Plot: What’s it about?
I may or may not have said this before, but one of the great things about DVD is the fact that so many great films are being released (or re-released) to the format. Being lucky enough to be able to review these discs is a double-edged sword. On one hand, I have discovered a number of films that I had passed by in a video store that are now proudly displayed in my DVD collection. On the other hand, I have seen plenty of films that I would have rather not even taken out of the box. Still, with the arrival of Klute on DVD, I had always wanted to see it, but never had the inclination to pick it up. I have been a fan of Alan J. Pakula’s for some time, with The Pelican Brief and was saddened by his death (via an automobile accident) just a few years ago. Still, Klute is one of those movies that helped propel Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland to the stars they are (or were) today. Fonda won an Academy Award for her role as Bree Daniel and Sutherland, fresh off his success of M*A*S*H showed that he was more than a one-trick pony.
Like so many other model/actress wannabees, there are just too many of them out there. This is the case now as it was thirty years ago. Bree Daniel (Jane Fonda) is literally just another face in the crowd. In one of the film’s earlier scenes, a row of women are being picked over and looked at as if they were cattle. Bree is one of those faces. By day, she is an actress (or is attempting to be) and by night she is an upscale call girl. Being a call girl is something that she’s not proud of, but she is rather good at it and knows that she can count on it should the need arise for money. It often does. As she puts it, she can be an actress for an hour at a time, to make her customers happy and she leaves with money. Problem solved. But she isn’t happy on the inside and sees a Psychiatrist to help her figure out her problems. This, of course, is just half of the story. We meet John Klute (Donald Sutherland), a small town private investigator, who is assigned with the task of finding his friend, Tom Gruneman (Robert Milli). The only link between Klute and Bree is the mere fact that he was once a customer of hers. She vaguley remembers him, but is now being stalked by a killer who wants her dead. The question is…who is the killer?
As I mentioned above, Klute is a great film. It’s one of those that I have passed by in a video store many times, but have never made the extra effort to pick it up and give it a viewing. Good thing too, as I’m spoiled by DVD and to see it any other way would degrade the film! Fonda gives a great performance here, possibly one of her best. It’s no coincidence that she won the Best Actress Oscar for her role here. I just heard on the new M*A*S*H DVD that it was the first movie to utter the “F” word. That may or may not be true, but a mere year later, Bree is throwing it around like it’s going out of style! Roy Scheider isn’t given much screen time here, so if you want to see more of him and in a more “exciting” movie, check out The French Connection. Give Klute a chance, it does move slow at times, but it’s a great period piece that has withstood the test of time; and for good reason…
Video: How does it look?
A brand new anamorphic transfer was made for Klute and it has never looked better. Director Alan J. Pakula was a big fan of widescreen and his movies showed it. The image, for the most part, is very good; clean. Naturally the print is some 30 years old, so don’t expect a miracle. Another Warner title from this era, Dirty Harry, was given a new transfer and the image looked very clean. Klute, not being an extremely popular title, most likely didn’t have the budget that Harry did. Still, there is hardly any edge enhancement that I noticed. There is some dirt on the print, so that was a bit distracting. Also, the movie is very dark, with most scenes taking place at night or in dark rooms. The daylight scenes, though, do look very natural. For the age of this film, I was very satisfied with how it looked.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono mix is nothing to get excited about. While mono mixes do their part, they certainly can’t compete with the soundtracks of modern movies. And it’s also true that some sound better than others. This, for the most part, is par for the course. A “gritty” movie that is now some 30 years old sounds just about as good now as it did then (I’m guessing). The dialogue is a bit fuzzy at times, and that familiar background “hiss” that is so prevelant in 70’s movies is there as well. While not distracting, you do have to pay a bit more attention to what’s happening on screen. Sutherland, who tends to mumble, doesn’t make matters much better. Still, the audio mix is fairly decent here and it should present no major problems.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Containing a few extras, the 8 minute featurette Klute “In New York: A Background For Suspense” is one of those featurettes that was made during the filming of the movie. With no real interviews with Sutherland or Fonda, it just has some footage of the shoots and close ups of the two actors. The gritty voice tells of New York and Director Pakula’s obsession with it. While not offering much insight into the film, it’s interesting to see a “real” featurette from back in the day. Some selected cast bios are also shown as is the film’s trailer.
