Wow: right from the start, Killer's Kiss shows a noticeable step up from Fear and Desire- we open in a train station, and will see many people and large sets for the rest of the film.
More than a technical advance, Killer's Kiss is an excellent noir with a tight plot and much larger scale than what actually happens. There's a boxer, a dancer, a gangster and his goons, and one big flashback. From the first scene, and the beginning of an ongoing narration, we see that Gordon is alone, so we can focus on the why- it relates to the message.
There are great scenes in Killer's Kiss. The boxing is raw, much better than fight scenes of the time: it feels like you have front row seats. The ballerina and exposition of Gloria's life, and the climatic chase and mannequin mangling. The acting is fair, but Rappello is a real slimeball.
This is a huge step up from Fear and Desire technically. The shooting is excellent, feeling large and small at the same time. We get treated to some artistic shots as well. The editing is fine, and the lighting is true- noir. The music is fantastic, very upbeat, fast and fitting, adding to the tension where needed. This is visionary directing with funds.
Then there's the ending. No spoilers. This was an 8 the whole way through, I was loving it, but then the last scene shatters the message as well as the score. You'll roll your eyes at Gordon's reaction. If you want to see a much better film, end it with 1 minute left.
But overall the film is excellent and I feel it's better to have too much than too little- you can edit the ending yourself. A solid noir, and even more promise than Fear and Desire, despite the contradictory ending. 6.6/10
More than a technical advance, Killer's Kiss is an excellent noir with a tight plot and much larger scale than what actually happens. There's a boxer, a dancer, a gangster and his goons, and one big flashback. From the first scene, and the beginning of an ongoing narration, we see that Gordon is alone, so we can focus on the why- it relates to the message.
There are great scenes in Killer's Kiss. The boxing is raw, much better than fight scenes of the time: it feels like you have front row seats. The ballerina and exposition of Gloria's life, and the climatic chase and mannequin mangling. The acting is fair, but Rappello is a real slimeball.
This is a huge step up from Fear and Desire technically. The shooting is excellent, feeling large and small at the same time. We get treated to some artistic shots as well. The editing is fine, and the lighting is true- noir. The music is fantastic, very upbeat, fast and fitting, adding to the tension where needed. This is visionary directing with funds.
Then there's the ending. No spoilers. This was an 8 the whole way through, I was loving it, but then the last scene shatters the message as well as the score. You'll roll your eyes at Gordon's reaction. If you want to see a much better film, end it with 1 minute left.
But overall the film is excellent and I feel it's better to have too much than too little- you can edit the ending yourself. A solid noir, and even more promise than Fear and Desire, despite the contradictory ending. 6.6/10