Thanks to Criterion, Stanley Kubrick‘s The Seafarers is now the only film from the iconic director not available on Blu-ray. Criterion recently brought Kubrick’s Paths of Glory to beautiful high-definition and now the director’s 1956 heist feature, The Killing, arrives with a special inclusion, the helmer’s 1955 feature Killer’s Kiss. Releasing The Killing is one thing and should be enough to get you to buy this title, but the fact it also includes Killer’s Kiss pretty much means any Kubrick fan simply has to buy it. I’m sorry, but those are the rules.
The screenplay was co-written by Kubrick with dialogue by pulp novelist Jim Thompson (though Thompson would later claim he wrote most of the film, a spat that almost ended their relationship), The Killing is based on “Clean Break” by Lionel White. The story is told using a fractured narrative, following the planning of a racetrack robbery. Throughout the film’s brisk, 84-minute runtime we bounce from one character to the next, as we’re introduced to the ins and outs of each their lives, the people in them and the role they will all play in what is to come.
The primary fascination I have with The Killing is the way the story moves back and forth in time with ease, using subtle pieces of one scene to heighten the tension in the next as it builds toward the climax. Visually, the film is wonderful and Criterion’s high definition transfer is impeccable in clarity, grain and presentation of the film’s rich black photography.
Killer’s Kiss is also restored and equally impressive, even if the film is more of a beautiful curiosity rather than something that stands alongside the best Kubrick has had to offer. I would, however, watch it again in an instant just to be immersed in the world Kubrick creates. The fact Criterion considers Killer’s Kiss a “supplement” and not the second film in a double-billing goes to show just how much the studio rewards their customers. It’s likely to be the best special feature you’ll see on a Blu-ray release this year. Additionally, Killer’s Kiss is accompanied by a 10-minute appreciation of the film by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien.
The package continues with an excellent batch of excerpted interviews with Sterling Hayden that runs about 25 minutes. Hayden’s comments on his time in Hollywood and with Kubrick are incredibly open and candid. His comments regarding Kubrick, and his work on Dr. Strangelove specifically offer an interesting insight into the director and his process. To no surprise, like most any Kubrick release, equipped with a strong batch of special features, you’re going to learn as much about those that love the helmer as those that had problems with him.
I’ve already alluded to the issues Jim Thompson had with Kubrick over screenwriting credits, which we learn in a new interview with Robert Polito, author of “Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson”. In a second new interview, producer Jared B. Harris reveals Kubrick had a problem with cinematographer Lucien Ballard during the shoot as Kubrick essentially told him where to put the camera and how to light the scene. Ballard didn’t even sit in on the dailies.
Finally, there’s a trailer for each The Killing and Killer’s Kiss as well as a 20-page booklet featuring an essay by film historian Haden Guest (read that here) and a reprinted interview with actress Marie Windsor. If you want more than that, though, Criterion has a pretty cool web exclusive called “The Killers Inside Me” by Chuck Stephens, a title playing off Thompson’s novel which was recently directed by Michael Winterbottom, detailing the actors that make up the hard-boiled cast. It’s well worth a look for fans of the film.
Overall I see this one as a no-brainer, must buy, but then again I love Kubrick. I find his films fascinating for their technical expertise and the doors they open for interpretation and scrutiny. It’s common to read on the Internet about people that say they love Kubrick’s work and for once I believe most of them because he’s also a director people seem willing to be openly confused by. He’s a director that stirs conversation thanks to the honest opinions his films evoke. Why his work is able to do that is beyond me, but it’s rare and it’s special.
I don’t see The Killing as the masterpiece many people claim it to be, but it’s a good film and one that inspired several films, chief among them Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. I see this release as a buy for The Killing alone, but when they added Killer’s Kiss to it they really don’t give you much of a choice.
