In this episode of the Fascism on Film Podcast, we discuss Joseph Losey’s 1976 masterpiece Mr. Klein, set in Nazi-occupied France. Alain Delon plays Robert Klein, a Paris art dealer who profits from the desperation of Jewish families forced to sell their belongings before deportation. He’s confident and comfortable in his privilege—until a Jewish newspaper arrives in his mail, addressed to “Mr. Klein,” and suddenly the system he’s benefited from turns its gaze on him.

As Klein tries to prove his innocence, he becomes trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare where identity itself can be erased with a form, a file, or a stamp. What begins as a misunderstanding turns into an obsession—and ultimately, his undoing. We talk about how Losey combines historical realism with surreal mystery, from the grotesque cabaret scene mocking Jewish caricatures to the cold efficiency of the 1942 Vel’ d’Hiv roundup, where French police carried out mass arrests of their own citizens.

We also explore how Mr. Klein illustrates the moral dilemmas of collaboration and the ease with which ordinary people adapt to fascism’s subtle cruelty. It’s a film about paranoia, identity, and the illusion of safety in a society that demands obedience. Join us as we unpack its layers and ask what happens when a man—and a nation—loses its reflection.