Killer's Kiss

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Written by: Stanley Kubrick and Howard Sackler
Year: 1955
Genre: Film noir
My rating: 4 out of 5


1950s New York City can make and break a boxer like 29-year-old Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith). He's washed up now, and making plans to move to Seattle and work on his uncle's horse ranch. If he can win his last fight against the up-and-coming Kid Rodriguez, he might be able to get back on top. He does not win. That night, he is woken from his sleep by screams coming from the apartment across the courtyard from his. It belongs to a dancer named Gloria Price (Irene Kane), who is being attacked by her boyfriend/boss, a gangster named Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silvera). Davey runs over as fast as he can, but Vincent is gone when he arrives. Gloria explains their relationship to Davey, and while she sleeps, he wanders around her apartment curiously. The next morning, they discuss their lives over breakfast, and she agrees to go to Seattle with him to get away from Vincent. However, she needs the money from her last paycheck. They go to the dance club and Davey waits outside while Gloria confronts Vincent. Angry, he keeps her in his office and sends two of his cronies to kill Davey. Not knowing what he looks like, they instead kill his manager, Albert (Jerry Jarrett), who arrived just after Davey went off chasing street performers who stole his scarf. Gloria and Davey get away with the money, and depart to their respective apartments to pack their things. Davey goes over to Gloria's place when he is finished and finds her missing. He then looks back at his apartment to see police searching it. He overhears them mention that Albert was murdered, and forms a personal vendetta against Vincent, leading up to one of the most entertaining fight scenes I've ever witnessed.

I found Kubrick's second full-length feature (though the running time is just over an hour) to be much more effective than his second noir, "The Killing." Despite its amateur status (26-years-old at the time, he borrowed $40,000 from his uncle to produce it), Kubrick holds it all together with an interesting story, more than adequate acting, and excellent cinematography. In particular, there is one very nicely shot chase scene through big, long alleyways towards the end of the film. Though this caught my eye most, he finds places in each scene for an interesting shot or two. If I was going to speculate, I would say Kubrick was implementing some fairly revolutionary techniques as a director of photography, and trying to establish a name for himself. He doesn't seem to have yet found his style as a writer, which leaves most characters flawed and insensitive. Here, surprisingly enough, he even lets the ending be happy. Despite not being trademark Kubrick, "Killer's Kiss" is a very enjoyable film, and it showcases some of his finest cinematography.


Structure/Form:
What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?
By kissing Gloria, Davey is thrust into a world of violence.

Why does the film start in the way that it does?
It starts with Davey at the train station, at the chronological end of the movie and then it jumps back three days. This is a stylistic, noir-y choice.

Is sound used in any vivid ways to enhance the film?
Similar to "The Killing," music is played almost constantly. However, I found it more effective here.

Are there any striking uses of perspective?
There's a moment where Davey looks at his fish, and we see his face through the fishtank.

What specific scene constitutes the film's climax?
Davey and Vincent duel with an axe, a spear, and some mannequins.

Why does the film conclude on this particular image?
Kubrick was never partial to happy endings, but here's one.


Theme:
How does this film relate to the issues presented or developed? What questions are evoked by the film? Does the film present a clear point of view on an issue? How?
I didn't pick up much of a theme. It seems more like just an entertainment movie.


Mise en Scene:
Vincent's two goons close in on Albert in the alley.

Dominant: Where is our eye attracted first?
Albert, who's becoming increasingly apprehensive.

Lighting key: High key? Low key? High contrast? Some combination of these?
Low key.

Shot and camera distance: What type of shot? How far away is the camera from the action?
The camera looks in at the opposite corner of the alley from the entrance.

Angle: Are we (and the camera) looking up or down on the subject? Or is the camera eye level?
A bit up.

Subsidiary contrasts: What are the main eye-stops after taking in the dominant?
The shadows of the gangsters on the wall make it look like there are four of them.

Composition: How is the two-dimensional space segmented and organized?
There's one gangster on either side of Albert as he pounds on windows on the wall to our left.

Framing: Tight or loose? Do the characters have no room to move around, or can they move freely without impediments?
Quite loose.