The Killers (1964)

Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, Clu Gulager, Claude Akins, Norma Fell, Ronald Reagan, Virginia Christine
Directed by: Don Siegel
Rating: Passed
Genre: Drama, Mystery
1964

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two hit men (Lee Marvin, Clu Gulager) are surprised when the man (John Cassavetes) they murder didn't bother trying to run. Their desire to know why leads them down a twisting path of betrayal and intrigue.

Review:

Tim: I was quite interested in seeing 1964's The Killers, a remake of the 1946 film. I enjoyed that original film quite a lot. Like this original, this one takes its inspiration from Ernest Hemingway's short story. However, this film makes a number of changes, including the main characters' perspectives. On the one hand, I really appreciated how this film wasn't interested in following too closely in the original's footsteps. It charts its own path and while many story elements are similar, it feels like a completely different movie. I appreciated that. While I knew the broad strokes of the story, none of this felt too familiar. That makes a big difference. On the other hand, though, this film excised some of the best parts of the original film. While this is a good movie, the changes made didn't improve on the 1946 film. I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't as effective as the original.

The biggest change here is that we see the movie through the eyes of the two killers. In the original film, they were supporting characters. I thought this shift was fascinating. They're still coldblooded murderers, but they are the ones driving the story forward. I like the idea of them being confused and curious about why an intended victim wouldn't run. What would cause a man to stand firmly still and let death come to him? This mystery is what propels these characters forward. Of course, they believe there will be a financial windfall in it for them. But, their curiosity is the main driver. That's really cool.

I was quite surprised this film didn't bother with the diner scene. That opening was one of the best moments of the 1946 film, connects to Hemingway's short story, and felt iconic. I loved that scene. Here, our murderers show up at a school for the blind. It's interesting, but no where near as intense as the diner sequence. That felt like a miss not to include. The script goes in different directions, introducing a whole subplot about car racing that makes sense in the context of the film, but never felt all that interesting to me. Again, nothing bad here at all- Don Siegel directs a solid movie. It just doesn't hit the highs of the original movie.

I did love Lee Marvin in the lead role, though. Marvin feels like a continually underrated actor. Even though I'm a fan, I still marvel at what he's able to do on screen. He's never flashy or over the top, but he subtly delivers these powerful, unforgettable performances. I loved his work here. He's a killer, but you sympathize with him, appreciate him as a character. That's all due to Marvin's superb performance. Clu Gulager makes a good partner for him. His performance isn't close to as good as Marvin's, but he is a very different character. Their differences make them interesting and I loved how they worked together. I was surprised that I didn't really care for John Cassavetes' work here. I've seen him in a few films previously and I was generally a fan of his work. I don't know if he was miscast here, as much as his performance just left me feeling cold. I didn't care about his character, found him obvious and somewhat uninteresting. I felt no desire to dig deeper into who he was and what drove him. Some of this might be due to the script, but it's odd how ineffective Cassavetes was. That was definitely something that hurt the film. It's even worse when you compare his character to his counterpart in the 1946 version, played beautifully by Burt Lancaster. You actually cared about his character, wanted to spend more time with him. That isn't true in this case. Angie Dickinson was fairly good in her role. There were moments when her performance felt too wooden for me, but she shows fire and emotion in others. It's not the best performance of the film, but it's serviceable. I also really enjoyed seeing Ronald Reagan here. I know he felt some heartburn about appearing in a more antagonistic role, but I thought his performance was polished and effective. He definitely makes the movie better. It was also great seeing Virginia Christine- she doesn't get to do much, but I love that she was able to appear in both the 1946 and 1964 films.

Don Siegel is a good director and he crafts an effective movie here. It wasn't good enough to be nominated for any Academy Awards (a decision I agree with), but Lee Marvin did win a BAFTA, for what that's worth. This is absolutely a worthwhile movie. The desire for this film to chart its own path is an admirable one, but there were shifts made that limited how effective this movie was. I'd still recommend this movie to anyone who asks, but I definitely prefer the original.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Killers (1946), The Dirty Dozen, Escape from Alcatraz