HotToastyRag
The reason The Killers is remembered is it was Burt Lancaster's first movie. Yes, it's a film noir murder mystery, but if it didn't give birth to such a fantastic star, it probably would have been swept under the rug with the other low-budget 40s films.On the surface, it sounds like a cheesy story that someone wrote to make fun of old gangster movies. Burt's nickname is "The Swede" and Ava Gardner plays the slinky love interest Kitty Collins. Hit men and detectives make up the rest of the characters, and while there are twists and turns and flashbacks, it almost feels like it's spoofing itself.I found it most similar to another Burt Lancaster movie, Criss Cross, and it's not as good as the really memorable film noirs like Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. But maybe it's just me. Give it a watch and see what you think of it!
Mr_Ectoplasma
"The Killers" follows tow hit men who takes out a complacent victim (Burt Lancaster), after which a detective and insurance agent go down the rabbit hole into a web of mystery which entangles the magnetic Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner).Marked by what may be the best opening scene in film noir history, "The Killers" is in the ranks with Wilder's "Double Indemnity," though it doesn't so often get the same amount of talk. The fact that the film partially riffs on the Ernest Hemingway story gives "The Killers" a bit more of an edge in my opinion. It is rife with suspense that holds up even as the narrative breaks up into kaleidoscopic fragments, twisting and turning through time and space.As the hallmark of most all film noir, moody cinematography, shadows, and darkness play a major aesthetic role here. The film is photographed exceptionally, yet retains a grittier feel than its glossier Hollywood peers; in that respect, "The Killers" is a bit more hard-edged and reminiscent of the B-movie noir, yet thematically and otherwise, it is not a B film in the slightest. The film marks Burt Lancaster's first starring role, with Ava Gardner as the mysterious femme fatale who appears in the thick of things.Overall, "The Killers" is a historical game changer for noir, and a real convention-setter. It's a bit nervier than some film noir, and a bit grittier in tone, but I think that that fact alone sets the film apart to some extent. Gardner's appearance as the jet black-haired Kitty Collins is also one of the most memorable femme fatale performances in history. 9/10.
bcstoneb444
Considering The Killers dates from early in the noir cycle it's a little surprising that it's as definitive a crystallization of the noir ethos that we're likely ever to see. Wow! Director Siodmak and cinematographer Woody Bredell are at the top of their form: they pile shadow upon shadow, scene after scene. So much going for this one: noir composer of choice Miklos Rozsa here comes through with maybe his best score ever, regardless of genre. Jangling and Stravinsky-esque, it never lets up. Burt Lancaster is fine as the doomed Swede, and of course Ava Gardner is a wonder. The visage of her in that slinky black evening dress is the very definition of the noir femme fatale. Only Rita Hayworth in Gilda gives her a run for her money. A bonus is that Ava sings her song using her own voice. And how about Charles McGraw and William Conrad, for my money the two coldest hired assassins in film history. And it is refreshing to see a young, relatively slim and more or less handsome Edmond O'Brien taking on the gumshoe role. The rest of the supporting cast is primo, especially Albert Dekker as Mr Big and, in a turn that seems to anticipate his appearance in Kiss Me Deadly a decade later, Jack Lambert nearly steals the movie as the problematic thug. Also fascinating is the inclusion on the Criterion DVD of a 1956 short produced in the Soviet Union(!) which sticks pretty faithfully to the story and does a pretty good job of capturing an American atmosphere, quite amazing considering the times.
moonspinner55
After out of town killers come into a small community to kill a garage mechanic/former boxer nicknamed "the Swede", an insurance investigator pieces together the crime--and the victim's reluctance to run when warned of his impending death. Gripping film noir, expanded from Ernest Hemingway's short story, is often misrepresented as the first of its kind when the genre (and these stylized characters) had been kicking around cinema for at least 10 years. Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner turn in star-making performances, though the seasoned character actors in the lesser roles are often just as good or better. Screenplay credited to Anthony Veiller, however both John Huston and Richard Brooks worked extensively on it. The melodramatic music by Miklós Rózsa and the striking cinematography by Woody Bredell both compliment the film tremendously. Remade in 1964 with Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson, in what was meant as a TV feature but instead was released to theaters. **1/2 from ****
AD
