Directed by:
William KleinCinematography:
William KleinCast:
John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Yannick Noah, Chris Evert, Martina Navrátilová, Marcel Bernard, Björn Borg, Don Budge, Philippe Chatrier, Henri Cochet (more)Plots(1)
William Klein, the legendary American photographer and filmmaker, has put together a body of work as thrillingly eclectic as any living artist. In his 1969 film Muhammad Ali, the Greatest, Klein found a subject that combined his interest in sport and social criticism, and much the same combination can be seen at work, in a very different cultural context, in The French. Klein was the first person to be granted full, exclusive access to the tournament in its 90-year history, and using that doorway into locker rooms, TV studios, and players’ boxes, he shot the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the 1981 French Open—a crucial moment in a crucial year in the history of a game, and its iconic players Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Yannick Noah, and Ivan Lendl. With Klein’s customary eagle eye and whirlwind energy, The French captures the noisy bedlam that accompanies any major sporting event, while also revealing a level of candor from his subjects that is impossible to imagine in today’s secretive media-trained world. (Metrograph Pictures)
(more)Cast
John McEnroe
West Germany
Best movies:
Wimbledon (2004)
Freak Show (2017)
Anger Management (2003)
Arthur Ashe
USA
Best movies:
The Day After (1983) (TV movie)
Yannick Noah
France
Best movies:
King Guillaume (2009)
Safari (2009)
Chris Evert
USA
Best movies:
Wimbledon (2004)
Les Invasions barbares (2003)
Martina Navrátilová
Czechoslovakia
Björn Borg
Sweden
Best movies:
Children's Island (1980)
Don Budge
USA
Best movies:
Pat and Mike (1952)
Jimmy Connors
USA
Ivan Lendl
Czechoslovakia
Hana Mandlíková
Czechoslovakia
Ilie Năstase
Romania
Best movies:
Windows on Monday (2006)
Fred Perry
UK
Ion Tiriac
Romania
Guillermo Vilas
Argentina