Jan 23, 2009
Barbarella
The new associations of the 1960s ushered in sex ‘n shag science fiction in the form of Roger Vadim’s “Barbarella.”
The opening sequence, credited to Arcady and the great Maurice Binder, features an unrestrained intergalactic planetary aviatrix Jane Fonda peeling off her space suit in the kind of weightlessness that has the viewer seeing past the errant reflection. Text spills from the head, chaotically at first, then coalesces in credit, and finally plays the coy cover up.
France/Italy | 1968 | Color | 2.35:1 | English
Direct Link: 480p (QuickTime, 832×342, 55 MB, 04:41)
Extras
Barbarella high-res poster art
Credits
Title Design: Arcady and Maurice Binder
How did they do it? Don’t you just love when there was no computer around?
She’s just lying down on a green screen.
Oh! I love this title sequence and it never occurred to me that she was meant to be floating (which seems stupid now, when I watch it afresh). When she takes off her glove, the reflections are telling; she’s rolling around on a plane of glass above the set, isn’t she? I was always more impressed by the metallic helmet.
The helmet visor effect looks like it might be a double-paned bubble that is filled with opaque liquid, but played in reverse and filmed with the camera tilted so as not to give it away.
Amazingly sexy.
yeeeeeah, the greenscreen, rite. and then in postproduction, they took their fingernail scissors and cut away everything that was green. and then they glued the background on with scotch tape. (or did I not get the humor?)
“How did they do it? Don’t you just love when there was no computer around?”
Thats all i can think about as well. Would love to see the making of these!
Just amazing!
Looks like she’s lying on glass, you can occassionally see reflections around her.
Sexy and clever. The faux weightless look is nicely done.
I love how near the end the titles seem to be fighting for your attention.
Its says 60’s every second of it. You get hooked and interested to watch the rest of the film, No Doubt about that. Clever, Sexy, Classic.
How they did it.
She moves on glass (Julian). Camera tilted. The ‘BackPack’ is simply drawn off from the left side. Watch the 2nd tube (from ‘above’). The helmet sequence is as Julian Manoogian III suggested a reverse shot. You don’t see the helmet’s top (’cause of the hole) when the fluid fills the space between the two helmet shells. Because of avoiding bubbles. Jane Fonda’s hand moves make this believable. And the whole title is simply 60’s and SEXY!
I believe the helmet was filled with mercury, which is thick and reflective enough. I could be tripping but if you look closely you can see a blurred camera between the two lights.
I remember there was this black cabin/tent thing used to shoot jewelry and hide the camera. A similar contraption could have been used.
Not sure if it needed to be played in reverse as mercury is really dense and wouldn’t leave any spill on the glass – gravity would do the job.
It’s such a lovely sequence though.