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"Fonda here emerges as probably the finest screen actress of her generation." - Richard Schickel. TIME
I have patiently waited and hoped for a 1st rate, appropriate blu-ray presentation of the 1971 suspense film
"Klute" longer than I can remember, and now the wonderful folks at Criterion have delivered it in a fabulous
special edition HD package that diminishes all other video versions that have been released over the years. I've
personally owned the VHS, laserdisc, and previous dvd formats, but they all pale in comparison. I've loved this
movie since it was first released back in 1971 and is in my top 5 of all time. Jane Fonda gives an Oscar-winning
performance as a Manhattan call girl stalked by a VERY twisted client, with Donald Sutherland as the detective
coming in to try to find him. It's beautifully creepy, haunting, and suspenseful while offering a laser-like portrait
of the mood, era, and vibe of early 70's New York City from the late director Alan J. Pakula (1928-1998). Along
with Fonda and Sutherland (in the title role), all of the performances in the picture are stellar, including those
from Roy Scheider as Fonda's pimp, Charles Cioffi as the stalker, Dorothy Tristan as a hooker/addict, and Vivian
Nathan as the psychiatrist. After getting the role, Jane wanted out of her contract, because she felt she couldn't
offer a realistic portrayal of a prostitute, but Pakula wouldn't oblige. Another quality that lifts "Klute" to a classic
level is the stunning musical score from composer Michael Small which, amazingly, was his first Hollywood film.
The dramatic and gorgeous love theme from "Klute" includes two trumpets and a rhythm section that just aches
with the loneliness and struggling emotions the two lead characters are experiencing in their situations with each
other. The haunting title track, with sparse piano and other instruments creating a creepy, repetitive echo doesn't
appear until 4 minutes into the start of the film and most effectively suggests the mystery, drama, and suspense
to come. The eerie female voice heard at several key points was performed by vocalist Sally Stevens (who also did
the "Scorpio" theme later that year in "Dirty Harry"). Spectacular work from composer Michael Small. "Klute" was
the 1st offering in director Pakula's legendary 70's "Paranoia Trilogy", which continued with "The Parallax View"
(1974) and then "All The President's Men" (1976). The film, itself, was a great commercial and critical success with
a $12 million gross on a 2.5 million budget. This Criterion package is absolutely superb with added bonus features
and an in-depth, extensive booklet covering essays on the film, the actors, the story, Pakula's 1972 interview with
"Sight and Sound", and beautiful still shots/photo's from the movie. Jane Fonda, in her riveting performance as
Bree Daniels, richly deserved her Best Actress Oscar for "Klute". She would also win the 1971 Golden Globe Best
Actress, the New York Film Critic's Circle Best Actress, and the National Society of Film Critics Best Actress awards
for her role in "Klute". Special mention must also go, as well, to the brilliant cinematographer Gordon Willis and
editor Carl Lerner for their valuable input on the picture. A masterpiece and timeless work of art from 1971. All
the stars in the universe for this magnificent HD presentation from Criterion. (My ONLY quibble about this edition
is that I wish they would have included the great original theatrical trailer from the film - "Don't be afraid. Don't
be afraid." - in the bonus section that was on the 1999 WB dvd release. It's the sole reason I'm hanging on to my
copy of that one. It's THAT good and is further enhanced with several brief musical cues included from composer
Michael Small's marvelous score.)
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Reviews with images
A gorgeously ambiguous piece of early '70s filmmaking that deserves a spot in every collection.
In many ways, Klute (1971) is the logical result of a broken studio system attempting to create a new formula. The thriller aspects of director Alan J. Pakula's production, liberally lifted from latter Hitchcock films and Italian giallo copycats, offers up the seedy inspiration for '80s thrillers like Basic Instinct where both heroes and heroines are only a few moral notches away from the psychos they pursue. But with the new Hollywood ethos in play, Klute is allowed make up its own rules, explore (or in some cases ignore) its characters, and linger where its inspirations could not.A New York call girl with theatrical aspirations, Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda) becomes a "person-of-interest" in the disappearance of a buttoned-down family man connected by a series of pornographic letters. John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is the private investigator with a vested interest in the case who also takes a romantic interest in his chief witness. As the pair track down leads, the killer ties up loose ends, leaving a trail of bodies that leads to Bree herself.Although the script plays a rather conventional game of cat-and-mouse, Pakula's approach is decidedly psychological and introspective, fracturing the typical movie mystery structure with improvised therapy sessions and off-camera voice-overs. Klute doesn't follow a straight line; its story is cultured like bacteria in a petri dish, growing new narrative appendages as the characters take shape.And there's no doubt that this is Jane Fonda's film, despite the fact that it's named after Sutherland's character. That's the first of many antithetical choices Pakula seems to embrace simply to break from audience expectations. Bree's profession isn't stigmatized; she provides a service. And Fonda turns in a performance full of personal demons and human frailty; she makes Bree Daniels feel lived-in. While Sutherland bravely turns his small-town PI into a sidekick relegated to only a handful of lines, each with more impact than the last.The Criterion Collection's new Blu-ray is sourced from a newly restored 4K digital master, which does wonderful things with Gordon Willis' shadowy cinematography. Extras include new interviews and featurettes along with an archival documentary and liner notes. It's a gorgeously ambiguous piece of early '70s filmmaking that deserves a spot in every collection.
Top reviews from other countries
jamessmurf
Classic early 70s film noir thriller :)
Reviewed in Australia on September 27, 2019