- This article is about the book, the character, and the film. For the rocket, see Barbarella (rocket).
Barbarella was originally a French science fiction comic book created by Jean-Claude Forest, who originated the character for serialisation in the French magazine V-Magazine in 1962. The comic stars Barbarella, a young woman who has numerous adventures, often involving sex, while journeying around the galaxy.
The film
A movie adaptation was made in 1968.
It is famous for a sequence in which the title character performs a striptease in zero gravity during the opening credits.
Barbarella is one of the few science fiction erotica films and includes an erotic torture device that is described in the orgasmatron article.
The whole film is played in a very tongue-in-cheek manner—especially when it comes to the frequent (but non-explicit) sex scenes. The special effects look cheaply-made and unconvincing, but there is a suggestion that they are meant to look that way in order to reinforce the film's camp atmosphere.
The film was simultaneously shot in French and English. In the French version, Fonda performs her own lines in French. In the English version Pallenberg's lines are dubbed by Fenella Fielding, at least according to the region2 DVD booklet notes, although others have claimed that the voice actually belongs to Joan Greenwood. Marceau's lines are also dubbed into English.
De Laurentiis returned to camp science fiction (but without the erotica) with 1980's Flash Gordon.
It is rumoured that Drew Barrymore has attained the rights to Barbarella, and is going to make a modern version. She may, or may not, be playing the title role, there is no certainty.
Trivia
The band Duran Duran takes its name from Dr. Duran Duran (O'Shea), a mad scientist who appears in the film as one of the villains. O'Shea repaid the compliment by appearing (as an older version of Durand Durand) in Arena, the band's 1985 concert film. Some of the band's early appearances were at a nightclub called Barbarella's, in their home town of Birmingham, England. The band continued the homage to its roots with their 1997 US single, "Electric Barbarella" (released in the UK in 1998). The band have continually used sound clips from the film in their songs, most notably 1989's "Burning The Ground" and the remixes for 1990's "Violence Of Summer".
Musical
A musical based on the movie written by Dave Stewart premiered in Vienna, Austria on March 11, 2004. The title role was played by Nina Proll.
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