Review of The Killing (1956) by Bradley T — 23 Jul 2010

Two films behind the sprawling epic Spartacus, Stanley Kubrick was still churning out hard boiled crime noir. "The Killing" was his most successful piece of that genre. This time efficient yarn would go on to influence many directors including Tarantino and Scorcese.

This is a quintessential heist movie as well. We get stretches of crucial character building dialogue, crooks with alterior motives, the two-timing self serving femme fatal, the weak willed patsy, the crooked cop... the complete package.

A perfectly orchestrated plan to rob a horse race track of its hundreds of thousands of dollars sounds great on paper, but it requires a clean execution with no hitches. There is plenty of suspense in guessing who of these seedy characters is going to make it out on top. The ending is sweet irony, and though often immitated over the years is still quite effective.

Any fan of noir or crime movies in general will enjoy this millstone of Kubrick's early career.

Bradley J. Timm.