Mr. Freedom

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

Directed by William Klein
Release dates
  • 1969
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 actor 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 Moujik 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.

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]

Cast

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

External links