The
Hollywood legend accepted a Bafta while being arrested last week – but which of her many standout roles have cemented her reputation?
Nothing established Fonda all over the world more resoundingly than her leading role in this bizarre, kitsch sci-fi extravaganza, adapted by Terry Southern from the risque comic-book series and directed by Fonda’s then-husband, Roger Vadim. In
France, it made her a sex-symbol to rival Bardot, and her stunning beauty and style achieve something almost extraterrestrial here. She plays Barbarella, an intrepid space adventurer who is entrusted with a vital intergalactic mission by the president of Earth, which involves nursing a blind angel on a distant planet by having sex with him. Fonda carries it off with dedication and style.