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Majority Complete |
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Complete |
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Major Characters |
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Partial |
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Author: |
Andy K. Lewis and Dave Lewis | |
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Film, 1971. Warner Bros. (Video, Warner Home Video, 1980) Lewis, Andy and Lewis, Dave. Early draft screenplay, undated, 207 pages. Cinemania CD-ROM. Microsoft. 1995. Greenspun, Roger. New York Times Film Reviews, 1971-1972. The New York Times Company. New York, N.Y. 1973. Magill's Survey of Cinema. Salem Press. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1980. Videohound's
Golden Retriever 1995. Visible Ink Press. Detroit, MI. |
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Genre: |
Thriller | |
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Setting: |
New York City; Pennsylvania | |
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Period: |
1971 | |
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Analysis by: |
Kevin Hindley |
Comments:
CHOICE OF MAIN CHARACTER:
Like Witness (1985), Klute is a story written from one point of view and directed as a film from another. In neither case was the director's "rewriting" pervasive enough to change the original story and author's intent. The director's focusing on Bree (establishing his reputation as a "woman's director" and providing an Academy Award-winning vehicle for actress Jane Fonda) was noted by critics and reviewers of the day:
"It is soon evident that Klute is not about John Klute, a small-town policeman, but rather about Bree Daniels, a big-city prostitute." (Snyder, Ellen J. In Magill's Survey of Cinema. Salem Press. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 1980.)
"...Alan Pakula's Klute... ought to be called "Bree" (or maybe "Miss Daniels") because it is really about her and her problems..." (Greenspun, Roger. New York Times Film Reviews, 1971-1972. The New York Times Company. New York, N.Y. 1973.)
"The movie is about a skilled, intelligent, cynical, and personally troubled New York call girl who does not, for once, have a heart of gold.... The girl's name is Bree, and the movie should probably be called Bree instead of Klute, because the Fonda character is at the center." (Ebert, Roger. In Cinemania CD-ROM. Microsoft. 1995.)
Despite this, the audience experiences the story from the title character's point of view. Though the director presents Bree in a sympathetic light, we identify with the unchanging moral force that is Klute. It is the call girl who's tempted to give up her destructive lifestyle and enter the life of the policeman and family man Klute. Presenting the story from Bree's point of view would have had a different impact on a probably different audience. Having Klute come over to her world might have made for an interesting story, more in line with the new sexual mores and women's liberation promised by the societal changes of the late 60s and early 70s in America. As it is, Klute remains a more morally conventional story aimed at a wider audience.
Brief Synopsis:
A small-town policeman comes to New York in search of a missing friend and gets involved with a prostitute/would-be actress being stalked by a killer.
(Videohound, p. 552)
Overall Character Mini-Synopsis:
PETER CABLE is only comfortable with women when he's making them uncomfortable--torturing and killing them. He makes his colleague Tom disappear, then to find him, hires another man who's uncomfortable with women--
JOHN KLUTE, a small-town cop whose wife left him for another man. Unfamiliar with the big city, he hooks up with his only lead--
BREE DANIELS, a woman torn between two careers, method acting and method lovemaking. She has more control as a call girl, and loses some of that control to her new lover Klute, but not before sinking back into the sleazy life of drugs she had with--
FRANK LAGOURIN, photographer, interior designer, and pimp. He sees himself as providing a service, offering a safe place for call girls like--
ARLYN PAGE, Bree's former colleague who's now addicted to drugs instead of Frank's brand of kindness.
Name: John Klute
ID: Main Character
Gender: Male
Description:
"A man of about thirty-five, medium height, strongly built, a little chunky - rather deliberate in his movements, a Squarehead." (Lewis and Lewis, p. 1)
Role: Private investigator
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Consider; Pursuit; Disbelief; Conscience; Logic
Methodology: Acceptance; Proaction; Deduction; Protection; Evaluation
Evaluation: Proven; Effect; Trust; Hunch
Purpose: Knowledge; Change; Order; Equity; Ability
Name: Bree Daniels
ID: Impact Character
Gender: Female
Description:
"A long line of other ACTORS, ACTRESSES sit in folding chairs crookedly along the wall -- in near-total silence (no one's yet arrived to tell them anything), lonely and hostile. BREE arrives at the edge of the congregation, wonders if someone will move over and make room - one or two glance briefly up at her; she smiles diffidently -- decides apparently not. She folds down the first seat of the next rack of chairs, sits." (Lewis and Lewis, p. 7)
Role: Call girl
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Reconsider; Avoidance; Uncontrolled; Help; Feeling
Methodology: Nonacceptance; Reevaluation; Possibility
Evaluation: Test; Unending
Purpose: Inertia; Thought; Actuality; Self Aware; Speculation; Desire
Name: Arlyn Page
Gender: Female
Description:
"She is unbelievably gaunt. Inside one elbow, looking rather like a birthmark, we see a lacework of purple where her veins have pulped together."(Lewis and Lewis, p. 98)
Role: Junkie prostitute
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Oppose; Temptation
Evaluation: Result
Name: Frank Lagourin
Gender: Male
Description:
"Frank himself is taller than Klute, a little thinner, acceptably good-looking but not a gigolo in appearance, or manner. He's friendly, affable, modest -- he keeps the conversation going. He is -- we know, because we're looking for it -- a phony. But a fairly convincing phony; he has the well-practiced good-guy-ship of the man who lives on the edge of the abyss, and can't look down. His nervousness in the situation -- he hasn't been told, but knows what's coming -- shows itself only in his talking a little too much, too easily." (Lewis and Lewis, p. 63)
Role: Bree's ex-pimp
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Support
Methodology: Inaction
Evaluation: Process
Purpose: Perception; Inequity
Name: Peter Cable
Gender: Male
Description:
"CABLE stands at the window, looking impatiently out, fiddling with the cords of the venetian blinds...
...CABLE by contrast is a born adversary -- a chunky, peppery, volatile chap." (Lewis and Lewis, p. 13)
Role: Sicko
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Faith; Control; Hinder
Methodology: Reaction; Reduction; Probability
Evaluation: Unproven; Cause; Theory; Ending
Purpose: Chaos; Aware; Projection
Nature as it relates to Actual Work:
Klute eventually solves Tom's disappearance by keeping the focus of his investigation on the call girl, Bree:
TRASK VOICE: Klute, where you fixin to begin?
KLUTE VOICE: I don't know. The girl, I guess. I wouldn't know where else.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 18)
Essence as it relates to Positive Feel:
Klute actively tries to find out what happened to Tom, and refuses to let go of his one lead, Bree, until she helps him. Initially reluctant, she takes Klute to meet other leads. As they get nearer to discovering the killer's identity as Cable, the psychopath starts to kill all the call girls who can lead to him.
Tendency as it relates to Willing:
Though he's a small-town "Squarehead" in the big city's underworld of prostitution and drugs, Klute the policeman is comfortable investigating crime. Unable to understand or believe that Tom would leave his family for a hooker, Klute's motivated to find out the truth. Cable explains why he's hired Klute to find Tom:
CABLE: You wonder why we thought of Klute? Frankly? He's interested.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 17)
Reach as it relates to Both:
Men will empathize with Klute as a fellow male, and as one who feels protective toward attractive women in distress (what full-blooded American male wouldn't want to be the one who rescued poor, helpless Marilyn Monroe?) Women can identify with him as a character who allows his vulnerability to show, succumbs to his emotions, and suffers at being manipulated by the opposite sex.
Main Character Resolve as it relates to Steadfast:
Klute's not convinced that Tom's disappearance is what it looks like to everyone else:
KLUTE: I don't see it. Tom Grunemann. I've known him all my life. He wouldn't just, you know, go.
AGENT: But he's gone.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 6)
Klute sticks with his belief in Tom, and sees "the girl" as the clue to solving the puzzle. He stays close to her, getting to know her more intimately--ultimately using her as bait to trap Tom's suspected killer, Cable.
Impact Character Resolve as it relates to Change:
Bree's experiences at the hands of men have led her to distrust them, especially ones who want to have sex with her or arrest her. But by story's end, she has entered into a romantic relationship with Klute--who's capable of both options--and is less cynical about men and her ability to love them.
Main Character Growth as it relates to Start:
While investigating leads in Tom's disappearance, Klute stays close to Bree, holding out for the man who's stalking her to make a mistake and reveal himself.
Main Character Approach as it relates to Do-er:
When his friend Tom goes missing, Klute goes to New York City to find him; When Bree won't talk to him, he surreptitiously tape-records her conversations; Seeing a prowler through Bree's skylight, Klute runs to the roof and gives chase; When the scared Bree moves back in with Frank, Klute physically attacks him; etc.
Main Character Problem-Solving Style as it relates to Logical:
Klute uses the linear reasoning techniques of the policeman that he is, tracking down anyone known to have contact with Tom and gathering evidence.
Story Driver as it relates to Action:
Klute starts the action by going to New York to find Tom; Bree closes the door in Klute's face; Klute stalks and tape-records Bree; Visiting the junkie Arlyn makes Bree run back to Frank and drugs; The stalker looks through the skylight and plays Bree's voice over the phone, sending her in fear to Klute; Klute fabricates a story about a little black book, setting a trap for Cable; etc.
Story Limit as it relates to Optionlock:
Klute runs out of prostitutes who can connect Tom with the violent stalker. Jane and Arlyn are murdered, and Bree is surely next. Out of options, Klute investigates family and friends of Tom, and discovers that his employer Cable sent the obscene letters.
Story Outcome as it relates to Success:
The plan that Klute implements to find out what happened to Tom--sticking close to the girl--succeeds in unearthing Tom's killer Cable, who confesses all to Bree before committing suicide.
Story Judgment as it relates to Good:
By story's end, Klute has experienced an emotional and sexual connection with a woman (Bree) again, emerging from the isolation caused by his wife leaving him for another man.
Overall Story Name: "Looking For Tom Grunemann"
Throughline Synopsis:
"John Klute is a policeman who has come to New York, free-lance, to try to settle a missing persons' case. It appears that the missing man may still be alive, and may be the source of obscene letters and telephone calls Bree has been receiving. Bree initially refuses to talk to Klute, but she eventually does confide in him, mostly because she's frightened by midnight prowlers and wants his protection. The film examines their somewhat strange relationship, and at the same time functions on another level as a somewhat awkward thriller...
...But how do you develop a relationship between a prostitute with hang-ups and a square suburban cop? KLUTE does it by making the cop into a person of restraint and dignity, a man who is genuinely concerned about this girl he's met. His attitude is what makes their love relationship so absorbing."
(Roger Ebert, in Cinemania)
Backstory:
The real reason for Tom's disappearance is revealed to Bree by Cable, just before the film's climax:
CABLE: You see, Tom Grunemann discovered me. We were here on business together. And he found me and Jane McKenna in my hotel room. She had become hysterical and she started... screaming, and I guess I hit her, I don't actually recall, it all happened so quickly. Anyway, she fell and hit her head and that's when Tom came in the room, I guess he must have heard her screaming. But I never understood really why she did that, she had never screamed before. And it was the revulsion and the contempt I saw on his face, and the certainty that sooner or later he would use it against me within the company. I tried to endure that as long as I possibly could, you see.
Throughline as it relates to Manipulation:
The objective story takes place in Bree's New York City, a place where call girls like her manipulate johns like Cable, feeding their egos for money:
CABLE: You just want me to keep on talking, don't you?
BREE: No, I don't, I do understand, I really do.
CABLE: Well, that's what you all do.
In turn, Bree is manipulated by men like her "man" Frank, and by the stalker Cable. Sharing Bree's lifestyle, Klute comes to loosen up his puritan way of thinking about sexuality.
Concern as it relates to Developing a Plan:
The FBI imagines Tom left his small town wife Elaine for a more exciting life with a New York call girl; Klute and Elaine can't picture Tom just up and leaving like that; Bree envisions a successful acting audition as her way out of prostitution; Cable kills Tom because he imagines he'll expose his crime and destroy his career:
CABLE: And it was the revulsion and the contempt I saw on his face, and the certainty that sooner or later he would use it against me within the company.
Issue as it relates to Sense of Self :
Bree sees herself as a great actress waiting to be discovered, and a woman who's sexually irresistible to all men; Frank believes he's doing his women a favor by living off them; Cable sees himself as superior to women, with a clean-cut reputation to protect; Klute thinks he's the moral arbiter of what's right and wrong.
Counterpoint as it relates to State of Being :
Bree's reality is being pushed around by male casting directors and taken advantage of by johns and pimps; Frank's a junkie pimp who drags his women down to his level; Cable's an out-of-control sadist who hires Klute to catch him; Klute's not as square as he looks, and is happier blowin' in the wind with Bree.
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Sense of Self vs. State of Being:
Klute turns Bree's world upside down so that by story's end she's not sure who she is any more; Frank's revealed as the opportunist he really is; Cable can stand himself no longer and takes the fall for his crimes; Klute lets it all hang out, but he's still a country rube to Bree.
Problem as it relates to Speculation:
The FBI's speculation that Tom sent the obscene letter and left his good life for a tawdry hooker sends Klute on a false trail of evidence, created by Cable to cover his crimes.
Solution as it relates to Projection:
Suspicious of Cable, Klute feeds him false information re: the little black book--knowing it'll probably flush him out into the open if he's guilty.
Symptom as it relates to Ability:
Having little to go on except Bree, Klute focuses on his proven ability as a policeman--staking out Bree's place and tapping her phone, playing tough cop with Frank, checking the letter's handwriting, etc.
Response as it relates to Desire:
Klute's driven to find his missing friend, and to prove to Cable that he'd make a good detective in the big city; Bree's unfulfilled as a call girl, and wants desperately to cross over to the acting profession; Frank tries to hide his past as a junkie pimp, and struggles to make it as a photographer and interior designer.
Catalyst as it relates to Circumstances:
Fearful of his future after being caught red-handed with Jane McKenna's body, Cable murders Tom and starts a cover-up; Klute's emotional attachment to his missing friend causes him to volunteer to search for Tom in New York; Bree's horrified reaction to Arlyn's reduced circumstances leads her to desert Klute for Frank; Klute's concern over Arlyn's murder and Bree's being next in line leads him to investigate all who knew Tom; etc.
Inhibitor as it relates to Falsehood:
Cable's trail of falsified evidence makes it hard for Klute to track down Tom; Frank's hiding the fact that Arlyn Page set Bree up with the freak Cable, allows Bree to go on trusting Frank over Klute; Bree's faking of an orgasm with Klute then taunting him with the truth threatens to distance him for good; etc.
Benchmark as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
By becoming a Peeping Tom himself and doing surveillance on Bree, Klute learns how the big-city call girl business operates; When Arlyn Page is transformed into a floater, Klute changes his tack and investigates those who knew Tom--leading him to Cable; Realizing that he's been set up and he's about to become Klute's collar, Cable opens up and confesses his crimes to Bree.
Goal as it relates to Developing a Plan:
Everyone's concerned with finding out whether or not Tom has gone AWOL, implementing an impulsive plan to run off with a call girl, as the FBI suspects. Klute is ostensibly hired by Cable because:
CABLE: He knew Tom, and he has a great many ideas.
In reality, Cable hired him to fail. Klute's main idea is to stay close to the girl, which he does, and with Bree's help and connections, he tracks down everybody with who Tom had contact. This ultimately unravels Cable's master plan, which was implemented to cover up his murder of Tom and also of Jane McKenna.
Consequence as it relates to Understanding:
If Klute never finds out what happened to Tom, he'll be forced to realize his limitations as a small-town cop in the big city. Cable will understand he has free reign to continue torturing and killing call girls--including Bree.
Cost as it relates to Memories:
Every time Cable plays his tape recording over the phone, Bree's forced to remember the "freak" who beat her up; Because she remembers the "freak" wasn't Tom, but an older guy, Arlyn Page is murdered by Cable; While Cable enjoys reliving the torture of Arlyn Page, Bree listens to the tape and suffers in silence; When Bree comes on sexually to Klute a second time, he remembers how she humiliated him the first time by faking an orgasm:
BREE: I never come with a john.
Dividend as it relates to The Past:
Frank the pimp gets to relive his glory days when Bree comes out of the past to be one of his girls again; Bree enjoys play-acting a character from an earlier era to entertain Mr. Goldfarb; Cable takes pleasure in replaying audiotapes of his past sadistic crimes.
Requirements as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
Before he can find out what happened to Tom, Klute must change his puritanical stance and start identifying with Bree and her lifestyle. Instead of thinking like a methodical cop, he must loosen up and "let it all hang out."
Prerequisites as it relates to Obtaining:
To gain entry into Bree's night-world, Klute has to first win the trust of Bree and her colleagues.
Preconditions as it relates to Innermost Desires:
Before being introduced to the people who can help him track down Tom, Klute first needs to let Bree have her way with him and satisfy her desire for control over him as a man.
Forewarnings as it relates to The Future:
When Klute sees Arlyn Page's body being dragged from the river, he know the future looks bleak for everyone who had contact with Tom--especially Bree. As Cable plays the audiotape of Jane McKenna's murder and confesses, Bree realizes she's to be the next victim.
Main vs. Impact Story Name: "Cop Finds Hooker Arresting"
Throughline Synopsis:
Big city call girl Bree initially closes the door on small town cop and squarehead Klute, so he watches and tape records her work activities. She offers sex to get the tapes back, but he's not having any of that. Scared by a stalker, Bree lets Klute into her life and seduces him--then lets him know he's been had. Becoming more afraid when her colleagues get killed, Bree deserts Klute for her ex-pimp Frank and his drugs. Klute nurses her back to a sober state, and they find emotional and sexual satisfaction in each other. But Bree's self-destructive streak prevents her from trusting herself with Klute, and the story ends with Bree confused as to a possible future with the willing Klute.
Backstory:
Policeman John Klute is a moral force in small town Tuscarora, rural Pennsylvania--home of the clean-living Amish. His wife's desertion of their marriage for another man has left him isolated from, and untrusting of, women. Call girl Bree Daniels lost her ability to trust men long ago. Treating them all as "johns," she prefers the honesty of her ex-pimp, Frank, to the repressed hangups of the judgmental Klute.
Throughline as it relates to Activity:
Klute and Bree come together because she's the only lead he has to the disappearance of Tom. He watches her day-to-day activities, and persuades her to join his endeavor by taking him to meet people with who Tom may have had contact.
Concern as it relates to Understanding:
Bree can't understand why Klute doesn't want her sexually like other men do; Klute can't fathom Bree's attraction to the sleazy pimp Frank; After Klute nurses Bree back to health, she understands that he likes her as she is, warts and all; Bree finally realizes that she and Klute have nowhere to go as a couple.
Issue as it relates to Conditioning :
Based on a lifetime of abuse at their hands, Bree's learned how to deal with men who want her sex--make them pay for it. She's accustomed to support only from others in the tricking business, like Frank and Arlyn Page, and is suspicious of the guileless Klute.
Counterpoint as it relates to Instinct :
When Klute confuses her--by telling her that it was her friend Arlyn who sent her the freak, and by loving her for who she is--Bree responds by running away from him and the emotional turmoil he's stirring within her.
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Conditioning vs. Instinct:
Being a victim to men's desires for so long has conditioned Bree to run from those who truly love her, towards those who would prey on her--her natural instincts as a person have become reversed.
Problem as it relates to Thought:
In her voice-over confessions to her psychiatrist, Bree constantly contemplates the strangeness of her and Klute as a couple:
BREE: What could ever happen for us? We're so different.
--and:
BREE: [...] do you think I might even actually make it? The square life?
(Lewis and Lewis, p. 146)
Solution as it relates to Knowledge:
Having learned of Bree's tragic upbringing and experiencing her caring side, Klute abandons what he's been taught about call girls and opens himself up to her--hoping she'll change her beliefs about him.
Symptom as it relates to Ability:
Bree assumes she's not out for a conventional married life, having no capacity for "housekeeping in Tuscarora, darning socks" for Klute.
Response as it relates to Desire:
After watching Bree read for a play, Klute tells her how much he liked her performance--encouraging her efforts to become a legitimate actress.
Catalyst as it relates to Interpretation:
As an example of how "interpretation" accelerates the subjective story, when Klute moves closer to Bree to fool the stalker on the roof, Bree interprets his hug as an appreciation of her charms.
Inhibitor as it relates to Destiny:
No matter how much Bree enjoys going straight with Klute, something keeps pulling her back to Frank's clutches; Bree runs from Klute after seeing Arlyn Page's degradation--and her own probable destiny; Bree sees it as inevitable that she and Klute won't last as a couple and she'll be back in New York next week.
Benchmark as it relates to Obtaining:
Klute initially makes no progress with Bree, who won't give information to a cop; After Klute gives her back the tapes of her phone calls, Bree volunteers her help in return; etc.
Role: Private investigator
Description:
"A man of about thirty-five, medium height, strongly built, a little chunky - rather deliberate in his movements, a Squarehead."
(Lewis and Lewis, p. 1)
Throughline Synopsis:
Puzzled by his friend Tom's disappearance, Klute's flattered to be given the job of finding him in New York. With no experience as a detective in the big city, the case looks hopeless. But Klute sticks to his one clue, Bree, like beard on an Amish. He finds a lead in Arlyn Page, who reveals the stalker's not Tom. When she turns up dead, Klute investigates Tom's colleagues and finds evidence implicating Cable. Klute sets a trap for Cable, then arrives just in time to save Bree and force Cable to kill himself. Klute gets the bad guy, but not the girl.
Backstory:
While the film concentrates on the character of Bree, the screenplay offers more background on Klute:
AGENT: You knew the subject.
KLUTE: Yeah.
AGENT: Would you classify yourself as best friend -- close friend -- friend -- acquaintance - ?
KLUTE: Close friend. We grew up together -- we'd still play golf.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 5)
and--
ELAINE: -- but it happens to the best they say. I hear your wife's left you for somebody! I'm sorry Johnnie -- that was awful to say. (...) My husband left me, he cleared out, the abandoned wife. And now every man I see -- my God, the cleaning man could have me!
She catches his hand, draws it up toward her breast.
ELAINE: Johnnie, come on -- a fine cold day and the kids are outside -- come on, the other room.
She feels the resistance, lets go of his hand. Then she lifts her own hands in front of her face, starts quietly to cry -- then more loudly, in total despair. Klute watches, stricken and helpless, wanting to touch and comfort her, but restrained by a kind of prudence.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 10)
Throughline as it relates to Situation:
"Klute looks a bit rumpled, rural, and uncomfortable (...)"
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 4)
A "squarehead," he's especially awkward around women, having been recently cuckolded by his wife. Klute's a fish out of water, a small-town cop who's been sent to the big city to fail in his investigation.
Concern as it relates to The Past:
Doubtful that a friend and colleague he's known for so long would have taken off with a call girl, Klute sets out to find out what really happened to Tom.
Issue as it relates to Interdiction :
Klute's not prepared to see his friend Tom go down in history as a sexual pervert, and volunteers to go to New York to uncover the truth. He refuses to accept Bree's cynical appraisal of men and relationships, and determines to prove her wrong--by loving her.
Counterpoint as it relates to Prediction :
When Klute figures out what Cable's up to, he plants false information with him--knowing this will flush him out into the open where he can be defeated. He succeeds in convincing Bree that she's capable of loving and being loved, but ultimately can't tell what the impulsive (ex-?) call girl will do next.
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Interdiction vs. Prediction:
Klute succeeds in changing the outcome of other men's plans--by nabbing Cable and clearing Tom--but when it comes to women, Bree has him wondering if he's coming or going.
Problem as it relates to Inequity:
Klute's personal life has been out of balance ever since his wife left him for another man. Seeing the unfairness of Tom's wife Elaine taking the fallout over his supposed desertion of her, moves Klute to put things right. Getting involved with Bree, he sees the inequality of the sexes at work in Frank living off her toil and wants to right that wrong.
Solution as it relates to Equity:
Klute's proving that Cable, and not Tom, has been stalking and killing call girls restores Tom's reputation and brings Cable to justice. He fares less well with Bree: though he pries her from Frank's clutches, he can't persuade her to settle down to a stable family life with him.
Symptom as it relates to Ability:
Because of his limited talent in dealing with women, especially sexually provocative ones like Bree, Klute focuses on what he does well--he comes across as the strong, moral fatherly figure of a policeman.
Response as it relates to Desire:
Realizing his hands off, objective approach to Bree helps neither his case nor his desire to have a relationship with a woman again, softens Klute's resistance and he lets her seduce him.
Unique Ability as it relates to Interdiction:
While the FBI's willing to accept the trail of evidence set before them pointing to Tom as the obscene letter writer, Klute refuses to go along with it and pursues the clues to their source.
Critical Flaw as it relates to Conditioning:
Klute's unhip clothing and methodical behavior betray him as a policeman to Bree; His small-town tactic of threatening to bring the Vice Squad down on Frank doesn't work in New York; His conditioned response of protecting damsels in distress leads him to fall for Bree's seduction; Klute's ingrained habit of trusting the boss works against him when he reports to Cable everything he learns; etc.
Benchmark as it relates to The Future:
Klute is hired to find Tom because he cares about restoring his friend's good name; Disgusted by the thought of Bree spending her future in the clutches of Frank, Klute beats him up; Klute remains hopeful of his prospects with Bree, even though she turns him down.
Role: Call girl
Description:
"A long line of other ACTORS, ACTRESSES sit in folding chairs crookedly along the wall -- in near-total silence (no one's yet arrived to tell them anything), lonely and hostile. BREE arrives at the edge of the congregation, wonders if someone will move over and make room - one or two glance briefly up at her; she smiles diffidently -- decides apparently not. She folds down the first seat of the next rack of chairs, sits."
(Lewis and Lewis, p. 7)
Throughline Synopsis:
To Bree, men are either "johns" who she manipulates, or pimps who use her. She prefers tricking over acting because she gets to direct the action. While she distrusts cops like Klute, she comes to appreciate the loving care a decent square like Klute can offer. She briefly flirts with the idea of a family life, but can't see herself leaving to darn Klute's socks in Tuscarora--and tells her New York psychiatrist to expect her back next week.
Backstory:
Little of Bree's backstory is revealed in the film, but in the screenplay we learn:
BREE: I was always getting shoved into different children's homes. My mother would keep me a few months, then she'd stuff me back in. Then she went crazy for good and all -- when I was eleven -- then my aunt and uncle took custody.[...] And, oh, I thought that was pretty great. They had their own kids, but they fixed up a room for me, and some books and some toys -- they even had a night-light so I wouldn't get those dreams -- just, you know, great.[...] Then -- uh -- I woke up one night -- a week later this was, about a week later, -- and there's Uncle standing there. And he said, oh, something to the effect of he knew I was lonely; he'd come to cuddle me.[...]. You know, I thought that was great too, someone to cuddle me. -- Eleven years old, I learned to do everything.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 84)
--and:
BREE: I met Frank when I started modeling. He was a photographer. And -- look, he didn't ruin me or anything; I was already taking calls. But he had this project, this picture magazine he was going to start, and we started saving up together for that-- (drily) -- it takes a lot of money, you understand -- and when he got it going we'd be married. And - uh - it was like that a year; and then he explained to me he'd got another girl giving him money; and that was quite reasonable too -- he'd get the magazine started and we'd get married that much sooner.[...] And - oh - eventually he had three of us, going for him, and I still made that seem all right to myself -- I know you wouldn't understand that, someone on the outside you wouldn't understand. But then, well, this Grunemann thing happened, the fuzz on me, jail. And he let me take that -- for him -- and I did. Because he's an addict; they could beat him for narcotics, that's a longer stretch. But that was enough - finally - I'd had it; I cut out.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 62)
Throughline as it relates to Fixed Attitude:
Colored by a lifetime of abusive men--her molesting uncle, her conniving lover Frank, the sadistic Cable, the cruel theater directors--Bree has developed a fixed attitude towards them: Dominate or be dominated.
Concern as it relates to Memories:
Bree has tried to forget the freak who beat her nearly to death, but he's come back to remind her--by playing a tape recording of their tryst over and over again.
Issue as it relates to Suspicion :
Bree's cynical beliefs about men are called into question by Klute--he's a cop who doesn't want to bust her, and a man who doesn't want sex with her even when it's free. She begins to suspect there may be more to relationships than physicality, and even stops tricking--but for how long?
Counterpoint as it relates to Evidence :
All of her life, men have proven to Bree that they're only interested in her for her body and what it can do for them. She's come to see men as falling into two types--johns who pay her for sex, and cops who try to put her out of business.
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Suspicion vs. Evidence:
Despite the evidence that Klute has her best interests at heart, a nagging self-doubt holds Bree back from committing to him fully.
Problem as it relates to Speculation:
Bree keeps risking her self esteem by going to demeaning cattle calls and cold readings--and never getting the role--looking for that one big break that could lead to a career as an actress.
Solution as it relates to Projection:
Bree needs to realize she doesn't have the professional acting experience or talent needed to ever succeed--that her acting range is limited to the role of hooker--and she'd probably be better off moving on to some other goals.
Symptom as it relates to Equity:
It baffles Klute that Bree seems inwardly content with her unwholesome life, balancing her struggle as an actress with her skill at her paying job of call girl.
Response as it relates to Inequity:
When Klute reveals that the freak was sent to her by a colleague, Bree's angered by his turning the life she knew upside down. She also feels he's emotionally a destabilizing influence on her, and without him she may regain control of her old comfortable life.
Unique Ability as it relates to Suspicion:
Because he walks and talks like a cop while claiming not to be one, Bree doubts Klute's intentions and shuts him out; When Klute rejects Bree's offer of sex, she's suspicious of his manhood; Based on their widely different lifestyles, Bree doubts she and Klute would make a good couple.
Critical Flaw as it relates to Sense of Self:
Bree thinks of herself as a great actress, one who can control the scene--especially if the other actor's a john. But as her Irish-accented monologue shows, she's unconvincing under that slick surface. In the climactic scene, Cable sees through her artifice and almost kills her.
Benchmark as it relates to Innermost Desires:
Initially Bree has no desire for men, seeing them as johns; After Klute's nursing of her, she starts an honest relationship with him and gives up tricking; At the market, Bree develops hope of starting a regular family with Klute; Finally, Bree's not sure of what she wants--but it's not darning Klute's socks in Tuscarora.
The Overall Throughline Act Order:
Overall Story Signpost 1 as it relates to Conceiving an Idea:
Trask and the FBI have the idea that Tom has run away to a secret life in New York; Cable conceives of hiring Klute to find Tom, as he knows him and he "has a great many ideas."
Overall Story Journey 1 from Conceiving an Idea to Playing a Role:
Clueless Klute pursues his single idea, the call girl, by acting like her stalker himself; Confident that Klute thinks Tom's still alive, Cable plays the role he's created; Dismayed over her failed auditions, Bree returns to tricking, play-acting for Mr. Goldfarb.
Overall Story Signpost 2 as it relates to Playing a Role:
Klute moves closer to Bree and hugs her, appearing to respond to her seductiveness--but actually he's pretending, to fool the stalker he's seen through the skylight.
Overall Story Journey 2 from Playing a Role to Changing One's Nature:
Frank makes like an interior designer, but really has designs on making Bree his again; Disturbed to find Klute making progress, Cable becomes a serial killer; Triumphant over seducing Klute, Bree panics when she sees how low Arlyn Page has sunk and returns to Frank.
Overall Story Signpost 3 as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
Pulled from the river by the police, Arlyn Page has been transformed into a bloated floater; Klute's notes reveal his concern that Bree will become the next victim.
Overall Story Journey 3 from Changing One's Nature to Developing a Plan:
Having become a true detective, Klute visualizes a way to get the killer by checking everyone who knew Tom; Having come out of her drug low, Bree envisions the family at the market as a possible way out of her lifestyle; Becoming more obsessed with Bree, Cable implements his plan to get closer to her.
Overall Story Signpost 4 as it relates to Developing a Plan:
Klute implements his plan to entrap Cable by telling him about Jane McKenna's incriminating little black book. Unfortunately, it also gives Cable the idea that Bree has the book, and he envisions killing her as his escape plan.
The Main vs. Impact Throughline Act Order:
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 1 as it relates to Doing:
Klute taps Bree's phone, and watches her comings and goings as a call girl.
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 1 from Doing to Obtaining:
Fascinated by Bree's line of work, Klute immerses himself in her world in an attempt to get more leads; Frustrated that her bodily charms don't entice Klute, Bree talks her way into his bed.
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 2 as it relates to Obtaining:
Bree seduces Klute, attaining the power over him she's long wanted:
BREE: Well what're you fretting about? You mean because you didn't get me there? You can't expect that--I mean Frank, yes, he'd get me there all the time--but not with a John.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 73)
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 2 from Obtaining to Gathering Information:
Taken aback over being had by a hooker, Klute learns how easy it is for Bree to get hooked on drugs again; Having sunk back into her drug lifestyle with Frank, Bree learns what it's like to be cared for (by Klute.)
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 3 as it relates to Gathering Information:
Bree learns her feelings toward Klute are changing, as she confesses to her psychiatrist:
BREE: I enjoy making love with him.
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 3 from Gathering Information to Understanding:
Though joyous over her straight relationship with Klute, Bree realizes she hasn't changed when she leaves him for Frank; Distressed to learn Bree may be the next victim, Klute realizes he can't protect or domesticate her.
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 4 as it relates to Understanding:
In her voiceover at the film's end, Bree realizes that the relationship between her and Klute probably won't last:
BREE: I told him what I have to do, I think he understands.
Main Character Signpost 1 as it relates to The Present:
At Elaine's side, Klute is interviewed about his relationship with Tom and is informed of the current status of the investigation.
Main Character Journey 1 from The Present to How Things are Changing:
Flattered at being rated the best man for the job, Klute pursues every lead to its dead end--until he unearths Arlyn Page and her 'freak' client.
Main Character Signpost 2 as it relates to How Things are Changing:
Klute reports his progress in the case to Cable, telling him they must pursue the Arlyn Page connection.
Main Character Journey 2 from How Things are Changing to The Past:
Moved by Bree's vulnerability, Klute feels responsible and resumes his manly protective role towards a woman again.
Main Character Signpost 3 as it relates to The Past:
Klute returns to Bree's apartment to find Frank there, and is angry that she's going back to her old lifestyle with him.
Main Character Journey 3 from The Past to The Future:
Abandoned by Bree, Klute desperately tracks her down to prevent another murder by Cable.
Main Character Signpost 4 as it relates to The Future:
Klute arrives in time to save Bree from Cable, but it's not enough to inspire her confidence in a future together.
Impact Character Signpost 1 as it relates to Memories:
In her psychiatrist's office, Bree recalls her experiences being used by men, and how she prefers tricking over acting--it puts the control in her hands.
Impact Character Journey 1 from Memories to Impulsive Responses:
Afraid that a former john may be stalking her, Bree reacts by accepting protection from John Klute.
Impact Character Signpost 2 as it relates to Impulsive Responses:
Seeing Arlyn Page in such a low state, Bree impulsively flees from Klute's car back to lean on Frank's shoulder and get high.
Impact Character Journey 2 from Impulsive Responses to Innermost Desires:
Bree gives up her automatic reflex to trick when she feels the need to control, and enjoys her relationship with the nurturing Klute.
Impact Character Signpost 3 as it relates to Innermost Desires:
Shopping with Klute at the outdoor market, Bree gazes longingly at a happy family, then tugs on Klute's shirttails like a child.
Impact Character Journey 3 from Innermost Desires to Contemplation:
Her knickers in a knot over Cable's visit to her apartment, Bree decides to leave Klute for Frank again.
Impact Character Signpost 4 as it relates to Contemplation:
Bree considers a future with Klute--not possible--and tells her psychiatrist she'll probably be back next week.
All Concerns:
Klute has a history with his buddy Tom, and doesn't figure him for the kind of guy who'd up and disappear with a big city call girl. He tracks the obscene letter, which leads to Bree. Though sexually imaginative, she can't figure out why squarehead Klute doesn't go for her in a big way. When they do reach an understanding, they're interrupted by a former john of Bree's who comes back for seconds. The tightly-wound Cable wants to get off by offing Bree, as he did Tom. Klute rescues Bree, but she realizes that's not enough to sustain their odd coupling.
Master Plot Synopsis:
"John Klute has come to New York to find his friend, Tom, who has been missing for six months. He is supported in his search by Tom's wife and by Peter Cable, a friend and business associate of Tom's. All three refuse to believe the detectives who say that the home-loving Tom has apparently disappeared to pursue the dark side of a lurid double life and has possibly been sending obscene letters to a New York call girl.
Klute's only clue is the girl, Bree, but she is totally uncooperative. He persistently follows her and watches as she makes a late night call on an old man in his garment factory. When she returns to her apartment, Klute shows her that he has taken a room in her building and has tape recorded her phone calls in the hope that Tom will call. Bree is abrasive at first, but later, in her apartment, she turns seductive in an effort to get the tapes from him. Klute seemingly goes along with her, but then informs her that someone is watching them through the skylight. Thinking the voyeur might be Tom, Klute tries to catch him. He is unsuccessful. When he returns, the shaken Bree tells him about the same things that she told the detectives investigating Tom's disappearance: the receiving of the obscene letters; that Tom might be the man who once tried to beat her to death, but she cannot positively identify him.
The man who beat Bree and who, it is learned later, killed Tom, is revealed to the audience as he listens to the tape of Bree's voice. As his face is seen in distorted reflection on the highly polished surface of a desk, the camera pulls back to reveal Tom's friend and Klute's employer, Peter Cable, to whom Klute has been reporting his information. Cable is shown to be a successful and powerful man, albeit a sick one. He is often seen reflected in or framed by windows, a device Pakula uses to show his isolation.
Bree is frightened into helping in the search for Tom, but she exacts a price. One night, filled with fear, she comes to Klute's room and seduces him. The act of manipulation momentarily restores her confidence, and she is bitchily triumphant as she lets Klute know that he has been duped. Once back in her apartment, however, the fear returns.
Bree takes Klute to Frank Lagourin, who used to pimp for Bree and two other women. They find out that Jane McKenna, who was jealous of Frank's attention to Bree, knew a man who liked to beat girls, and set up Bree with him. Since Jane has committed suicide, Klute needs Bree to find the third girl, Arlyn Page, who might also know of the man. Arlyn has become a junkie, and the search takes them lower and lower until they find her in a slum, strung out and anxious for a fix. Arlyn does not remember much about the perverted john, except, when shown a picture, that it was not Tom.
Visiting the scenes of Arlyn's degradation unnerves Bree and sends her running back to Frank and to drugs. She becomes ill and Klute moves in with her to nurse her back to health and to help her get over the shock of the news of Arlyn Page's suicide. Bree responds to his kindness and grows to care for him in spite of herself. In a key scene with the psychiatrist, Bree explains that for once she is not setting up anything with a man, and that feelings flow naturally between them. Klute has seen her mean and ugly but accepts her as she is. She even enjoys sex with him; but she also finds Klute's intrusion on her emotions a threat. She realizes that she is beginning to feel again and it frightens her. She wishes she could go back to the comfort of being numb. She likes her relationship with Klute but is fearful of her urge to destroy it.
Her conflicting emotions are brought into crisis when her apartment is totally vandalized. As Bree and Klute inspect the damage, the phone rings and Bree hears her own tape recorded voice. In panic she turns again to Frank instead of Klute. When Klute physically tries to stop her from going off with Frank, Bree attacks him with a scissors. She succeeds only in cutting his suit, but Klute immediately backs off and allows her to go. Disturbed by her own murderous intentions, Bree runs from her building, alone.
From his investigation, Klute has come to the conclusion that Jane McKenna and Arlyn were not suicides, but murder victims, and whoever killed them possibly also killed Tom. A comparison of typewritten letters of Tom's friends and family reveals that the obscene letters to Bree were written by Peter Cable. Faced with only circumstantial evidence, Klute tells Cable a story about Jane McKenna recording the names of her customers in an address book. Whoever beat up Bree and wrecked her apartment must be in it, and the case can be closed if he, Klute, can buy it. The ruse works as the panicked Cable, thinking that Bree has the book, cancels his travel plans and ends up waiting for her as she storms out of her apartment building after attacking Klute.
In need of someone to talk to, Bree goes to see the old man in the garment factory, whom she wrongly assumes is a friend. He leaves early in order to avoid her, and as the factory closes, Bree remains behind. Cable corners her there and asks for the book, about which Bree knows nothing. He confesses that he had to kill Tom and the women because of their knowledge about him, and makes Bree listen to a tape of one of his murders. Klute arrives, and during their struggle, Cable falls to his death through a window.
The ending is purposely ambiguous. As Bree is seen happily preparing to leave New York with Klute, there is a voice-over of her telling her psychiatrist that she does not know what will happen, but that the doctor will probably be seeing her next week."
(Magill's, p. 915-917)
Master Theme Synopsis:
Klute is a story about characters deluding themselves. They believe they're in control of their lives, but are in fact only struggling to maintain their own self-image--and prevent others from seeing them as they really are. Although Peter Cable keeps up appearances as a respectable businessman and responsible employer, he knows that underneath he's a psychopath who preys on call girls. In his efforts to keep his true nature secret, he weaves a web of deceit and kills those who can reveal his dark side. Bree Daniels is kidding herself, as well. Her best acting is done while faking orgasm with her "johns," though she can't understand why she's not getting cast in plays. "Do you know yourself? Really know yourself?" one casting director asks her. She doesn't, and getting emotionally involved with John Klute only increases her confusion over her self image. She tries to work it out with her psychiatrist, but is as unsure about herself as ever at story's end. Only Klute's self-image of himself (as a moral force) jibes with his outward role (as a policeman), though it's somewhat shaken by his exposure to the underbelly of New York City and his "follow the honey" style of investigation.
Main vs. Impact Character Synopsis:
As a master manipulator of men, Bree has become numb to love's charms. She's never had an honest mutually fulfilling relationship with another person--until the square Klute comes along. More trusting and open than a cop ought to be, he experiences Bree at her worst--yet comes to understand and accept her. She's changed by his influence and starts to feel again--but fears this means losing the only identity she's ever had.
Master Character Synopsis:
To call girl Bree Daniels, John Klute is just another "john"--using her to find his missing friend Tom. She gets off manipulating men, but experiences no pleasure in human contact. The pimp Frank used to supply sexual pleasure to her, and now offers comfort with fear-numbing drugs. For his other ex-girls, Jane McKenna and Arlyn Page, association with Frank leads to their murder. They got too close, as did Bree, to a sadistic freak--Peter Cable, who killed Tom to cover up his murderous sex life and hired little dupe Klute not to find out the truth.
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