Review of The Killing (1956) by Bryan G — 01 Jun 2010

When asked who was my favorite movie director of all time my answer would be Stanley Kubrick. With classic films like The Shining, Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove and my second favorite film of all time 2001: A Space Odyssey, I've tried to experience everyone of this legendary filmmaker's movies. There are a few stragglers left that I need to see, so I'm trying to do so now. His 1956 film noir The Killing is one of those films that I'm playing catch up with.

I love film noir, and the notion of Stanley Kubrick making a film from this genre seemed like a perfect idea. I will say that watching The Killing was a bit strange, considering how Kubrick's style of film-making changed with each movie he did. Compared to most of the films I listed above, The Killing isn't as classic of a film. But I would still go as far to say that this registers as a perfect film, or as I like to list them "A Great Film." The characters, the acting, the direction and cinematography all add up to a truly engaging and suspenseful movie.

The Killing consists of a handful of criminals, some professionals while others are merely corrupt in their line of employment, who plan on pulling a heist on a racetrack. Two million dollars are at stake here, and Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) wants to make this a successful heist so he can finally retire from a life of crime and marry his dream girl. But things don't go as easily as planned after one of the men, Georgie (Elisha Cook Jr.), lets his wife Sherry (Marie Windsor) in on the plan. That might have not been such a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that Sherry has been cheating on Georgie and is planning on ripping him off of his cut of the money and running off with her lover.

All around the acting in the film is spectacular. For me the two best performances were by Elisha Cook Jr. and Marie Windsor. I primarily know Cook Jr. from his b-grade movie roles, so I was surprised to see him in a film like this. And even more surprised to see how great of an actor he was. Windsor was just a blast in the film, and she perfectly delivers some of the wittiest lines of the entire movie. Her character and performance were every bit of perfection that Barbara Stanwyck was as Phyllis Dietrichson in Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity.

I love how tense this film could be, with the nerve-racking heist sequence and the final moments as everything begins to fall apart. About the only thing in the film I thought wasn't needed was the narration that would chime in now and then. It was one of those narrations that over explained things that were pretty obvious from what you were watching. But that little misstep aside, The Killing is one of Stanley Kubrick's best pieces of work. Is there any genre of film Kubrick couldn't take on?