#john abbey

[roxysretrodrive-in]

Retro Trailer: Mr Freedom (1969)

Disclaimer: I am not associated with the uploader nor the creators of this trailer.

[ozu-teapot]

Mr. Freedom | William Klein | 1968

[fitsofgloom]

"For Right is might, and might is . . . Freedom!"

[filmstruck]

There’s a scene in Arthur Miller’s AMERICAN CLOCK, a lesser known and not very successful later work of his, where a father and son go to a government office during the Depression to try and get the son a work voucher since the father won’t let him live at home. The government worker doesn’t believe the son needs assistance because he doesn’t believe the father would keep his own son out of his house. As the father becomes more agitated, explaining that he, the father, makes only a tenth of a cent per sale at his job, the government worker asks, “So you won’t let him in the house?” “I won’t let him in my house!” the father screams, “He don’t believe in anything.” The father walks away and the son gets his voucher. I thought of this scene while watching MR. FREEDOM (’69) and I may be the only person in history that thought of that scene while watching Mr. Freedom (hell, I might be the only person in history who’s actually seen both!). Mr. Freedom is the satire written and directed by William Klein that critic Jonathan Rosenbaum called “conceivably the most anti-American movie ever made” before also stating it was “hilarious.” Clearly, Mr. Rosenbaum and I have very different concepts of hilarity. But more importantly, is it the most anti-American movie ever made? Not really. Mainly, it’s just the most childish.

Read More On StreamLine: He Don’t Believe In Anything: MR. FREEDOM (’69)

[ozu-teapot]

Mr. Freedom | William Klein | 1968

Delphine Seyrig, John Abbey

[ozu-teapot]

Mr. Freedom | William Klein | 1968

John Abbey, et al.

[ozu-teapot]

Mr. Freedom | William Klein | 1968

John Abbey

[ozu-teapot]

Mr. Freedom | William Klein | 1968