Genre:
Film Noir, Crime, Drama
Distributor:
Arrow Academy
Rating: PG
Blu-ray Release Date:
8th December 2014 (UK)
Director:
Robert Siodmak
Cast:
Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien
The Killers, released in 1946, is based on an early short story by Ernest Hemingway, and has become a benchmark in what we now know as film noir. It is also notable as the only adaptation of his work Hemingway ever approved of, even though his short story only constitutes the first 20 minutes of screen time or so.
The Hemingway-influenced part of the film focuses on the death of ‘the Swede’ (Burt Lancaster), after two hitmen search him out in a diner. He doesn’t resist his fate and dies willingly. The remainder of the film follows insurance investigator Jim Reardon (Edmond O’Brien) as he investigates the Swede’s death, and uncovers the beneficiary of his life insurance.
The film really has it all when it comes to textbook film noir: one of the iconic femme fatales in Ava Gardner’s Kitty Collins, and the fatalistic tone that both marks Hemingway’s work but also film noir in general, perfectly captured in the last lines of Kubrick’s noir masterpiece The Killing “What's the difference?”. The cinematography by Elwood Bredell is often used as an example of the conventions of noir lighting and photography. The narrative also takes its inspiration from Citizen Kane’s use of flashbacks: Kane’s influence on film is undeniable, but its influence on film noir is particularly notable.
Robert Siodmak was at the helm despite Don Siegel badly wanting to make the film; he would later make an updated remake with Lee Marvin in the 60s. Siodmak was a German director who started working as an assistant to German expressionist filmmakers in the 1920s. It is clear to see that he learned his craft there, showcasing his talents in American films such as Criss Cross, Cry of the City, and The Dark Mirror.
Burt Lancaster makes his screen debut as The Swede, actually receiving top billing, giving one of his finest and most memorable performances; he would later become one of the actors most associated with the film noir genre. Ava Gardner was also basically unknown at this point and would become one of the most memorable screen actresses of the late 40s and throughout the 50s, even starring in a few more Hemingway adaptations in the 50s.
Arrow has compiled a very nice selection of bonus features for their Blu-ray edition, including an interview with writer Frank Krutnik, who gives a detailed commentary on 4 key scenes, a video essay that compares three different adaptations of Hemingway's short story and a couple of radio adaptations, which feature much of the original cast. It also boasts a new hi-def transfer that shows the film in its true visual glory.
Ian Schultz
★★★★★
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