Review of The Killing (1956) by Reid V — 14 Jun 2011

There are just some directors out there who are so visionary that everything they touch is pure gold. After watching The Killing, it is hard to argue that Kubrick wasn't one of those people. His only stab at noir is certainly impressive.

Much like Huston's Concrete Jungle, this film is centered around the plight of the criminals involved in a heist. The films also share the star Sterling Hayden who, while not as charismatic as other men of Noir such as Bogart, still delivers a great performance.

However, while Huston's film seems to focus on telling a great story, Kubrick's film plays like an exercise in style. Casual walks across the inside of an apartment become opportunities for Kubrick to pull off an excellent tracking shot.

Kubrick's camera is fluid and the shots are beautiful without drawing too much attention to the camera. The story isn't particularly fascinating and the supporting actors aren't anything to write home about.

However, this is one of the more exquisitely shot noirs I have seen and another example that Kubrick was one of the most visionary directors of the 20th century.