinations may additionally be representative of the things that she feels others want her to do in relation to dealing with her problems. Lastly, her hallucinations could be representative of individual choices she should make in order to gain control of her own life.

Throughout the course of the movie, Juliet is often portrayed in mysterious ways. One often sees her through medium shots from behind or silhouetted. Portraying Juliet in such ways detaches the audience from her character, as it forces one to imagine how she may be reacting in moments where her face is not seen. However, in instances where her face is seen, ones focus is instantly drawn to her, as the audience is often taken from an impersonal viewpoint, to a highly personal one. This forces the audience to pay particular attention to her emotions or reactions in that moment. And since suspense is built up prior to her being "revealed", her emotions or reactions seem "heightened" or "emphasized" (in a sense). These "heightened" or "emphasized" moments can often cause the viewer to feel in the same way, making it easier to sympathize for her character. Thus, one identifies with Juliet because one always sees her at a time where she is going through an emotional moment of some sort.
 * Catharsis & Memesis **

The use of intercutting also allows the viewer to identify with Juliet, as the viewer somewhat experiences what Juliet is going through. An example of this is when Giorgio leaves Juliet. Juliet is seen sitting by herself, which is intercut with shots of Giorgio and the stillness of the house. Cutting to shots of the still house is ultimately symbolic of the stillness that Juliet feels after what has occurred, hence why it also cuts back to her. The display of a quiet and empty house also further contributes to the portrayal of a lonely and still Juliet. As a viewer one can identify with Juliet in this particular moment, as one, too, can feel the stillness from the shots of the house. This fundamentally drives one to sympathize with Juliet, as one almost feels as she does.