May 14th Log

THE KILLING
1956, Stanley Kubrick, United States
Repeat Viewing, Turner Classic Movies

"I often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. They are admired and hero-worshiped but there is always present the underlying wish to see them
destroyed at the peak of their growth." While often forgotten among the great Stanley Kubrick's artistic masterworks, The Killing is absolutely one of his most finely crafted films. The Killing is certainly one of Kubrick's most endlessly watchable films and one of the very greatest noirs of cinema. Using a brilliantly created and critical overlapping and non-linear structure, The Killing is flawlessly inventive and incredibly absorbing. The viewer is left at the edge of their seat in anticipation from the very opening frame at the horse track through the great final shot of the heists' doomed fate. Everything just comes together so beautifully and perfectly and the viewer is left blown away. As expected with a Kubrick film, every image is stunning and beautiful composed in black and white photography. Also, the dialogue and performances are outstanding, but most notable is Sterling Hayden as the heist leader Johnny Clay and of course Marie Windsor as the manipulative femme fatale wife of Elisha Cook's vulnerable George. The Killing is truly a perfectly executed film noir that which has only grown in influence and impact since it's release. Though this is just the 3rd feature film from Kubrick, it remains among his most engaging and influential, and beautifully represents his genius vision. A must see!