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Summary: Kubrick's film noir groundbreaker.
Review: "The Killing" is a stunning piece of film noir. What's even more stunning is that this movieis only Kubrick's third major release! It features an excellent cast(Tim Carey is awesome as the too-cool killer for hire). Claustrophobic camerawork, and a shocking ending make this movie a must-see for Kubrick fans, as well as crime fans. Chances are, if you're watching a movie about a robbery gone awry, the ideas were derived from "The Killing." NOTE: excellent script by Jim Thompson.
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Summary: One of the Best Thrillers Ever Made
Review: A fascinating assortment of characters come together to plot and execute an elaborate racetrack robbery, but the film is so much more than that.Highly original use of editing brings notions of time and viewpoint to the fore of a film which would still have been superlative from the acting, alone. The heights of emotion that Kubrick draws from the viewer are quite amazing. There is disgust and pity, a delicious sense of voyeurism, a gleefully mad fight scene, and a level of pure human intrigue that makes film noir look almost sterile and pretentious. Viewer gets a real sense of mortal grunge and pathos, amidst a touch of humor and high drama. I don't want to spoil the edge-of-your-seat unfolding of the film's narrative, so I'll just say that many of today's great directors learned a lot from this film. An essential part of every classic film collection. Cinephiles will want to watch it often.
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Summary: The Killing: Noir's Race Horse Beauty
Review: A Kubrick film that I count among my favorites - as usual, Kubrick's foray into a genre resulted in a new high watermark for the form. The Killing, as most critics recognize, ranks among the best noir films ever made. And it still has influence -compare The Killing with Tarantino's Jackie Brown: the out-of-order scene chronology that Tarantino employs in the dress shop scam sequence is clearly patterned after the heist sequence in The Killing. Kubrick was the originator of this stylistic coup - an exceptionally bold narrative technique for 1956. A film not to be missed!
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Summary: a classic.
Review: a movie that few will ever see, but one that should never be missed by any true film-goer who appreciates quality film making.
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Summary: Kubrick Does Noir
Review: An ex-con engineers a race track heist in "The Killing," a taut and suspenseful film noir from director Stanley Kubrick. Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is fresh out of Alcatraz after five years, and immediately goes to work on a job he figures to be worth upwards of two million dollars. He puts together a gang who are not real criminals, just "Some guys with problems and a little larceny in them." Marvin (Jay C. Flippen) is good for some front money Johnny needs; George (Elisha Cook Jr.) is a cashier at the track, and Mike (Joe Sawyer) is a bartender there; Randy (Ted de Corsia) is a cop with loan shark payment problems. Clay's got it all figured out, a precision plan that can't go wrong as long as everyone does his part and keeps quiet about it, before and after. But George has a wife, Sherry (Marie Windsor), who wants nice things, and he can't resist the temptation to let her know it's all going to get better real soon. Trouble is, Sherry has a boyfriend, Val (Vince Edwards), who has more than a little larceny in him, as well. As it is with all "perfect" plans, there are, after all, imperfections. The presentation of this film is not one of them, however; Kubrick keeps the tension high throughout, working with a tight narrative and an out of sequence chronology through which he dispenses bits of information, building the suspense, until it all fits together in the end like pieces of a giant puzzle (Much the same as Tarantino would do with "Pulp Fiction" many years later). The stoic delivery, coupled with the stark black and white photography of the film, creates an almost surreal, fatalistic ambience that works so well with this material; especially at the end, for it underscores the climax and heightens the drama of the final moment, all of which makes for a truly unforgettable scene. The supporting cast includes Coleen Gray (Fay), Kola Awariani (Maurice), Joe Turkel (Tiny), and Timothy Carey, who makes his detached and indifferent hit man, Nikki Arane, one of the most memorable characters in the film. It must be noted, however, that Elisha Cook Jr. gives what may have been his best performance ever, here. His scene, after it all goes bad for him and he stumbles into his apartment, bullet holes in his face and wide-eyed with acceptance, to confront Sherry, is so cool and underplayed that it becomes one of the lasting impressions of the movie. Kubrick wrote the screenplay (with some help from Jim Thompson with the dialogue), adapted from the novel "Clean Break" by Lionel White. "The Killing" is one of Kubrick's earliest and best films; and it's not just for Kubrick fans or for those who love the "noir" genre. This is an excellent piece of work that will definitely be appreciated by anyone who likes good movies.
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Summary: The penultimate crime caper film
Review: Back in the days when Stanley Kubrick was still a relative unknown, he made this gem of a film which has since earned a reputation for being one of the best crime caper films ever made. The film is tightly structured and well-paced with an eye on increasing the tension until the very end. A wonderful movie, and those who have seen "Reservoir Dogs" will immediately recognize the influence "The Killing" had on the latter film. The plot-line is simple - a band of crooks, each with his own motivation, conceive of a plan to rob a racetrack. The plan works fine...until something goes wrong. Kubrick filmed this classic with a minimal budget, but his genius is evidently on-screen in how he arranges the furniture and lighting and actors to get the most out of his limited funds and to augment the clastrophobic sense of suspense. Truly a great film. I purchased the DVD of this film, and it looks quite good. The picture quality is pristine (unlike in the DVD version of Kubrick's later films, alas). I had no problems with the sound, either, though it is monophonic. There aren't any real extras on this DVD except for a trailer, but the presentation is somewhat cool and adds to the tension of the film. So, I will recommend this DVD of "The Killing" to fans of Kubrick and good crime films.
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Summary: Essential Kubrick
Review: Besides being one of the best noir films ever made it gives what could be the finest lesson I've seen in how to structure a film. The multiple takes of the heist, all seen from slightly different pespectives and each one building on what we had seen in previous scenes add that indefinable element X that separates the great films from the merely good.Tarantino used this as a veritable "How to do it "text for many parts of Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown Demands multiple viewings and is not even slightly dated. I would urge anyone who has not seen it and who is in any way interested in the amazing Mr Kubrick to get it at once.Highest possible recommendation.
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Summary: "You like money."
Review: Film noir fans should make a point of watching "The Killing"--an early film from director, Stanley Kubrick. A loosely bound band of thieves decide to knock off a racetrack with a plan that is timed with skill and precision. Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is the mastermind behind the gang. He's just out from prison and wants the one big score that will allow him to lead a decent life with long-suffering sweetheart, Fay (Coleen Gray). Clay's plan involves the placement of gang members at key locations at the racetrack. Each of the thieves is equally desperate, and the plot allows a small glimpse into the pathetic lives of the thieves prior to the robbery. This is all so cleverly done, that the film creates wistfulness and a sense of well-wishing for the thieves. The plan is well thought out and sounds perfect. What can go wrong?
Gang member, George Peatty (Elisha Cook Jnr) is married to nasty, sullen femme fatale, Sherry Peatty (Marie Windsor). When the camera follows George home into his modest apartment, and we see Sherry for the first time, the match between the Peattys is all too obviously quite incongruous. What does Sherry see in George? She makes it clear that he's a big disappointment to her--she's been waiting for the big score he's promised, but so far, she's holed up in a shoebox of an apartment, lounging around in a negligee, oozing with discontent. How can a man like George keep a woman like Sherry?
"The Killing" is filmed in black and white and the plot moves forward without ever loosing a beat. Suspense mounts rapidly and the background of horse racing assists the film's pacing. Just as the horses dash towards the finishing line, the thieves pull off the heist of a lifetime. One of the most intriguing things about the film is the layering of thievery here. There's a policeman on the take, there's the thieves headed by Clay, and then there's Sherry and her own little scheme. And what of the racetrack--isn't that a sort of legal robbery of the masses who lay down their hard earned cash hoping for a big score of their own?--displacedhuman
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Summary: Comprehensible Kubrick
Review: I admit the fact that I don't enjoy Stanley Kubrick films as much as other people. While technically brilliant, I tend to find Kubrick films empty emotionally and devoid of much passion. Paths of Glory, Spartacus, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut all have their moments but never have truly satisfied me. These movies all seemed too sterile and lacking that intangible spark so crucial in developing a love for a film. However, I did enjoy watching the most conventional film Kubrick ever made - The Killing. The Killing follows a group of mismatched criminals - led by Sterling Hayden - who band together to knock over a racetrack. The heist is planned down to the minutest detail but distrust among the theives and the cruel hand of fate eventually undermine all their work. The cast features steller turns by Hayden, Jay C. Flippen, Timothy Carey, Marie Windsor, and Elisha Cook Jr. who all manage to create distinct and tragic characters. These aren't the slick criminals of Ocean's 11 but rather desperate and sad people who need this caper to succeed to have any hope of getting anything out of life. The sacking of the racetrack is mesmerizing and the final sequence at the airport is a classic moment in cinema history that will cause you to always double check the locks on your suitcases every time you head to the airport. While not the most notable film in Kurbick's filmography, The Killing is nevertheless the easiest of his films to enjoy.
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Summary: Excellent and underrated
Review: I bought this DVD without having it seen it before, but when I saw it (precisely 2 days ago) I was hooked with it. A Lot of Directors of recent movies have taken elements of this movie to their movies, for example, Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs and Guy Ritchie in his two first movies.
Buy it now. You won't be dissapointed.
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