Review of The Killing (1956) by Yury M — 26 Mar 2008

Film noir! Heist! Kubrick! What else can one ask for in a movie? It bothered me greatly that there was this one movie I hadn't yet seen by Kubrick but at the same time I knew that once I see it, there would be no more, I wouldl not be able to experience the revelation that each of his movies was to me ever again. I guess that is why it took me so long to see it.

The Killing is as good as anything Kubrick directed. He worked in so many different genres that it is hard to say that it is different from his other films. But I will still go ahead and say it. Although it is a perfect classic film noir movie, Kubrick's trademark style was not as evident to me here. I believe he was still in search of it. There are a lot of elements in this film that would attribute it to Kubrick - the movie is dark, psychological, complex, masculine, pessimistic, unsettling, etc. - but that very unique touch of genius is very slight, so slight that I might have missed it during my first viewing. I guess that is why I shouldn't be too depressed about finishing Kubrick's catalog. I can always go back to any of his films and discover more.