Mr. Klein

Synopsis: Paris, 1942. Robert Klein cannot find any fault with the state of affairs in German-occupied France. He has a well-furnished flat, a mistress, and business is booming. Jews facing discrimination because of laws edicted by the French government are desperate to sell valuable works of art - and it is easy for him to get them at bargain prices. His cosy life is disrupted when he realizes that there is another Robert Klein in Paris - a Jew with a rather mysterious behaviour. Very soon, this homonymy attracts the close - and menacing - attention of the police on the established art trader.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director(s): Joseph Losey
  3 wins & 5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Year:
1976
123 min
462 Views


Rounded gums.

Slight prognathism.

Arched nostrils.

Normal nasolabial spacing.

Slightly flattened septum.

Fleshy lower lip.

Prognathous jaw

typical of non-European races.

Narrow forehead.

Low hairline.

Hair is thick, oily and shiny.

Normal ears.

Lobes not fixed.

Slanted.

Slightly drooping upper eyelids.

Swarthy skin.

More or less Jewish facial expression.

Non-Jewish body language

during examination.

Now walk.

Naturally large and flaccid hips.

On tiptoe now.

Soles of the feet are flat.

Arch is totally absent.

Get dressed.

In the opinion of the undersigned,

based on morphological

and behavioral data,

the subject could well belong

to the Semitic race.

Her ancestry could be either Jewish,

Armenian,

or Arab.

For now, the case must be

considered doubtful.

You can go.

How much do I owe you?

See my secretary.

You'll be notified

by the prefecture of police.

Fifteen francs.

How did it go?

All right.

- What about you?

- All right.

Did he tell you anything?

And you?

- Mr. Klein?

- Yes, that's me.

Would you please come in?

I wanted to see you.

I have something

that might interest you.

Did a mutual friend send you?

I don't believe we've met.

I was told you might be interested

in purchasing paintings.

Well, yes, I might be.

I have a painting here.

It's a work by Adriaen van Ostade,

a portrait of a gentleman.

It's an authentic painting,

signed and dated.

It appears in the catalog.

Snow

woven of quartz and crystal,

pendant drops,

lacy arabesques,

webs of icy silk.

Fables, dreams,

spells, illusions.

And suddenly

the blue glare and the red blaze

of the young Phalangists.

The flower,

the pride of France.!

The paladins.!

On the horizon,

the pinnacles of Leningrad

appear and disappear

like a mirage.

Six hundred louis.

Three hundred.

You must be joking.

At that price, I'd rather keep it.

As you wish.

It's easy for you,

when a man is forced to sell.

But I'm not forced to buy.

I'm not a collector.

For me

it's just a job.

Make me a reasonable offer.

Three hundred.

Robert!

Go back to bed.

- Why?

- "Why?"

Why do you think?

- Wait a minute.

- Later. Go back to bed.

If it were a matter of francs,

instead of gold louis...

It's true that francs

are worthless abroad,

but if you need money in France -

I don't need it in France.

Very well.

Let's make out a receipt.

It's just a formality.

It's for me.

It'll stay in my safe.

Here. Write it yourself.

Unless you have a receipt

from whoever sold it to you.

We've always had it in our house.

Always.

Well, perhaps my grandfather,

when he came from Holland.

Or perhaps his father.

Yes.

It's a long time ago.

It doesn't matter.

It's just a formality.

Now would you write

"I, the undersigned" -

Name, surname and address.

No, never mind the address.

Name, surname.

"Declare that I hereby make over

to Mr. Robert Klein

for the agreed amount

acceptable to me -

the agreed amount acceptable to me -

a painting by Adriaen van Ostade,

measuring 20 inches by 12,

this painting being

the portrait of a gentleman

from Holland.

Paris, January 16, 1942."

And your signature.

Have you got something to put it in?

No, but it doesn't matter.

Don't you want to count it?

Wait. I'll give you a present.

No, thank you.

Don't bother.

May I take one?

I have friends in the same situation,

and perhaps they...

Yes, of course.

Although I'd rather-

That is, recently,

I've seen many clients like you,

urgently needing to sell.

And I assure you

it's most unpleasant for me.

Embarrassing.

Very often I'd rather not buy.

Then don't.

Your newspaper.

You must have dropped it.

JEWISH NEWS:

You're right.

It's my name and address.

The postman left it by your door.

Good-bye.

Bon voyage, and good luck.

Good luck to you, Mr. Klein.

Blue:

indifference.

A straight line

suspended in the sky.

White:
cruelty.

An acute angle with its point

driven into the ground.

Black:
arrogance.

A pyramid with its base

sunk into the sea.

And purple:
greed.

In the central circle, we see

remorse:

a vulture.

Its heart is pierced by an arrow,

yet it continues to fly.

In each of the four corners,

woven in different colors,

are ancient cabalistic symbols.

For this splendid tapestry,

the bidding will start

at 150,000 francs.

Yes, 200,000.

In the back, 300.

Robert, you promised to advise me.

- On the tapestry?

- No, the console table.

- Did you forget?

- The console table.

There's still time.

I'm going to get a coffee.

I'll be back.

What do you think of the tapestry?

I think it's bad luck.

NOJ FWS ALLOWFD:

Hello.

Thank you.

I just phoned.

This morning I received your paper

addressed to me.

I'm not a subscriber,

and I have no intention of-

I mean, I have no reason to be.

Isn't your paper sent

only to subscribers?

It's our only way to keep

the community informed

about meetings, decisions

and new measures set up

by the authorities, and so on.

I understand,

but I don't belong to your-

Yes, I understand.

It's strange.

Unless someone else -

perhaps a friend of yours -

subscribed for you.

That's impossible.

No one would play

that sort of joke on me.

You think we make

a good subject for jokes?

No, I didn't mean that.

But the very idea seems so absurd.

Please excuse me.

So you no longer wish

to receive our newspaper?

Exactly.

I would also like to know

why you sent it to me.

I understand. Unfortunately,

we must wait until the prefecture

returns our list of subscribers.

Then we can check.

- The prefecture?

- Yes, the prefecture of police.

You give your lists to the police?

They're the ones who've allowed us

and advised us to publish this newspaper.

As I told you,

it's the only way we have -

Yes, I understand.

Where is the prefecture?

The Commission for Jewish Affairs.

Robert Klein, did you say?

Yes.

Like that?

Address?

136 Rue du Bac.

How long have you lived there?

About seven years,

since I came to Paris.

Yes, in fact,

there is a Robert Klein.

But at another address.

Obviously a man with the same name.

May I have his address?

What would you say if I gave yours

to anyone who asked for it?

Take it away.

Where did you say you lived?

136 Rue du Bac.

The fact remains, someone

wrote my name on the paper. Why?

You understand my concern?

Perfectly.

It's more curiosity than anxiety.

The fact someone would -

I'm sorry.

I'm taking up your time.

Such things can't interest the police.

Luckily for me.

What does "Moby Dick" mean?

Is it a name?

Yes.

A woman's name?

No, a whale's.

He's exactly like me.

Who's that?

Ishmael.

Listen to this.

"Sixteen hours in bed.

The small of my back ached.

I felt worse and worse.

At last, I got up

and threw myself at her feet,

beseeching her to beat me,

to do anything, indeed,

but condemn me to lie in bed

for such an unendurable

length of time. "

Can I get up?

Do me a favor:

Get a different book.

The one with the pink cover.

"Chlo. "

From the beginning?

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Franco Solinas

Franco Solinas (19 January 1927 - 14 September 1982) was an Italian writer and screenwriter. He is best known for the screenplay of The Battle of Algiers, which was nominated for three Academy Awards. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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