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Stanley Kubick would almost certainly like to think of The Killing as being the official beginning of his filmmaking career. Despite the dissapointment of Fear and Desire, Kubrick had been recognised by many top studios has having a fair amount of talent. But to really make his mark, he would have to exceed the pure know-how simplicity of his earlier works and really show the world he had what it takes.
Produced independently by James B. Harris, later to become a director himself, and based on a novel by Lionel White, The Killing is a simple yet complex account of a racetrack robbery carried out by a pair of novice thieves. A narrator is utilised throughout the film by Kubrick, as if to give the film a documentary feel and also highlight the ingenuity that goes into planning the heist around which the film is based. Although the original credit to such ingenuity must go to the author, Lionel White, one must also admire the pure brilliance with which Kubrick portrays the sleek tale. The audience can only sit back and praise the daring of the caper itself - during which the shooting of a horse and a bar brawl are used as a diversion for the thief to sneak in and capture his loot.
However, the real praise must go to the brilliance with which the nervous, if not pathetic thief, Elisha Cook Jr., is seen alongside his wife, Marie Windsor. Windsor, who can almost be seen as a low-budget Lady Macbeth, is a harsh, rugged woman, insolent in her ways, and in complete contrast to her diminutive husband. It is the first sign we see of the infamous black humour for which Kubrick would later become famous for. As might be expected with such a combination of minds, the heist goes drastically wrong. Despite expert planning an unexpected mishap occurs which effectively ruins any chance of the robbery succeeding. Again, it is a sign in miniature of things to come, the way in which Kubrick so often portrays a story of the best, most professional plans going awfully wrong, as we see in Dr. Strangelove and 2001.
The climax to the film is indeed as bloody, if not memorable, as any Kubrick has given his audiences, and melded with some brilliant supporting roles, along with beautifully designed set pieces, we see something not often seen in cinemas of the era - horror with a sense of macabre grandeur. All of these factors make The Killing one of the most original and refined crime films in movie history.
The Killing Links
The Killing at the Internet Movie Database
Kubrick Multimedia Film Guide Details, images, sounds
The Killing at voyagerco.com
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All information Copyright 1997 William Fox