Review of The Killers (1946) by Veronique K — 19 Sep 2007

The best applauded movie adapted from hemingway's short story. (hemingway claims so.) also the crucial overnight success for burt lancaster and ava gardner. it was said that "the killers" is the film noir version of citizen kane, especially its posthumously introvert angle to tackle the lethalness of a woman who tunes the golden harps.

(her weapon shall be love.) there're plot twists interwined together with the refreshing swift-paced move. lancaster gives a sympathetic portrait of a gangster romanticist who would sacrifice everything for the flaming passion.

gardner's screen time is limited but impressive, a woman with the deadly charm which could take a man with one icy-cold glimpse. you can't help but captivated by her southern belle feline voice.

there's also some otherworldly ethrealnss beneath her hell-cat sexy looks. perhaps most film noir pieces are demonstrating how un-worthy it is to devote your love to that she-devil. but it takes a real man or an original tough tough guy to embrace her in his bossom on the perils of becoming her tragic prey.