Review of Killer's Kiss (1955) by Kevin N — 04 Sep 2011

One of Stanley Kubrick's earliest films (the earliest that is still viewable to the public, Fear and Desire is unreleased), Killer's Kiss is a fairly good take on the film noir genre, featuring all the criminal and sexual themes that populate the movies of the era.

However, the movie is bogged down by a okay-not-great script from Kubrick and co-writer Howard Sackler, and a rather disappointing absence of good acting, stemming most likely from the fact that Kubrick funded the film mostly by himself.

The cinematography is excellent, kind of like Kubrick prototype, especially in the climactic showdown, and the fight scenes are very well-handled from a technical standpoint. The story is also fairly gripping, with a tale of love and lust focusing on a down-and-out boxer and his unfortunate neighbor.

The script is a little cliched and hammy at times, but works well as a whole, crafting a fully told story in the rather short span of 67 minutes, Kubrick's shortest feature by a good margin (it's less than half the length of Clockwork or 2001).

However, due to the unknown status of the actors, despite giving it a very indie feel, the acting is very weak in Killer's Kiss. While lead Jamie Smith pulls off a few mere moments of subtlety, he's mostly wooden, and co-star Irene Kane is just terrible as Gloria.

Frank Silvera has his moments as the villainous Vincent Rapallo, but is merely the best of the worst here. Hardcore Kubrick fans should definitely check this out, though, as it showcases the early signs of what's to come from one of cinema's greatest.