NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (April 2022): Criterion have transferred Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 4K digital restoration". Studiocanal released Mr. Klein on Blu-ray last year (2021) HERE. I suspect it looks similar to this new Criterion 1080P, but will try to get a copy to compare. This Blu-ray image is distinguished by its persistent green-blue hue and the remarkable rise in sharpness over Home Vision's earthy brown, out-of-print, DVD from 2004. Generally skin tones cool in comparison to the SD and pastels seem more passive. The dominant attribute is the remarkable rise in detail although some may be displeased with the heavy greenish hue.     

NOTE: We have added 72 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original French language. Mr. Klein has no real aggressive moments but a few train travel sounds - it is mostly dialogue centric in terms of audio. The score is credited to Egisto Macchi (Bandidos) and Pierre Porte (his second feature - he went on to TV work.) There is other music in the film including pieces by Pierre Degeyter, René Sylviano and three by Paul Misraki (Le Doulos, Atoll K, Attack of the Robots, Bunuel's Death in the Garden, Godard's Alphaville, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Doulos, Orson Welles's Mr. Arkadin.) It is authentically flat - and a shade tinny - via the lossless transfer. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers a couple of hours of supplements. There is a 2021, 50-minute, interview with critic Michel Ciment on director Joseph Losey's singular career and an excerpt of a 1/2 hour audio interview of Losey by Ciment on Mr. Klein, recorded in 1976. Presented on the Blu-ray are two programs on the making of Mr. Klein. The first is a segment of the April 25th, 1976, episode of Pour le cinema, directed by Pierre Mignot. It features actor Alain Delon and director Joseph Losey on the set of the film for about 13-minutes. The interview with both men explains their attraction to the project. The second is a 2021 interview with Henri Lanoe, for 26-minutes, in which the Mr. Klein editor discusses his contributions to the postproduction process. The notable extra is 1986's documentary Story of a Day running 1-hour, 20-minutes. On July 16th, 1942, Paris police detained thirteen thousand Jews across the city and held them at the Velodrome d'Hiver stadium for later deportation to concentration camps. This event, known as the 'Vel d'Hiv Roundup', became a symbol of Vichy France's willingness to collaborate with the Nazis and is the basis for Mr. Klein's narrative climax. This documentary tells the story of the roundup and French anti-Semitism of the period through archival footage and interviews with survivors and Resistance members. Lastly, is a trailer and the package has liner notes with an essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau and this has a new cover by Gary Kelley.

Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein is brilliant and unique. The infamous Vel' d'Hiv Roundup is part of the film, but is merely an element of documenting the status of the Jews under the Vichy regime. Losey uses Franz Kafka's work - notably The Metamorphosis where things can surrealistically change overnight but also The Trial with unresolved accusations having a detrimental effect on a man's life. The themes of identity overwhelm the intricacies of the plot - which simply support it. It's memorable and magnificent. I was so happy that Criterion choose to put this on Blu-ray . Mr. Klein is a must-own for all film fans. Criterion's extensive extras add further, important, value. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze