"The touch of your hand, the feel of your lips."

Forget it! Such sentiment is for the nostalgic over the age of 30 who haven't experienced love "Barbarella' style. In Paramount Pictures' Barbarella, about the only thing left in traditional romance in the year 40,000 is literally "the touch of your hand" according to Roger Vadim, director of Barbarella - a humourous and often biting commentary on sex, politics and life in the distant future. Vadim directed star Jane Fonda in the adventures of the controversial and amoral space heroine, based on the popular French adult illustrated feature created by Jean-Claude Forest.

At first glance, Forest's creation, which raised the hackles of blue-noses throughout Europe, might cause the censors to wave the red flag, especially over Miss Fonda's love scene with Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi. But have no fear. Love-making in the year 40,000 will be as simple as shaking hands.

It goes something like this: Both Miss Fonda and Hemmings compare their psychocardiagrams to check their electrical compatibility. Then both pop "exhaltation transference pills" into their mouths, close their eyes and touch finger-tips until "maximum rapport" is reached. The whole thing takes a wearying 20 seconds.

According to Vadim and Barbarella, earthlings in the year 40,000 will have better things with which to occupy their time. "And besides," explains Barbarella with a smile, "love 20th Century style would be so time-consuming and boring." Umm, yes .

Oh well. Futuristic romp Barbarella sends star Jane Fonda and co-stars John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, Ugo Tognazzi, Marcel Marceau and David Hemmings through adventures on the strange planet Lythion. The motion picture was directed, by Roger Vadim and produced by Dino De Laurentiis.