DeniClassics Corner: Mr. Klein (1976) with Alain Delon
September 3rd 2010 16:44
The movie opens with a poor naked woman, being subjected to a cruel and inhumane examination - not for any symptoms or signs of physical or mental illness. The doctor makes his cold calculations, roughly sizing her up based on physical traits to determine if she belongs to that less inferior race.
All of this is of little concern to Mr. Klein (Alain Delon). He is an opportunist, a vulture, a cockroach - taking advantage of the situation suffered by the Jews and making a hefty profit. He pretends to be sympathetic all the while robbing them blind as they sell their valuable works of art to him as sub-par prices. He cares very little about the fate of his clients, and continues on thinking himself secure and clever in his life with his mistress and his posh apartment until one day the world comes crashing in.
While he waits for his birth certificate to prove his identity, he complicates maters further by conducting his own
The film does an amazing job building suspense which leads to the climactic ending. As Mr. Klein is on the heels of unraveling the identity of the mysterious man who is the deliberate cause of his nightmare, simultaneously time is running out for the rest of the Jews still residing in the city. When Robert Klein comes close to solving the missing piece of the puzzle, the background of impending doom slowly moves to the foreground and both mystery and destiny collide in a fatalistic ending that can only be described as divine judgment.
Alain Delon is nothing less than incredible as Mr. Klein. He plays him with impeccable calm and puffed up self-importance, ego and simmering indignation, while turning a blind eye on his own hypocrisy. In the end Monsieur Klein is transformed into a Jew in many ways, selling his own fortune at a bargain price in order to save himself, the only difference
Director Joseph Losey, added a major historical element to the film. The Vel' d'Hiv Roundup was a mass raid that took place on July 16-17, 1942. It was a Nazi decree on the Jewish population where over 13,000 citizens were arrested and gathered at Vélodrome d'Hiver and the Drancy internment camp nearby, and then eventually shipped by railway transports to Auschwitz for extermination. Considering that Mr. Losey himself was investigated for having ties to the Communist Party and was therefore blacklisted by Hollywood studio bosses, I'm sure this project felt very close to his heart.
Monsieur Klein is definitely a movie worth watching, for it's great story and gripping suspense and also for Mr. Delon, who never fails to impress with his intense performance.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Totally agree with your review and appreciation of Losey and our man.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
JD, I'm surprised that you got anything out of this.
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
Shaun, this film was a bit "pacey", I agree but there was so much going on that made up for those slack moments.