KILLER'S KISS
/
1955
DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK
CINEMATOGRAPHER: STANLEY KUBRICK
WRITER: STANLEY KUBRICK (story)/ HOWARD SACKLER (screenplay/uncredited)
BUDGET: $75,000
GROSS: ?
Killer's Kiss wasn't Stanley Kubrick's first feature length film, but it was the first he wanted anyone to see.
In 1953 Kubrick made Fear And Desire, but he wasn’t happy with how it turned out. He later denounced the film as amateurish and compared it to children’s drawings on a fridge. There are even rumours that he destroyed the negatives following the death of the films distributor. Needless to say he was happier with his next film, Killer's Kiss.
Killer's Kiss is a film noir about a down on his luck boxer and the woman that lives in his building in the apartment right across from him. They can see each other through their windows and it’s in this voyeuristic way that they come to know of each other.
The story begins with the boxer standing on a train platform waiting for a train. Via a voice-over (classic film noir style) he ponders life and the events that have lead to him standing on this platform - which we then get to see via a flashback which takes us through those events.
I adore Stanley Kubrick and I wouldn’t claim that Killer's Kiss is his best work. In fact, his next film The Killing is a much better film for those looking to check out early Kubrick. However, Killer's Kiss is an interesting film in that it shows signs of things to come from one of the greatest film makers of all time.
I couldn't help but smile a few times during the film at scenes/moments that were just… very Kubrick. There are a couple scenes that tend to drag a bit, in which nothing much happens. And while that could be attributed to Kubrick just trying to make the movie fit a reasonable feature-length time frame (the film is only about 70 minutes long) he has never been a director who was afraid to take his time and allow "nothing" to happen if it fits a mood. Just look at 2001: A Space Odyssey and how so many directors would’ve edited out so much of what made the film the masterpiece it is.
Killer's Kiss isn't a masterpiece but there are pieces of the master within it. Some things I couldn't even put my finger on why they were “Kubrick” - but they just were. The big chase scene at the end of the film across the rooftops is one such scene.
Kubrick co-produced, wrote, shot, edited and directed Killer's Kiss. And although it’s interesting from a purely Kubrick-fan perspective, it’s definitely worthwhile for more then just that.