The Killing (1956)

Simply A Masterpiece

Must See Movie...

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Stanley Kubrick's first major feature film, "The Killing," stands apart from the rest of his catalogue, if for no other reason than its length. A straight shot noir heist thriller, at 82 minutes long it's quite the opposite of what he became known for, multi-hour epics in multiple parts. If shown without credits, you might not guess one of cinema's greatest directors was behind it, but some clues are there.If we're being really honest, "The Killing" has probably been elevated in stature because it's a Kubrick film. Aside from the nonlinear structure, which was certainly innovative in the '50s to be sure, it's a rather crude and uncomplicated story that goes for gut-punch finale that isn't hard to see coming. Only a few moments are truly surprising – at least Kubrick is there to maximize their effect."The Killing" features a group of down-on-their-luck criminals and nobodies who scheme to put a big hit on a horseracing track. Most of the men remain fairly enigmatic, even lead man Sterling Hayden's Johnny Clay. The only one of them we really get to know is George (Elisha Cook Jr.), a nebbishy track employee with a beautiful wife (Marie Windsor) who despises and belittles him – not to mention she's in love with another man and conspiring to hijack the operation.The rest of the film is the planning and execution of the heist, which we are neither completely privy too nor completely unaware of, making the whole thing both mysterious and exciting at some turns and uneventful at others. The screenplay's staggered structure showing all the different pieces put in place to pull off the heist gives it enough of an edge in the sense that we're waiting to see if something went/goes wrong. Our investment in the outcome, however, is a little tempered by not knowing a whole lot about the characters, who with the exception of George seem to have no motivation or stake in their success other than money. When the film ends, it's unclear whether the outcome feels fulfilling or sad.Kubrick's signatures are not as abundant as someone familiar with his most acclaimed works would hope for. There are a couple nice tracking shots and moments of suspense, but nothing as involved as films like "The Shining" or "2001: A Space Odyssey." There are also a few really good close-ups of faces and one effective shock-you moment in the final stretch. Other than some juicy noir lighting, that pretty much sums up the film's artistic achievements."The Killing" just feels like its missing a compelling hook. The storytelling is creative and interesting, Jim Thompson's dialogue impressively sharp and Kubrick provides a handful of noteworthy flourishes; it's the resonance that his best films have always had that's missing here (aside from the George-Sherry subplot, which is easily the film's most compelling element). The culprit? Probably that Kubrick was not playing auteur on this film to the same degree that he did on the rest of his canon. Or maybe it's the annoying narration. Either way, "The Killing" is a solid heist thriller, just nowhere near Kubrick's many masterpieces.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

Stanley Kubrick's First Fully Formed Feature Film is a Vibrating Noir-Heist. It's the Tail End of the Film-Noir Cycle and Kubrick's Homage is Outstanding.The Cast is a Gaggle of Noir Icon's. Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor, Jay C. Flippen, Ted De Corsia, and Borned to be Noir Timothy Carey.The Pacing is Hyper Crackerjack and the Cinematography is Gritty, Edgy, and Glaring Outside. Indoors it's Dark, Bleak, Shadowy, Sleazy, and Desperate. The Gun-Play is Striking.The Dialog from Pulp Writer Jim Thompson is Minimalist, Unfettered, and In Your Face. The Music is Serviceable and the Voice Over Narration was Procedural Vogue.Overall, the Ending is a WOW and the Time Displacement and Overlaps, Cutting Edge at the Time are Now Clichés in the Modern made most Famous by Quentin Tarantino's Work.It's a Must See Movie that has Broad Appeal and is as Violent and Unsettling as Anything from the 1950's. It is Truly a Breakout Film from the Director and His Talent, Insight, and Film-Making Prowess was Evident here and almost Everyone Noticed.Note...This is considered Stanley Kubrick's only pure Film-Noir.

"The Killing" is the first film by Stanley Kubrick that was financed entirely by others believing in his talent, and we could not hope for more. The film is thrilling and follows the classic Hollywood gangster story, but with the touch of the genius: as always in his pictures, the characters are watched from a distance, a sneer that knows their efforts to make things go their way is useless, as the world works in mysterious ways, such that a series of small accidents can destroy the "perfectly" planned robbery. As usual nobody gets what they wanted in a Kubrick film. The time labyrinth through which the viewer is introduced to the events is also a feature that will come back in an even more complex way in the author's mature works.A fantastic noir/gangster movie, filled with Kubrick themes.

"We want to make good movies, and make them cheap. The two are not incompatible" - Stanley Kubrick.The first of a collaboration with Producer James B. Harris, "The Killing" is Kubrick's first movie with actual financial backing from the studio United Artists (Everything prior was financed by Kubrick and his family). He was 28 at the time of the movies release, and it continues to hold up incredibly well for a cheap, heist movie (Reportedly Quentin Tarantino said it was very influential when it came to his 1992 debut "Reservoir Dogs", both of which use non-linear time-lines). Though its praise was high, the movie unfortunately bombed at the box office. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer however, was so impressed with the film they offered Kubrick-Harris $75,000 to write, direct and produce the spectacular "Paths of Glory" (1957).Based on the novel "Clean Break" by Lionel White, a thief plans to commit one last daring heist before retirement and marry his lover. With his crew assembled, one of them reveals the plans to his wife, who has also made significant plans of her own.The Killing's cinematography is certainly memorable with its larger sets that gets filled with extras when things all come to a head. I bring the cinematography up because of the infamous tale when Lucien Ballard moved a camera against Kubrick's wishes, almost leading to Ballard's firing. The music particularly excels, the scenarios and failures of communication between men still leave an impression and even though Sterling Hayden remains the best actor in the movie, the scene where wrestler Kola Kwariani (Who was also Kubrick's old chess friend) fights off a series of policeman, shirt ripped and all could possibly remain the best overall scene of the movie.Final Verdict: "The Killing" remains one of those old movies that I grow more and more fond of when reminiscing particular moments. Certain scenes dash hopes, but in a tale of greed ever player gets his overall comeuppance. 8/10.