Klute
Composite Score: 82.73
Starring: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider, Dorothy Tristan, Rita Gam, Nathan George, Vivian Nathan, and Robert Milli
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Writers: Andy Lewis and David E. Lewis
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R
Box Office: $34,050 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Klute is a 1971 crime thriller from Alan J. Pakula about a small-town detective who follows a lead in a missing persons case to a prostitute in New York City and finds that she is in deep trouble. It stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels (the prostitute) and Donald Sutherland as John Klute (the detective). Together, the pair must figure out what kind of connection Klute’s friend Tom had to Bree and other of her compatriots in the city while also avoiding becoming the next victims of the criminal they are after. Below the crime thriller’s surface lies a deeper character exploration of Bree and John, studying Bree’s near addiction to her work and John’s adaptation from small-town cop to big-city investigator, which truly elevates the film into greatness.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Because of the nature of the crimes in this film, certain parts of it can be quite difficult to watch. The film contains very raw portrayals of drug addiction and stalking that could be disturbing or even triggering to some viewers. It should be noted that the film’s stance on sex work is more progressive and that it avoids condemning it fully or portraying it in a negative light – it seeks to villainize the men who prey on sex workers instead. Drugs, murder, and stalking all take center stage in this one though. For people who have been victims of stalking in particular, this could be a difficult watch, as its plot centers around an abusive criminal who stalks sex workers before killing them.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Firstly, the film does end up being quite progressive in many aspects (especially for the 1970s), encouraging the protection of sex workers and not going too deep on the occasionally criminal nature of the job and also exploring therapy and its positive impact in the pursuit of addiction. The film also goes a long way in its empowerment of Bree, giving her agency in almost every interaction that she has and celebrating that rather than vilifying it. By turning predatory men into the villains of the film rather than the call girls, the film ends up delivering an almost modern feminist message by its end, even if it remains more heteronormative than some more modern examples of feminist film.
Secondly, Jane Fonda gives a brilliant performance as Bree, truly carrying the film. Her conversations with her therapist about agency and a desire for control in her life are some of the best pieces of the film. Combine those with her excellent work as the femme fatale/love interest for John, who brings him into her world and makes him a part of it before eventually allowing herself to change as well, and you get a performance worthy of the Oscar that she won for this. Her sincerity, emotional investment, and sheer personification of female confidence make this an iconic role for her and in cinematic history as a whole.
Jane Fonda’s performance as Bree combined with the film’s progressive story and message take Klute from a run-of-the-mill crime thriller to one that deserves to be mentioned among the greats. The film’s sensitive subject matter might inherently keep it off of some people’s watchlists, but those who do give it a chance will experience a truly heart pounding thriller topped off with strong performances and storytelling. This film is currently available to rent on most streaming services if you’d like to check it out.
