IslandGuru
Who payed the critics
Greenes
Please don't spend money on this.
Maz Murdoch (asda-man)
Just like Killer's Kiss, I'm going to keep my review brief and pointless. Before Stanley went on making 150-180 minute epics, he started out with this little noir thriller about a boxer protecting the girl next door. At just over one hour this is his shortest ever film and only his only film to have an entirely original screenplay written by him. It's easy to see why Stanley later looked to adapt stories by others, as Killer's Kiss unfortunately isn't up to much at all.Considering that the film was made on a teeny weeny budget of $40,000 raised by friends and relatives (kind of like Darren Aronofsky's Pi) it's actually not too bad. It was also made during the pre-Spartacus era where the studios didn't give Stanley final cut on his films and so his original ending was changed to a happier one. I think a solemn ending would've helped the film be slightly more memorable though.The film is brilliantly shot and I couldn't help but marvel at the use of lighting. Towards the end of the film, the lighting almost becomes another character and adds to the film's incredibly stylish mood. It has the look of a classic noir however, it doesn't have a story to match.It all feels rather too conventional and fairly dull. There's a boxing sequence which the back of the DVD compared to Raging Bull, but it's nothing like and adds little to the story. There's a good fight scene at the end, but by the time it's all over I was left wondering what the point of it was.It's a brief film which features bland characters and a boring story. It is very stylish and lovely to look at but it doesn't have much depth to it. You can tell that it's directed by a man who knows his wizardry, however he clearly hadn't fully learnt his craft yet. Let's hope that the more lauded, The Killing has more to offer in the way of plot and thrills!
dougdoepke
Few have captured the glitter and grub of a cityscape better than this 70-minutes of neon and alleyways. The plot's all over the place, along with choppy editing and so-so acting. Thus, the storyline leaves a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, the visuals are consistently striking, from crowded dancehall to jagged rooftop. Clearly, Kubrick's sense of compositional artistry has already kicked in. And judging from the slick flashback of The Killing (1956), a lot was learned from this project. Sure the movie's done on the cheap and Kubrick has to do everything but cater the food. Still, the imagination is rich and pervasive at a time when Hollywood was arguably most straitjacketed. Despite the many flaws (god-awful musical scoring), this slender film put Kubrick on the movie-making map. Not surprisingly, his next film The Killing would provide a lot more to work with. All in all, the production remains a treat for the eye, if not for the ear; that is, if you believe urban dour can be made compelling.
Scott LeBrun
Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith) is an over the hill prizefighter who's considering returning to the family farm to help out his uncle. Then fate steps in: one night he witnesses a neighbour, the pretty Gloria Price (Irene Kane) being accosted by her employer Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silvera), a gangster. Davey is almost instantly taken with her, and after getting to know her a little bit, he decides that he will be her protector. That will prove to be a challenge, as Rapallo sends two of his goons (Mike Dana, Felice Orlandi) after Davey and abducts Gloria to boot.Short & sweet, this reasonably enjoyable little noir is compelling viewing for both fans of the genre and of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. It may not be quite as accomplished as his later works (it *was* only his second feature film), but it still has some genuine stylishness going for it. The boxing scenes early on are noteworthy for the camera placement and operation, creating a genuine intensity. Kubrick also edited, shot, and wrote the story (Howard Sackler wrote the screenplay, uncredited), and it's clear that he was a real talent who could go far. There's one mighty fine bit of nightmare imagery, and the story does have a fairly good pace going for it. Unfortunately, the rather loud and jaunty music score tends to work against whatever tension that Kubrick is able to generate. The final battle between Davey and Rapallo is a pretty good one, and the fact that it takes place inside a mannequin factory helps to make it visually interesting. Silvera is fine as the gangster, Smith and Kane (the latter is better known as journalist Chris Chase) less satisfactory in the other principal roles. Ruth Sobotka, who was married to Kubrick at the time (and was also Kanes' sister!), plays the ballerina.Overall, a solid effort although it was with his next picture, "The Killing", that Kubrick really hit his stride.Seven out of 10.
wiseguymattt
Irene Kane is gorgeous! What a performance. Although, she had her awkward moments in which I felt the behavior didn't match the mood which caused me to become less engaged. Jamie Smith played his role really well and sure intimidated me. Let's just say you wouldn't want to be the guy between him and his gal. And I learned that Frank Silvera has been cast as a white character before due to the inability to really take notice when shooting in black and white. His performance was also really good. I began HATING his character because of how pathetic he made himself out to be at times. But, that was his character and eventually things took different turns that revealed more about his character than you first imagine. I'll leave that to the viewer to find out. Overall, the story is intriguing. It was a well done film for its time. You can see a dramatic improvement in quality over Kubrick's previous film especially in the acting and sound.
