The Killers (1964)

22 November 2016

I watched The Killers from the Criterion Collection recently - it's actually two different versions based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway. The first version from 1946 stars Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner; the second from 1964 stars Lee Marvins, John Cassavetes and Ronald Reagan. What I find interesting is that Criterion's choice to combine the films into one Blu-Ray was a smart one, making it a more interesting product than its individual parts.
I liked the 1946 one for how it builds off of the source material (its opening is more or less Hemingway's short story), although as a film it's a typical film noir: solid but generic. The 1964 version is a more modern take on the original tale, taking a different angle on the characters that are "The Killers" in the original story. The later version doesn't feel as well constructed, and ultimately feels messier and more rushed. However, Criterion's choice to juxtapose these two very different versions, add an audio story of the original work, and even include Russian student project of the original story makes this DVD an interesting study of an author's influence in film. (1946: 7/10; 1964: 5/10; collection: 8/10). 5/10