Killer's Kiss (1955)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jonathan H

  
  Kubrick's second feature, and first noir, is a thrill to watch, if only to see the seeds of a budding legend be sown in front of your very eyes. Without exaggeration, Killer's Kiss features some of the best deep focus long shots I have ever seen, and the visual… More
  Kubrick's second feature, and first noir, is a thrill to watch, if only to see the seeds of a budding legend be sown in front of your very eyes. Without exaggeration, Killer's Kiss features some of the best deep focus long shots I have ever seen, and the visual sophistication Kubrick employs (with a keen emphasis on motif, symbolism and mood lighting) demonstrates that even early on, he was worlds ahead of many of his colleagues in terms of directorial aptitude and his command of cinematic language. No one shot is the same, no one angle is replicated. Unfortunately, the scant running time inhibits any real chance at character development (or narrative development, for that matter) but that's okay -- there's more than enough to marvel at.

• Melvin W

  
  Vincent Rapallo: Like the man said, "Can happiness buy money?"  "Her Soft Mouth Was the Road to Sin-Smeared Violence!" I found Stanley Kubrick's second directorial effort, Killer's Kiss, to be a pretty solid film. I enjoyed watching this early work from… More
  Vincent Rapallo: Like the man said, "Can happiness buy money?"  "Her Soft Mouth Was the Road to Sin-Smeared Violence!" I found Stanley Kubrick's second directorial effort, Killer's Kiss, to be a pretty solid film. I enjoyed watching this early work from Kubrick. It was good and you can see some of his techniques when it comes to camera work, but that's about the only thing that makes it seem like a Kubrick film. Obviously it was made on a small budget with a no name cast, who I thought was actually decent, and all in all it turned out to be a entertaining film. It's just crazy and cool to think about how Kubrick went from this little, low-budget, hour long romance thriller to films like 2001 and The Shining.  To the world of Kubrick fans, this is kind of considered his first true film, despite the fact that he made Fear and Desire. Kubrick, himself, hated that film and didn't even want people to see it.  There's cool little sequences in this movie, such as the final fight scene that basically mirrors the boxing match. There's a little hint of what is to come from Kubrick. His great foreshadowing was on display here in an early work. The music seems like it belongs anywhere else as long as that place isn't a Kubrick film. This is the only film from him where I didn't particularly care for the score. This movie is cool in that it shows the start of an immense talent. It shows a starting point for what would become one of the, if not the, greatest directors of all-time. It's cool to see that he always had an eye for cool shots and how to make a scene awesome visually even without a big budget, cool effects and huge set pieces. If you are a fan of Stanley Kubrick, you need to see this movie.

• Steven C

  
  I was really taken aback by "Killer's Kiss;" Stanley Kubrick's ultra-independent second feature. This film is just so obscure, compelling and visceral. The cinematography, by Kubrick himself (he also edited, directed, wrote and produced) is stunning. The film has… More
  I was really taken aback by "Killer's Kiss;" Stanley Kubrick's ultra-independent second feature. This film is just so obscure, compelling and visceral. The cinematography, by Kubrick himself (he also edited, directed, wrote and produced) is stunning. The film has such an urgent time and place and New York City literally intrudes, seeps into, every frame. Because of this, the film has an energy and uncanny (sort of) cohesion. The film can be spare and abstract but it's fun to see Kubrick working in these perameters, or lack there of. "Killer's Kiss" is chock full is surreal, compelling imagery that stands alongside Jean-Luc Godard and even David Lynch at times.

• Liam G

  
  This is a solid noir film with a brilliantly staged finale that is not only unique for its time but is tense throughout. It is nowhere near Kubrick's later masterpieces like A Clockwork Orange and 2001, but it is pretty solid for someone only making their second feature.

• Randy T

  
  Kubrick's style is minimalistic and effective in this narrated noir gem that features nobody I'd ever heard of before or since.

• Tim S

  
  A marvelous and auspicious beginning. The flashback transitions and overdubbing bothered me a little bit, but otherwise, it's definitely a Kubrick film...and a great one at that!

• AJ V

  
  A pretty good attempt at film noir from Kubrick, but not as good as his later films. Only see if you're a really big fan of his work.

• Ken S

  
  Holy photography this movie is gorgeous. Kubrick is defiantly finding his signature style...but the script with all of the flashbacks is not quite as sharp as it could have been. Well worth seeing in spite of that...oh and the mannequin sequence is amazing.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Kubrick's noirish second film. great story and performers. a short, fun and bold little gem.

• Michael G

  
  Great early Kubrick. He wasn't there yet but he was well on his way...

• Ben P

  
  "It's crazy how you can get yourself in a mess sometimes and not even be able to think about it with any sense; and yet not be able to think about anything else." - Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith) in Killer's Kiss Like all great directors, Stanley Kubrick had to… More
  "It's crazy how you can get yourself in a mess sometimes and not even be able to think about it with any sense; and yet not be able to think about anything else." - Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith) in Killer's Kiss Like all great directors, Stanley Kubrick had to start somewhere. After being a photographer for Look Magazine, the young Kubrick began to quench his thirst for filmmaking with two short films. One of them is the very rare to find Fear and Desire (1953), the other is the slightly less rare to find Killer's Kiss made in 1955 by a 26-year -old Kubrick. Though he wouldn't gain any widespread commercial acclaim until 1956's heist feature, The Killing, Killer's Kiss is certainly even more early evidence of Stanley Kubrick's incomparable future genius. The plot of Killer's Kiss is relatively simple and takes in the tradition of the classic American film noir. The opening credits show the lead, a veteran boxer named Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith) pacing around a train station, eventually kicking the film off with a voiceover hinting that a story's about to unfold. Davey then goes on, on flashback mode, to recount the tale of how he fell in love with a night club dancer (Irene Kane), and faced the wrath of her corrupt boss (Frank Silvera) whose wrath derives from being smitten and insane. While the screenplay of Killer's Kiss is clean cut noir, the pace can be a bit meandering for a film so short (67 minutes). There are scenes of the mundane that seem to go on much too long, sort of like in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey with just about everything, but this time these mundane activities aren't transpiring in space. Despite these lingering moments, Kubrick still oozes with apparent technique and some innovative shots, especially when he uses mirrors. The better part of Stanley Kubrick's filmography is incredibly surrealistic but Killer's Kiss, on its shoestring budget, doesn't capture the same surrealism Kubrick's fans value so highly. This, again, does not mean Killer's Kiss is not a fascinating watch, the sole distinction that is in fact a Kubrick envisioned film is a cinematic treasure in and of itself, but it certainly isn't the quintessential Kubrick picture. There is one standout scene in the movie that is haunting and iconic in a way only a great director could muster. The climactic battle between Rapallo and Gordon would be a run of the mill fight scene; if it wasn't in a choicely gothic mannequin warehouse. It also wouldn't be the last time Kubrick would shoot a madman swinging an axe. Kubrick, always the perfectionist, never wanted the film's ending to be happy and he was completely right in this fact, but artistically raped by the big studio. While a non-Hollywood ending would have made the Killer's Kiss a tad more memorable, cinematic history is much better off with a successful Kubrick rather than an unfulfilled one. Fans of Kubrick's work will adore Killer's Kiss as a film equivalent of a B-side curio by a favorite band and bask in the foreshadowing of the director's future glory. Grade: C+ Reviewed by Ben Pieper on August 18th 2011

• Dillon L

  
  Not a bad film (it has some interesting techniques), but not an especially great one either. Some shots are unique, but the story was lacking. It would have been a little better if Hollywood didn't tell Kubrick he had to film a 'happy ending' version.

• Cameron J

  
  Though underdeveloped, drawn-out, extremely quiet, slow and rather unengaging, "Killer's Kiss" is still with enough originality, solid action sequences and compellingness for it to pass, but just barely.

• Gevvy S

  
  Good camera work. The music was a nice aspect to that film because it drives the film forward. An average script with average actors, the dialogue was rather boring. Much of the film is conventional, but at times it loosens up and comes to life. Of course, this is very early Kubrick.… More
  Good camera work. The music was a nice aspect to that film because it drives the film forward. An average script with average actors, the dialogue was rather boring. Much of the film is conventional, but at times it loosens up and comes to life. Of course, this is very early Kubrick. Near the end it begins to really come to life in terms of it having that Kubrick feel to it. The final scene where Davey is visciously attacked is shocking and the best moments of the film come after it. When Davey wanders into the apartment with the mannequins, I finally saw absolute proof of this film having shaped Kubrick his unique style. CHEESY ending. He should've cut the film 2 minutes earlier.

• Chris B

  
  The nighttime shots of New York are amazing and fit the mood and feel of the film hand in hand. The story itself is one of hard luck, jealousy, love and of course violence. Kubrick's second feature film is a prototype, albeit itself a wonderful film, to his third film The… More
  The nighttime shots of New York are amazing and fit the mood and feel of the film hand in hand. The story itself is one of hard luck, jealousy, love and of course violence. Kubrick's second feature film is a prototype, albeit itself a wonderful film, to his third film The Killing. Killer's Kiss is a wonderfully dark and edgy noir piece that Kubrick achieved with a mere $40,000 budget and doing most of the work himself! You could see how the director was already gifted even at the age of 28 and this film foreshadows just hot great a director he would be throughout his vast career in film. Highly Recommended, especially if you are a Film-Noir junkie like myself!

• Brian R

  
  Stanley Kubrick's early works. If anything the locations of Manhattan caught my eye rather then the characters. Still K'sK deserves a tomato.

• Buddy A

  
  This film, one of Kubrick's earliest, is a rather interesting take on 1950s film noir. The cinematography, as you might expect from anything Kubrick has done, is likely the film's greatest feature, particularly in the climactic fight scene, which takes place in a mannequin… More
  This film, one of Kubrick's earliest, is a rather interesting take on 1950s film noir. The cinematography, as you might expect from anything Kubrick has done, is likely the film's greatest feature, particularly in the climactic fight scene, which takes place in a mannequin warehouse. Many things here foreshadow the director's future style and his common themes, making this a must-see for Kubrick fans, but apart from this, there is not a lot in this movie to recommend to the general public. The film is good, but not great.

• Emily B

  
  The first half especially didn't really excite me, but it's faults are forgiveable as it's only Kubrick's second film. When watching it's interesting to compare to Kubrick's other works and see how he developed as a director. The best part has to be the… More
  The first half especially didn't really excite me, but it's faults are forgiveable as it's only Kubrick's second film. When watching it's interesting to compare to Kubrick's other works and see how he developed as a director. The best part has to be the fight scene in the room full of mannequins.

• Wu C

  
  Kubrick was still young and learning. First half is slow. Didn't blow my mind, but the photography is pretty nice.

• Christopher B

  
  More interesting in seeing Kubrick's directing at the very early stages of his career. For us Kubrick fanatics, it's sometimes difficult to think of him as a just a man rather than a cinematic god. Still, despite it's shortcomings, this film is stylish as hell and the… More
  More interesting in seeing Kubrick's directing at the very early stages of his career. For us Kubrick fanatics, it's sometimes difficult to think of him as a just a man rather than a cinematic god. Still, despite it's shortcomings, this film is stylish as hell and the beginning of an amazing director.

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