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Frank Silvera, Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, Jerry Jarret, Dana Michael ... see more see more... , Felice Orlandi , Ralph Roberts , Phil Stevenson , David Vaughan , Alec Rubin , Jerry Jarrett , Mike Dana , Barbara Brand , Julius Adelman , Ruth Sobotka , Shaun O'Brien , Skippy Adelman

Stanley Kubrick's second feature film, Killer's Kiss was made on a budget of $40,000, all raised by Kubrick's relatives. The black-and-white drama was shot principally at night in a variety of seedy M... read more read more...anhattan locations. The plot, told in an extended flashback, covers two days in the life of boxer Davy Gordon (Jamie Smith) -- he meets nightclub dancer Gloria Price (Irene Kane); the two fall in love, and decide to make their futures somewhere other than New York City. But Gloria is lusted after by her ex-employer, Vince Rapallo (Frank Silvera), who not only won't take "no" for an answer but has no intention of losing her to a two-bit boxer. His machinations lead to murder, a police manhunt, and revenge in the best film noir fashion -- the very best, in fact, as Kubrick's use of real New York settings (and very ominous and sleazy New York settings at that) gives the action here a startling verisimilitude, as though we're watching a documentary, or the unfolding of actual events. The violence escalates as Davy and Rapallo find themselves going one-on-one, to the death if need be, with a climax in a warehouse filled with department store mannequins and their various component parts. Director-writer-photographer-editor Kubrick wasn't pleased with the studio-imposed ending added by its distributor (United Artists), but that compromise was a lot more logical and satisfying than the filmmaker's intended denouement. Irene Kane, who played the female lead, subsequently achieved success as TV commentator and journalist Chris Chase; also appearing in the film is Kubrick's then-wife Ruth Sobotka. And Frank Silvera, who plays the villain, was among the most prominent black actors working in theater and films during the 1950s, and eventually achieved stardom on television a dozen years later with his role on the NBC series The High Chapparal. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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58% liked it

6,526 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

17 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 7 min.

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Release Date: January 1, 1955

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (366)

  • JonathanHutchings
    February 27, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    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 Kub... read morerick 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.
  • blkbomb
    September 24, 2011
    blkbomb
    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... read more 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.
  • stevenecarrier
    August 22, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    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 t... read moreime 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.
  • fb100001050230219
    July 1, 2011
    fb100001050230219
    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.
  • flixsterman
    March 20, 2011
    flixsterman
    Kubrick's style is minimalistic and effective in this narrated noir gem that features nobody I'd ever heard of before or since.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 9, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    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!
  • ajv2688
    November 10, 2010
    ajv2688
    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.
  • kenstachnik
    November 5, 2007
    kenstachnik
    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.
  • pier007
    July 24, 2007
    pier007
    Kubrick's noirish second film. great story and performers. a short, fun and bold little gem.
  • mjgildea
    November 9, 2006
    mjgildea
    Great early Kubrick. He wasn't there yet but he was well on his way...

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
May 8, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

Kubrick's low-key lensing occasionally catches the flavor of the seamy side of Gotham life. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 12, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A noirish thriller with experimental trimmings that holds back most of the emotions, sensitive as well as otherwise, that threatened to make Kubrick's first feature mawkish. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Kubrick worked in an uncharacteristically naturalistic style despite the genre material, with mixed but still fascinating results. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
March 6, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Frankly, it's a pretty wretched story, but this small, cheap film has style to spare. Full Review

Kim Newman
October 3, 2007
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

Kubrick's second feature shows his promise as a powerful and iconic director in motifs and style. Full Review

October 3, 2007
Film4

It's tense, compelling and steeped in an urban anxiety that's strangely contemporary. Full Review

February 12, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Killer's Kiss is no one's idea of a great film but it displays much evidence of future brilliance. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Kubrick makes the most of flashback and dream sequences, and a surreal climactic fight in a warehouse full of mannequins. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
January 8, 2004
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Depois deste filme, Kubrick jamais voltou a trabalhar com roteiros originais, optando apenas por adaptações - uma boa decisão, já que é a história que compromete este longa.

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
March 17, 2002
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

Offers some glimpses of what [Kubrick] was capable of doing with no budget and no crew and no actors. Full Review

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