Anyone else blown away by this film?
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lulumary123 — 10 years ago(July 12, 2015 01:06 PM)
Poor dear - no he/she doesn't get it.
This is a character study. The plot is just there to give these subtle and complex characters a context within which to reveal themselves.
This is a film about loneliness, self-loathing, isolation, how people yearn for love, meaning and fulfillment in the face of societal expectations and judgment. It reeks of 70s cultural hubris and self-absorption.
And the chemistry between Fonda and Sutherland alone is worth the two-hour watch.
First-rate directing, first-rate acting (Fonda's monologue at her shrink's is one of the most devastating bits of acting I've ever seen), and completely absorbing. Especially Jane Fonda - you can't take your eyes off her.
Plot shmott, I've watched this probably six or seven times and I enjoy it just as much each time.
"A sword is useless in the hands of a coward" - Nichiren Daishonin -
mrjazzy2002 — 16 years ago(January 27, 2010 06:39 PM)
Klute has always been on of my top 10 most favorite films from the 60-70's era. Included are Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Easy Rider
This film always captured my interest and focus and the eerie, almost subliminal film score by the late great writer Michael Small adds to Klute's mystique, drama, and pace of the movie.
I can't imagine another set of actors that could have been cast any better for Klute other than, Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and Charles Cioffi, the brilliant executive "serial" killer. Those 3 actors were born to play the characters in the script.
I watched it again for the ? time, instant download from Netflix this week and the film is still one of the best ever. 5 Stars always on this one -
xego1 — 14 years ago(May 11, 2011 11:38 PM)
This is a a great film. I recently listened to the director's commentaries on David Fincher's films "Seven" and "Zodiac" and I am pretty sure he mentions "Klute" as being influential on him; "All the President's Men" also which was also directed by Pakula and shot by Gordon Willis. Willis is I think the real legend behind the camera and this was the time when he really shined.
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sawsan59 — 21 years ago(March 31, 2005 03:12 PM)
One of my favorite movies ever. I'm surprised it's not on the top 250. Great performances by Fonda and Sutherland. A perfect blend of suspense and character study. Very subtle, almost subdued, but very touching.
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Animal_Hospital — 20 years ago(June 04, 2005 03:17 PM)
Such a highly stylized film, yet so realistic and gritty. Pakula is unjustly overlooked as one of the quintessential directors of the 70s. He is the epitome of what made films good in that era - good writing and thorough work with actors, and, above all, seriousness about careful storytelling and creating the atmosphere. Visually, he is here as exciting as Kubrick, but not as shallow and more humane.
Although, All President's Men is my favourite.
I'm going to find it and I'm going to destroy it. Possibly with dynamite. -
michael1951 — 20 years ago(April 05, 2005 02:58 PM)
I think this is Jane's most over-rated film and her most over-rated performance. As a "mystery-thriller,"
The Morning After
has a much better story; and as a "down and out" character Alex Sternbergen is incomparable. (Of course, in
The Morning After
Jane also had the advantage of Jeff Bridges as a co-star, though I admit that Donald Sutherland did put on some amusing skits when he joined Jane in
F.T.A.
).
Glenda Jackson deserved the Oscar for
Sunday Bloody Sunday
, except that she'd won the year before, so the Academy finally gave Jane an Oscar as a consolation prize for losing out to Maggie Smith two years earlier.
They Shoot Horses
is an incomparably better film than
Klute
, and Gloria is an incomparably better performance than Bree Daniel. Jane just had the misfortune that year of being in the running against one of the greatest performances in film history, Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie.
Jane should have had an Oscar nomination for
Cat Ballou
and should have beaten Julie Andrews that year for the Golden Globe. Had she not been up against Maggie Smith, the Oscar would rightly have been hers for
They Shoot Horses
.
Nothing against Diane Keaton, but Jane probably deserved an Oscar for
Julia
(though probably not against Vanessa Redgrave if Vanessa had also been Best-Actress nominated, as she should have been). I don't begrudge Jane her Oscar for
Coming Home
, though I don't consider it one of her greatest performances (but that's just judging Jane against herself). She
absolutely
should have had an Oscar for
On Golden Pond
, and her failure to win for
The Morning After
is one of the great lapses in Academy voting. She also should have had at least a nomination for
Agnes of God
, and either she or Anne Bancroft should have won for that movie.
So obviously I'm no Jane Fonda basher. Quite the contrary. As an actor, I place her in fact second only to Laurence Olivier. I just fail to see what everyone else seems to see in
Klute
. -
chconnol — 20 years ago(May 18, 2005 11:53 AM)
"Klute" GREAT film. Love watching it every single time.
Just one note: technically speaking, Fonda's character is Bree Daniel. That's the way it's listed in the credits AND in Fonda's autobiography, even SHE calls the character Bree Daniel.
Here's the thing: check out the final scene when she answers the phone on the floor. She clearly identifies herself as Bree Daniels. Weird. -
johnrobie — 20 years ago(July 17, 2005 11:57 PM)
I watched this wonderful film last night and, as with most great film sfrom the 70's (The French Connection, All the President's Men, Taxi Driver, Three Days of the Condor, Jaws) it just shows how poor so many modern movies are; Klute was a film for adults and the filmmakers assumed that their audience was intelligent and sophisticated.
Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland are both so superb, so naturalistic in their performances; they look and feel like real people, not movie stars. I was watching the filmas I finished off some work late last night and I had to just put down my things and watch it. The mood of the film just grips you; the long takes and superb cinematography of Gordon Willis (probably the most important cameraman of the 70's), the brilliant direction of Alan J. Paukla (who also made the equally superb Parallax View and the masterful All the President's Men); the whole film is superb.
I dunno, something has been lost in cinema in the last few decades. Everything now is so obviously commercial and crass. And usually about superheroes. As much as I love Spiderman 1 & 2 (And I do!), films like The Wedding Crashers and popcorn fluff like Stealth, I can't help but look at movies from the 70's like Klute and conclude that, sadly, films today are dumber. -
danastarbuck — 20 years ago(July 20, 2005 06:06 AM)
Hear,hear, nickh72.
I also watched this film the other night and I totally agree that they don't make films like this anymore.
Films generally before Jaws in 1976 treated the audience as adults and paced the films slowly so you really 'got' the atmosphere.
The creepy 'Parallax View' (when is this ever going to come out on DVD?!)is another case in point. A classic film, which slowly ties you in with the main character and never lets you off the hook.
After Jaws, it was big blockbusters with 'when is the next helicopter going to explode' moments to keep the punters happy.
Who is the current Gordon Willis of cinematography? -
jenjen21 — 20 years ago(July 18, 2005 04:52 AM)
I thought it was great. I agree with the original poster on everything they said. The use of darkness was used a lot in the film and added to the atmosphere and the performances were great.
"I'm the nicest goddamn dame that ever lived" - Bette Davis -
ohxmyxitzxkee — 20 years ago(July 22, 2005 04:58 PM)
i agree. this film definitely blew me away. i rented the film just to see why jane fonda won her oscar for and i found out. i was stunned by how the film turned out and jane's performance. this is surely one of jane's best performances. i loved the screenplay in the film. they were sexual but it worked for me. some quotes from the film is absolutely rememorable. jane fonda shines. i don't think i would've liked this film if jane fonda wasn't in it.
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ldparasito — 20 years ago(August 16, 2005 07:15 AM)
Watched it last night for the 1st time. What a great film it is. The relationship between Klute and Bree is the heart of the movie and it fascinated me. She is so interesting, helpless, sexy, lovely, neuroticI've seen a lot of films in my life but only a few make me FEEL something. This film is one of them.
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