FILM REVIEW: Kiss Me Deadly

[diebitter]

Made in the fifties, this does appear to be a straightforward hard-boiled detective piece. However, you watch it, and it becomes obvious this has style through and through. So much so, it is considered the daddy of the french New Wave cinema that followed some time later.

It's a Mickey Spillane story, with Mike Hammer. This Hammer is a cold-hearted bugger, who is perfectly happy beating up people for information, or using his secretary (who is in love with him) as a sex-trap for wayward husbands. As he says himself at one point 'gee, ain't I a stinker!'

This film is about some nuclear secret or other in a box, which contains a bright light and creates destruction whenever it's opened ('repo man' and 'pulp fiction' reference this), and seedy, money-grabbing people trying to make their fortune with it.

It's a tight piece, with lots of violence on and just-off screen, and moves at a fair clip. Often, Hammer is beaten unconscious or is beating up someone for information, and pain or violence seem to be present in virtually every scene. I laughed loud (but guiltily) when he'd got to his 4th or 5th person and this one says something like 'what's it worth to ya?', just like all the others, cos by this time Hammer is pissed off, and the weasel in question is going to regret it...

Another moment that sticks in the mind is where 2 thugs corner Hammer in a pool house. You see one approach Hammer, off camera, and then see the other's face change from sneering threat, to surprise, to scared as his pal gets some 'Hammer-time' off camera. Hehehe

All the characters are pretty horrible, and any decent ones tend to get hurt, threatened, or otherwise degraded. Having said that, it's very engaging, exciting and pacey, and well worth watching.

The only downside is one of the lead actresses. She plays a dim, evil-hearted bitch, and her acting is either fantastically brilliant or truly awful - she talks in monotone, either doesn't act at all or overacts wildly, and so on. Luckily it doesn't jar too much given the tone of the picture, but it does sometimes pull you out of the film now and again.

Overall, you shouuld see this at least once. That's the minimum it deserves. It's a fantastic bit of cinema.

Overall: 3.5/5
Rewatchability: Bears rewatching 6 monthly+, especially if you want something hard-boiled.


RATINGS (out of 5):
0 - This is a complete waste of time, and you will regret wasting it
1 - don't bother unless no other options at all
2 - okay for a single watch, if you've got time
3 - Definite watch if you get a chance
4 - See it very soon, at least once before you die
5 - See it immediately, no excuses


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