RETRO REVIEW: THE KILLING (BLU-RAY)

Stanley Kubrick was in his mid-twenties when he made this hard boiled crime noir based on Lionel White’s book Clean Break, with dialogue by Jim Thompson (The Getaway, The Killer inside Me). Its story, of which Rube Goldberg would be proud, involves Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) fresh out of prison with a plan for a bold heist. He masterminds an intricately laid out racetrack robbery where no one knows each other’s identities or roles in the bigger picture. Clay’s fastidious, a perfectionist never wanting to leave loose ends but it’s the details he can’t control that may lead to his undoing. On the day of the robbery, these minor details lead the crew to alter their plan and improvise; fairly quickly everything starts to unravel.

In terms of the bluray itself, this superb black & white Blu-ray transfer is made possible courtesy of Criterion and showcases Kubrick’s superlative talent to paint with light. Cinematographer in all but name, Kubrick butted heads with Oscar-winning Director of Photography Lucien Ballard, culminating with the young director ordering him to “do as I ask or get off the set”. Kubrick was never one to doubt his own abilities. In addition to the main feature, this Blu-ray features one terrific extra: Killer’s Kiss, Kubrick’s previous film made a year earlier (1955). It’s also a crime noir, albeit a little smaller, telling the story of a down on his luck Boxer who falls for a dancer. It’s equally dazzling in its black and white lensing with strong performances and a terrific vérité' style, informed by his photojournalism, something Kubrick would shed later in his career in favour of more structured stylistics. Brilliant.