Rent Mr. Klein (1976)

Losey quality - Mr. Klein review by PS

This was a very interesting film and as good as any by Joseph Losey. I think it's probably one of the best roles I've seen Alain Delon in and it deals with a very serious, often unexplored topic, the level of collaboration in France under German occupation. Beautifully filmed and well paced and I think there should be a special mention for its setting in old Paris and the gorgeous 1930s costumes. Like many Losey films, I feel I could watch this many times.

Haunting - Mr. Klein review by MR

I agree with the above, the film has haunted me for days. There is perhaps an artificial feel about the use of old Paris settings, but the topic is very interesting and ultimately tragic; pretty special acting too by everyone involved.

An intriguing story taking place in France in the 1940s - Mr. Klein review by Philip in Paradiso

In January 1942, France is occupied by the Germans and the government in place in France is actively collaborating with the Nazis, enacting anti-Jewish legislation. Robert Klein, the central character (Alain Delon), is a well-to-do art dealer, who insists on the fact he is Alsatian and Catholic by birth, and not Jewish, despite the fact his surname could also be Jewish. R Klein is an opportunist and a hedonist, who appears uninterested in political matters. When his identity is called into question, i.e. the authorities threaten to investigate him in order to establish whether he is in fact Jewish or not, R Klein finds himself caught up in a Kafkaesque cycle of events, which is what the movie is about.

It is undeniably a very good film, which re-creates very well the atmosphere of 1940s France under German occupation, with the impact that the institutional anti-Semitism has on society and on the behaviour and mentality of ordinary people. It poses deeper questions about what a person's identity can mean. However, I expected a masterpiece and felt that this is merely a good film, whose storyline is rather simple. The very restrained acting style of Alain Delon - an over-rated actor who is inexpressive 90% of the time, which is his default position, essentially - gives a dry and abstract character to the story. We watch the story unfold from outside, as opposed to feeling that we are (or could be) part of it. This is, at any rate, how I felt while watching the film, which I still enjoyed and recommend.