Mister Freedom

I have always been intrigued by a still of the entrancing Delphine Seyrig in a majorette outfit gracing the cover of one of my favorite issues of the British film magazine “The Movie” – which, among others, discussed in detail such films as Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’ AVVENTURA (1960), Alain Resnais’ LAST YEAR IN MARIENDBAD (1961), Chris Marker’s LA JETEE' (1962) and John Frankenheimer’s THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962); on closer inspection, I found out that the film in question was one I was unaware of and, under the circumstances, I took to be an ordinary potboiler. Several years later, I learned on the Internet that both MR. FREEDOM and its director’s preceding film, WHO ARE YOU, POLLY MAGGOO? (1966) had been released on DVD in France (appropriately enough) and, frankly I have been toying with the idea of picking them up ever since – despite their prohibitive price ($30 apiece). Luckily, I held firm and, a couple of years later, Criterion’s more adventurous sister label Eclipse sprung the 3-Disc “The Delirious Fictions of William Klein” set – consisting of these two films and the later THE MODEL COUPLE (1977) – on a largely unsuspecting public. Once again, my interest was intensely aroused by the prospect of owning these enticing movies but, perhaps thankfully, their release came at a very low ebb in my DVD collecting hobby which, due to family problems and time constraints, has sensibly made me cut down on my reckless online purchasing! Still, as a local saying goes, what doesn’t enter from the door, gets in through the window – and so it is that I have managed to score these three William Klein films via DivX torrents which, however, I then still had to convert to DVD-R given the fickle nature of imported English subtitles!

Despite its 2004 inclusion among eminent critic Jonathan Rosenbaum’s “1000 Essential Films” and the fact that I was fully expecting to really love this one (given its comic-strip leanings), regrettably I have to admit that MR. FREEDOM proved to be a case of a long wait for a certain title not being totally repaid on realization. Like William Cameron Mezies before him and anticipating Robert Fuest, William Klein was himself a writer-director-production designer whose unusual combination of talents likewise (and understandably so) gravitated him towards the fantasy genre when dabbling in movies. Anonymous actor John Abbey, then, is the arrogant all-American hero – the sometime Stetson-hat-wearing/sometime rugby-player-attired Mr. Freedom – and his pompous characteristics instantly reminded me of Eddie Constantine’s Lemmy Caution characterization in Jean-Luc Godard’s ALPHAVILLE (1965) – a film with which it shares not only the satirizing of pulp fiction heroes but, by extension, American intervention in foreign countries. Indeed, MR. FREEDOM can perhaps best be described as a wildly uneven and wholly unholy satirical blend of French Nouvelle Vague sensibilities, Pop-art kitsch and comic-strip campiness.

Getting back to Delphine Seyrig, she has arguably never looked sexier than she does here – sporting a frizzy-haired red wig and that seemingly clashing cheerleader costume, she plays Mr. Freedom’s main associate ‘over there’: French agent Marie-Madeleine; also on their side is Abbey’s employer Dr. Freedom who, played by Donald Pleasence, only appears to him in intermittent TV communiqués. On the other hand, the villains are more opaque if not a little eccentric in themselves: Philippe Noiret is the inflated, cap-wearing Moujik-Man and then there is the dragon-like, life-size puppet Red Chinaman! The film also features some notable (and notably irreverent) cameos: Yves Montand as the deceased French superhero, Capitaine Formidable, Serge Gainsbourg as a Mr. Freedom acolyte (he also composed the film’s playful score) and Sami Frey as Jesus Christ!! For the record, both Noiret and Frey had both already appeared in Klein’s WHO ARE YOU, POLLY MAGGOO?

Ultimately, you have to hand it to Eclipse for bravely going ahead with releasing on DVD – and, technically, for exclusive American consumption – this “most anti-American of anti-American films” during a period when anti-Bush/anti-Iraq War fervor is at its highest. But, then, isn’t the then-current anti-Vietnam War/anti-consumerist credo splattered all over the colorfully chaotic canvas of MR. FREEDOM?

This satire on the American persona starts off as a biting attack on the jingoistic way we Americans force ourselves on others onto and treat other people at home, and mostly abroad. Mr Freedom, a boneheaded superhero is sent to rid France of communist infiltration. As he attempts to swing France back into American influence he battles his Soviet counterpart and the evil Red China Man.

After the first half hour, during which most of the points are made, this film circles around itself in total confusion before collapsing into total incomprehensibility. It looks like someone took huge chunks out of this film. I've seen some people listing the this film as having a full running time of 115 minutes. If thats the case see that version and not the 95 minute English one since it probably makes more sense.

Frankly this is a major disappointment since the film would seem to have become timely again with what is going on in the Iraq. Instead its a major misfire that is rightly not well known in America.

7 out of 10 for curiosity and for some truly wonderful moments, mostly in the first half. See it if you like misfires or want to see how the world has come full cycle, just prepare to be confused regarding the plot.

'Mr Freedom' is a film as relevant as ever in our current political climate. With some far right factions expanding throughout the country, the issues of nationalism and fascism are getting evermore disturbingly pertinent to American society. Luckily, films like 'Mr. Freedom' show that artists have been willing to subvert and parody these harmful societal and political forces in entertaining and humorous ways. 'Mr. Freedom' is a film that can be enjoyed as more than just some dry, drab political statement: it is a very alive, entertaining, and visually appealing movie. The humour ranges from the pitch black to the amusingly absurd, and the scenery is filled with eye candy. Naturally, the film's color palate is painted with many reds, whites, and blues, always to an over-the-top extent, creating an atmosphere to the set and costume design that is funny, satirical, and borderline surreal.

The film's escalation into further absurdity is one of its finest attributes. Watching everything crumble into a great ball of bizarre comedy helps even further cement this film's status as a feast for the eyes and mind. Towards the end, many of the action sequences are so bafflingly insane that they become ridiculously fun. When I can't tell what exactly is even going on, I get all the more intrigued.

While it is not a perfect film, or any sort of "masterpiece" at all (there are a lot of weird audio decisions William Klein made, much of the dialogue is obviously dubbed and it is very distracting) , 'Mr. Freedom' is certainly a worthwhile experience for almost anyone looking for a good satire. It's as entertaining and absurd as a film of this kind ought to be.

By day, our hero is a redneck policeman, but when needed, he puts on a strange outfit and becomes the policeman of the world. At the beginning of the film, Mr. Freedom is dispatched by Dr. Freedom (a dead-on Donald Pleasence) to France, which is in danger of going Red. Mr. Freedom will not let this happen. . . regardless of how many innocent bystanders he kills in the process.

Obviously made as a reaction to America's involvement in Vietnam, Mr. Freedom is slightly dated, but perhaps not as much as its detractors may like to pretend. Also, the film is surprisingly colorful. With its bright set design, this low-budget film pleases the eye far most legitimate superhero film movies.

There are slow stretches. Some ideas miss. Yet, one forgives the misses for what the film gets perfectly right (an American embassy in a supermarket, Mr. Freedom trying to get a French child to laugh at him, a trip to the dentist, and the ending). This film reminds one a little of Alphaville. Both films are low-fi science fiction with unique, inimitable visuals. This is a good film for the adventurous viewer who thinks he has seen everything.

Simply put, Mr. Freedom is unlike any film being made today.

Wow!! To my taste this is far funnier and less campy than Dr Strangelove. Talk about the arid intellectual- Dr. Strangelove pulls his punches and spoons-out his laughs. Mr. Freedom has the bold "logo-rhhea" power to come out and blame The Reds *AND* The Blacks for all his troubles- Not fun or funny? Maybe Kubrick makes better 'cinema'- or maybe he's just lingering over mild material. Klein is committed, overt; profoundly radical. I've seen nothing like this script, but overall- especially the direction, invention & conviction- it reminds me of "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension". Except where Americans describe Buckaroo as "agreeably insane", Mr. Freedom comes from some different country. OTOH- None of these films depend on any nuance. It is probable that the first 40 minutes are the most astounding of Mr. Freedom's bizarrely breathless life. After that we're asked to buy into the TV-Batman premise; then we proceed along an escalating series of staged confrontations- offering no development 'per se', but plentiful poignant wordplay. Whole pages of the script are totally "quotable", but possibly poisoned. So if one isn't angered by our corporate-imperialist history in Europe (i.e., the Cold War ('Red Chinaman', 'Mr. Moujik' ('peasant' in Russian)), the 1960's Marseilles underground (represented as Mafia lowlife "Mr. Drugstore" (Turk Sweet, anyone?))) & some very similar Euro-Colonialist history - then yeah, it'll all sound 'stupid'. Well the fun here is part surreal/comics- but it's *All* satirical- i.e., depends on deeper connections. And "literate" is Problem #1 for USA-educated, Depression-Generation video-gamers. A grounding in international politics just won't match the power-fantasies of Fox-TV Gulf-war coverage for jingoistic thrill-kills/per-minute. But anyone who reads to stay awake should appreciate Director William Klein's ambitious coup. Anyone ready for 'System of a Down' or 'Rage Against the Machine' etc. should score (& another historic value IS the scrappy score by Serge Gainsborough (also seen at the piano)). Vive the French Anti-Freedom League! Vive Paris 1968!