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Information
- Year
- 1976
- Runtime
- 123 min.
- Director
- Joseph Losey
- Genres
- Crime, Drama, Thriller, Mystery, War
- Rating *
- 7.6
- Votes *
- 4,328
- Checks
- 901
- Favs
- 91
- Dislikes
- 4
- Favs/checks
- 10.1% (1:10)
- Favs/dislikes
- 23:1
Top comments
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Siskoid
There are two Robert Kleins in 1976's Mr. Klein. One is Alain Delon, Parisian art broker in Nazi-occupied France. The other is a mystery man, possibly Jewish, possibly in the Resistance, possibly many things. There might be half a dozen Robert Kleins, which is part of the play on identity. When the authorities start to think the two Kleins are one and the same, Delon's fears for his life, but more than anything, wants to solve the mystery. And the more he digs, the more correspondences one can draw between the two men, to the point of yourself wondering if they ARE the same person after all. Kafka (in particular The Trial) is an obvious evocation, but I was also reminded of Philip Roth's 1993 novel Operation Shylock. A taut thriller with a lot of unease, the movie jumps right in with a horrific scene from anti-Semitic history that has nothing directly to do with the main plot, but is solely designed to make you feel anxious. The confusion of identities universalizes the targeting of Jews (with Delon looking nothing like the caricatures used by Nazis) - fascism just needs a scapegoat, any will do - and should make the audience apprehensive about the lead. Yes, there's an injustice being perpetrated here, but will his quest to clear himself of "Judaic ancestry" sell another man out to the Nazis? Is it, indeed, the act of an informant? A lot of questions, and don't expect them all to be answered, that isn't the point. 3 years 3 months ago -
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Friends
Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!In 6 official lists
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This movie ranks #2 in César Award - Best French Film
César Award - Best Frenc…
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This movie ranks #87 in Time Out's The 100 Best French Films
Time Out's The 100 Best …
87 -
This movie ranks #432 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
432 -
This movie ranks #800 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
David Thomson's Have You…
800 -
This movie ranks #939 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
Sight & Sound's The Grea…
939 -
This movie ranks #1364 in The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
1364