Classic cult crime caper!! (The Killing (DVD))

Member Name: larisso

Product:	The Killing (DVD)
Date:	10/06/04 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic film noir, Exciting, Full of well drawn characters

Disadvantages: Cheap looking sets, A little confusing at times, Could have been longer!!

Killing, The (1956)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick
Writing credits
Stanley Kubrick

Cast:
Sterling Hayden .... Johnny Clay
Coleen Gray .... Fay
Vince Edwards .... Val Cannon
Jay C. Flippen .... Marvin Unger
Marie Windsor .... Sherry Peatty
Ted de Corsia .... Randy Kennan
Elisha Cook Jr. .... George Peatty
Joe Sawyer .... Mike O'Reilly
James Edwards .... Parking Attendant
Jay Adler .... Leo
Timothy Carey .... Nikki Arcane
Joe Turkel .... Tiny
Kola Kwariani .... Maurice Oboukhoff
Tito Vuolo .... Joe
Dorothy Adams .... Ruthie O'Reilly

An exceptional earlier film from Stanley Kubrick. This is certainly not one of your usual run of the mill caper films. It involves the robbery at a horse racetrack. Superbly photographed in B/W
with a dovetailed scrambling of time sequences..........plot , planning and robbery . Which works surprisingly well. Like anything Kubrick did......very masterfulll!! ....Some of it is done in semi documentary style.
The technical aspects of the film too are outstanding with many very memorable
exterior shots , close ups, and angles.

The Killing was a major success for Kubrick in the film industry even thoigh it was produced for as little as 320,000 dollars....which does reveal itself in some of the cardboard looking sets.

Sterling Hayden is once again excellent as' Johnny Clay ' .....the tough but intelligent ring leader. Those who enjoyed him in Huston;s ' The asphalt Jungle ' will surely enjoy him here too. He is admirably supported by a host of character actors..........of particular note here is ' Elisha cook jnr ' as ' George Peatty ' the ticket seller at the racetrack who finally agrees to help out in the robbery ........A quiet man who loves his wife dearly and will do aything to please her ( played by Mary Windsor ) who is no
thing more than a liar , cheat and go getter who eventually upsets the whole of the plans when letting on to her lover ( played by Vince Edwards )....... These have to be my favourite scenes ......the dialogue really crackles between these two. Then there's ' Ted de Corsia ' as the rather corrupt policeman who owes money. and ' Joe Sawyer , whose wife is sick and needs special attention.

The backstage scenes of the robbery are expertly handled. We really become involved with all of the characters ......who for want or reason need money fast.........great pace from start to finish with plenty of excitement and thrills along the way........ i won't let on about the ending in case you havn't seen it........if you havn't you MUST!!!! ......Highly recommended as they say!!!

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