On K List of Movie Reviews
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The Killers (1946)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
4/07, 5/11, 12/24
4/07:
The Killers is a tough, gritty, and stylized film noir with wonderful performances.
Ava Gardner is the femme fatale. Although the story can be initially confusing, it gets better over time.
The Killers is also the type of film that needs to be watched again and again to get it fully.
All in all, The Killers is a terrific film noir.
5/11:
Somewhat slowed by the pace, The Killers is a decent film noir.
It features Burt Lancaster's screen debut; although talented, he looks unrefined.
Ava Gardner, who'll be a sex symbol afterwards, looks uninspiring when compared to the bombshells of her heyday.
However, the use of her as a femme fatale works well, making The Killers a compelling film.
All in all, The Killers is an excellent example of the film noir genre, but I wish the pace was a
bit quicker.
12/24:
The Killers is better this time.
Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner make their names and will be unforgettable in subsequent films, but the strongest
performance comes from Edmond O'Brien. The narration style is reminiscent of
Citizen Kane. Hence, it's a compelling movie this way. It helps a great deal
when two tough guys are cast: William Conrad and Jack Lambert.
The story is simple. An ex-boxer agreed to participate in a heist. He thought Kitty Collins was in love with him,
but she never was. Whatever ideas he had in his head, she wanted nothing to do with them, so she used him this way
for the other guy: Jim Colfax. As a result, everybody paid the ultimate price.
All in all, when you look up a list of great films noirs, The Killers will be there.