After the critical and commercial failure that was Fear and Desire a work Stanley Kubrick reportedly disowned- he released his second feature-length picture, Killer's Kiss. Although deeply blemished, it boldly paved way for the career of one of contemporary cinema's most beloved and greatest directors. As the tagline maliciously utters, "Her Soft Mouth Was the Road to Sin-Smeared Violence", as for its time it was reasonably bloodthirsty, with its intensely choreographed boxing match and gripping finale. Do not let this marketing tagline deter you into believing this is all about fight scenes, because there is a fervent element of romance additionally integrated and so it avoids becoming superfluous.
Concluding where it first began, this cold-hearted thriller weaves a noirish web of macho deceit and feverish obsession. Kubrick utilises his minimal budget of $75,000 admirably and displays his talent by making the low-budget appear nearly as costly as the Hollywood productions of the same period. Filming in his hometown of New York City, the city streets are deftly captured with naturalistic maturity and expressionistic manoeuvring. The camera places a morose gaze on its even moodier characters, observing their moping around in a way which echoes their botched ambitions, neediness and boiling frustration.
My fundamental gripe with Killer's Kiss is that it feels far too casually strung together, in a way which makes a lot of the scenes feel both useless and ineptly edited. This leads to a dispersal of tension, thus it does not feel as taut as it should do for a film-noir. If you are able to excuse the overly dramatic performances, bare screenplay and weak editing to the shoe-string budget then you will witness considerable vigour in its short running-time (falling little over an hour). Ultimately, it is all about the perishing style with Killer's Kiss because the narrative is far too iffy for much attention to be spared, let alone critically garnered.
Kubrick was not eager to "get deep" with his second-feature, but rather to make a name for himself in the industry with something which would allow him to have more control over his future directional attempts. For any aficionados of the man's career there are many examples of themes and imagery which is further studied in the director's later career. So, if you are willing to view this sketchpad of motifs, then prepare to witness the irrefutable promise Kubrick offered with his ominous noir.
Concluding where it first began, this cold-hearted thriller weaves a noirish web of macho deceit and feverish obsession. Kubrick utilises his minimal budget of $75,000 admirably and displays his talent by making the low-budget appear nearly as costly as the Hollywood productions of the same period. Filming in his hometown of New York City, the city streets are deftly captured with naturalistic maturity and expressionistic manoeuvring. The camera places a morose gaze on its even moodier characters, observing their moping around in a way which echoes their botched ambitions, neediness and boiling frustration.
My fundamental gripe with Killer's Kiss is that it feels far too casually strung together, in a way which makes a lot of the scenes feel both useless and ineptly edited. This leads to a dispersal of tension, thus it does not feel as taut as it should do for a film-noir. If you are able to excuse the overly dramatic performances, bare screenplay and weak editing to the shoe-string budget then you will witness considerable vigour in its short running-time (falling little over an hour). Ultimately, it is all about the perishing style with Killer's Kiss because the narrative is far too iffy for much attention to be spared, let alone critically garnered.
Kubrick was not eager to "get deep" with his second-feature, but rather to make a name for himself in the industry with something which would allow him to have more control over his future directional attempts. For any aficionados of the man's career there are many examples of themes and imagery which is further studied in the director's later career. So, if you are willing to view this sketchpad of motifs, then prepare to witness the irrefutable promise Kubrick offered with his ominous noir.