Review of Kiss Me Deadly (1955) by M C — 01 May 2015

Director Robert Aldrich has a lot of classic films under his belt, but I have to say that either this or "The Dirty Dozen" is my favorite. However, I'd say that this film is by far Aldrich's most highly stylized directorial effort, which when you watch now, you can see how this film is often noted by directors of the French New Wave as being highly influential on their work.

Aldrich found it amusing what French critics read into his film and said that he was only trying to make an action film, and I actually believe him when he says this, as opposed to when directors like John Ford or the Coen Brothers make the same claim.

Aldrich took Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and give him his best onscreen incarnation. Ralph Meker plays Hammer and he never had a role as tough or or as good as this ever again in his career. He appeared in quite a few fine films, but he was never this cool of an anti-hero.

Meeker carries himself with a swagger that exudes absolute contempt for everyone and everything around him. I got the feeling that Hammer is pursuing the case of a missing girl only to spite those around him since there's no obvious financial gain for him.

I don't know how much dialogue from the book screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides lifted from Spillane's novel, but the script just absolutely crackles with like like "Do me a favor, will you? Keep away from the windows.

Somebody might... blow you a kiss." or "First, you find a little thread, the little thread leads you to a string, and the string leads you to a rope, and from the rope you hang by the neck." I really can't say enough about how much I like this film.

The story fits the film noir mold, but Aldrich has crafted something very unique that stands well apart from it's contemporaries.