CINEMA CLASSICS
Mr Klein 12
France/Italy | 1976 123 minutes
DIRECTED BY
Joseph Losey
STARRING
Alain Delon|Jeanne Moreau|Michael Lonsdale
We bid a
final farewell to Alain Delon, French actor, who died last August, aged 88,
with a screening of Mr Klein. It’s set in Paris, 1942, during the Nazi
occupation of France, and it seems to be a tale of two Mr Kleins. For the one
played by Delon, it is perhaps the best of times: he’s an art dealer seizing
the opportunity to relieve wealthy Jews of their artworks in exchange for the money
they need to finance their intended escape. This Mr Klein is not Jewish, at
least as far as we can tell. The other Mr Klein is certainly Jewish, is wanted
by the police, and cannot be traced. In fact, we never see him, but we must surmise
that for this Mr Klein it is the worst of times. Early on, the identities of
these two men become intertwined, so that the art dealer is determined to find
the other Mr Klein and to prove his own non-Jewish credentials to the
authorities. The mystery unfolds in Kafkaesque fashion, leading to tragic
consequences.
By the
mid-1970s, Alain Delon was a major international star, approaching middle-age. He
was also still exceptionally good-looking, but this film allows him to show
that he’s more than just a pretty face.
The
director is Joseph Losey, who himself was forced flee America in order to keep
working, having been blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
He settled in London in 1953 and became a well-known name in British cinema,
directing such films as The Servant (1963) and The Go-Between
(1971). He died in London in 1984, aged 75.
Mr
Klein was
nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and garnered a César Award for Best
Film. Losey also won a César for Best Director, while Delon was among the
nominations for Best Actor.
24 February 2025 MONDAY 19:30
AUDITORIUM
Tickets £8.00|£5.00 (under 26) CONCESSION NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE