new book about Julie

I look forward to reading this, as I think it will flesh out many of her more enigmatic career choices. I also look forward to learning more about her work in the 1980's, much of which is still difficult to get hold of.

Enigmatic is the right adjective. The book concentrates on four films from that period, in particular; Memoirs of a Survivor, The Return of the Soldier, The Gold Diggers and Heat and Dust. These are the films she chose to make in lieu of The Verdict, Reds, Under Fire, all more commercially viable projects. By the way The Gold Diggers can be seen on YouTube. Just go to DailyMotion This Britain (will try to post the exact link at some point). Worth watching if for no other reason than it features Julie front and center in a variety of archetypal women's roles. The other three are available on dvd. This book makes it very clear why she chose these projects. I came away from it with even more respect for this woman than I previously had. Enjoy!!

Thanks! I have seen all of these four films. I didn't completely "get" The Gold Diggers, but thought it was well-filmed given it's miniscule budget and Julie was fascinating to watch. Part of me wishes she had made the films you referenced, yet the fact she didn't is really what has made her such a unique star. I understand the book has respect for her intelligence and her choices, and I look forward to getting a copy.

Glad to know there's another Julie Christie completist out there. I must admit, I've seen some "unwatchable" movies just because of her presence in them. "I'm With Lucy", in which she played a New York Jewish mother - really? I've watched "The Gold Diggers" only once and was pretty confounded by it. But every time she was onscreen I must admit (shallow as it is) that was reason enough to wade through its obscurity. Recently rewatched "The Return of the Soldier" and for a beautiful woman, there are moments in it where she looks downright scary. Check out that low angle shot of her from Alan Bates' point of view in the hospital bed. Only an actress as brave and non-egotistical as she is would allow herself to be photographed in such an unflattering way. And that's because the character's deep down ugliness must be seen to be appreciated. I hope you get the book. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts about it.

Melanie Bell’s book is as much a post-modern feminist dissertation about the late 20th century evolution of the female film star as it is about Julie Christie specifically; she seems to serve as a hook for the author’s theories. The text is sketchy, academic and overly selective in terms of Christie’s filmography. Too much is ignored. Barely a mention of “Shampoo,” almost nothing on “Miss Mary,” or on her last major leading role to date (“Railway Station Man”) and her post-“Afterglow” forays into comedy (“I’m with Lucy,” parts of “Snapshots,” parts of “Belphegor,” the eccentric Aunt Elizabeth in “Glorious ‘39”). “Away from Her” gets a few paragraphs, but although JC received many awards for that role, her co-star Gordon Pinsent had at least as much screen time in that movie as she; her subsequent work is totally ignored. The one contribution Bell adds to existing scholarship is discussion of JC’s “poetic” technique and in particular the way JC acts with her eyes. One look at the bibliography tells it all: given the easy online availability of vintage periodicals these days, much more material could have been found to enrich this study. Now that there are four – count ‘em, four – inadequate books about JC, it’s about time someone wrote a definitive one. (For the record, Michael Feeney Callan’s nicely illustrated 1983 bio isn’t bad, though a few facts are incorrect, and perhaps it should be updated.) Finally, JC is articulate enough herself, not to mention a fine enough writer, to do her own memoir – not as ego trip, but as a way to reveal truths about the concepts of “fame,” “beauty,” “talent” and “success.” Her own insights, coupled with a conscientious fact-checking editorial-minded collaborator (her journalist husband, perhaps?) could result in a valuable study. If not that, then a follow-up to the classic 1970s coffee table volume “Four Fabulous Faces” with JC and three others.