Mr. Freedom

For the London pop art store, see Mr Freedom (fashion).
Mr. Freedom

Film poster
Directed by William Klein
Produced by Guy Belfond
Christian Thivat
Michel Zemer
Written by William Klein
Starring John Abbey
Delphine Seyrig
Donald Pleasence
Philippe Noiret
Music by Michel Colombier
Serge Gainsbourg
Cinematography Pierre Lhomme
Edited by Anne-Marie Cotret
Release dates
  • 8 January 1969 (1969-01-08) (France)
Running time
95 minutes
Country France
Language English
French

Mr. Freedom is a 1969 film by the expatriate American photographer and filmmaker William Klein. Starring the popular French actress Delphine Seyrig, this anti-imperialist satirical farce has cameos by the well-known actors Donald Pleasence and Philippe Noiret, as well as the musician Serge Gainsbourg.[1]

Plot summary

Under the command of Dr. Freedom, the crass superhero Mr. Freedom (John Abbey) goes to France to stave off the advances of the mysterious French Anti-Freedom (FAF) organization. He joins forces with the femme fatale Marie-Madeleine to lead his own anti-communist Freedom organization. The Freedom mission is complicated by the machinations of communist foes  the Stalinist Muzhik Man and the ferocious Maoist Red China Man (portrayed as a giant inflatable dragon). France, refusing to see the FAF as a threat, rebuffs Freedom, leading to an escalation of Cold War tactics. In the end, betrayed, Mr. Freedom destroys himself trying to save the "unappreciative" nation.

Cast

Reception

Fearing it may never be seen otherwise, Klein showed the film at the 1968 Avignon Festival. Marxist-Leninist groups criticized the political caricatures of Red China Man and other characters.[2]

References

  1. Mr. Freedom at the Internet Movie Database
  2. Smith, Alison. French Cinema in the 1970s: Echoes of May. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2005
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.