The Movie
Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, adapted from Lionel White's book Clean Break, goes beyond most crime dramas of its era. Sure, it has tough-guy anti-heroes spouting memorable dialogue, crafted with the help of the singular Jim Thompson, plus plenty of high-stakes suspense. We're also privy to all the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of the heist itself, an inside job taking down a cash-loaded racetrack in broad daylight.
But it also goes further with some bold choices that were ahead of its time, like a non-linear chronology and multiple storylines for the disparate cohorts, aided by narration lest we lose our way. This was still Hollywood of the 1950s though, so it's best not to dwell too long on weaker points such as the somewhat hokey, obviously choreographed barfight.
Not to give too much away but the caper doesn't go off exactly as planned, and a few bodies pile up before day's end. It's an unusually brisk, gritty tale that has clearly influenced many movies that followed (Reservoir Dogs comes to mind), with a Twilight Zone-worthy ending.
The Picture
Criterion has just been Killing it lately with their video remasters, and there's no exception with The Killing. Sure, this new 5:3 transfer from the original 35mm camera negative (!) possesses an undeniable layer of grain and noise, but at the same time I've never seen the movie look clearer than it does here. Faces are exceptionally nuanced, the pattern of star Sterling Hayden's sportcoat is razor-sharp, and blacks are so deliciously rich as to test the reproduction capabilities of your display.
The Sound
The accompanying audio is linear PCM mono remastered at 24-bit quality from the original magnetic soundtrack. So much of the movie is simple conversations, often just two people sitting opposite one another at a table having a discussion, maybe a ticking clock or some other element in the background, and so this presentation is adequate, even enjoyable as a great many audible flaws have been excised as part of the restoration. But the thundering hoofbeats at the racetrack don't pack much thunder, while gunshots are merely present and not in any way impressive.
The Extras
Similar to what Criterion did on their recent disc of Brian DePalma's Blow Out, including the director's earlier full-length film Murder a la Mod as a bonus, here we are given Killer's Kiss, the movie Kubrick film made just prior to The Killing. Kiss is a lesser work when viewed on its own, but a fascinating study of Kubrick's evolution for his aficionados, in another fine, high-bitrate black-and-white HD presentation. There is even a movie-specific supplement, an analysis and appreciation of Killer's Kiss by critic Geoffrey O'Brien.
The disc also serves up a new 21-minute video interview with producer/Kubrick collaborator James B. Harris, as well as poet/expert Robert Polito's thoughts on writer Jim Thompson (about 18 minutes). And in a wonderful treasure from the vault, the late star Sterling Hayden looks back on his career in clips from the April 1 and July 3, 1984 episodes of the French documentary TV series Cinéma cinémas, about 24 minutes total. All of these are in some form or another of HD.
Final Thoughts
MGM and Criterion seem a match made in heaven, as The Collection continues to lavish extraordinary care upon selections from The Lion's catalog. With strong video, respectable audio and a pleasing assortment of extras, The Killing is another Blu-ray to die for.
Product Details
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