Review of The Killing (1956) by Chase K — 10 Dec 2007

[left][b]THE RANKINGS[/b][/left].

[left][b][color=black]1. A Clockwork Orange (1971) A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]3. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]4. The Shining (1980) A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]5. Full Metal Jacket (1987) A-[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]6. Barry Lyndon (1975) A-[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]7. The Killing (1956) B+[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]8. Paths of Glory (1957) B+[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]9. Dr. Strangelove (1964) B[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]10. Lolita (1962) B-[/color][/b][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]11. Spartacus (1960) C+[/color][/b][/left].

[left][/left].

[left][color=#000000]I have already written reviews for the remaining films not mention below: (Part 1 of The Films of Stanley Kubrick)[/color][/left].

[left][color=#000000][b]THE KILLING[color=red] B+[/color][/b][/color][/left].

[left][color=black]A really great movie way ahead of its era. What I like to compare to a "50's Reservoir Dogs" without the overracting (I kid, I like RD). Essentially a heist movie where the several different moving parts are each given their own story. It's not a terribly unique concept now-a-days, but upon it's release it was. I am also reminded of Sydney Lumet's [i]Before the Devil Knows You're Dead[/i], which I just saw a month ago. Overall, really good stuff. [/color][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]BARRY LYNDON [/color][color=red]A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][color=black]A three-hour period piece that gets better the longer you stay with it. The movie can drag considerably in its middle act, but the story of the rise and fall of one Redmond Barry who would become a wealthy noble known as Barry Lyndon is a truly remarkable movie. The last hour here is perfectly done, as is always the case in these rise and fall movies. The collapse of Barry's life is hard to take your eyes off of. Kubrick settles into his element in this portion and really takes control, whereas just an hour before, the film seemed tedious and non-commital. Excellent, and a shocking turn after [i]A Clockwork Orange[/i].[/color][/left].

[left][color=#000000]Favorite Kubrick Moment: Any scene inside the Lyndon's home is a precursor to the Overlook Hotel. [/color][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]LOLITA [/color][color=red]B-[/color][/b][/left].

[left][color=black]A really odd movie that at times feels like one of Hitchcock's earlier films. [i]Lolita [/i]is a story of a man, Proffesor Humbert (James Mason) possessed with the love of a young high school girl who would become his step-daughter, Lolita. The relationship seems to be awkwardly real at first, as Lolita equally flirts with Humbert. After Lolita's mother dies (Humbert's wife), he becomes overly strict and obedient with her. It's almost as if he can't bear to let anyone else be with her or talk to her. It's then that the relationship becomes one-sided and the movie unfocused. The narrative becomes more and more complex throughout, with a certain mystery character becoming more relevant along the way. [/color][/left].

[left][color=#000000]Favorite Kubrick Moment: The opening 10-minute scene that consists of tense, gun-pointing wordplay between James Mason and Peter Sellers.[/color][/left].

[left][color=black][b]EYES WIDE SHUT[/b] [color=red][b]A[/b][/color][/color][/left].

[left][color=black]After seeing this again for this review, this movie changed the most for me upon a second viewing (in a good way). Kubrick reportedly said before his death that it was his best movie to date, I would say [i]one[/i] of his best. The often referenced, controversial [i]Eyes Wide Shut[/i] is a brilliantly subtle film that explores the insecurities of relationships and a gritty underworld of rich sex addicts. Not one scene here is rushed, every word is spoken slowly, as if to draw us into a daze, and it works. It all leads up to and centers around a horrifying, achingly slow venture into a cult of sexual rituals that is, with the exception of anything in [i]2001[/i] and [i]Clockwork[/i], one of Kubrick's greatest feats. [/color][/left].

[left][color=#000000]Favorite Kubrick Moment: The afore mentioned Orgy scene.[/color][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]PATHS OF GLORY [/color][color=red]A[/color][/b][/left].

[left][/left].

[left][color=black]A mostly intriguing, ocassionally riveting war film. However, the plot revolves not around a battle, but a court case, a corrupt one. The beginning is rather distant and usually boring, but only gets better. Some neat tracking shots that were for sure a precursor for what was to come in Kubrick's career.[/color][/left].

[left][color=#000000]Favorite Kubrick Moment: The final scene in which a German girl sings to a group of French soldiers in a bar.[/color][/left].

[left][b][color=#000000]SPARTACUS [/color][color=red]C+[/color][/b][/left].

[left][/left].

[left][color=black]Not a big sword-and-sandals epic kind of person. There really just isn't anything in here to make it Kubrick's film. There are some technically impressive scenes with hundreds and hundreds of extras, but I really don't have much to say about this except that it is a pretty average movie. When I tell people that Kubrick directed [i]Spartacus[/i], they say, "No he didn't". That's when you know it really doesn't capture the director's accomplishments properly.[/color][/left].