Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Killers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 24, 2014

Director Robert Siodmak's "The Killers" (1946) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new video piece featuring author Frank Krutnik; visual essay examining Ernest Hemingway's original story and the films it inspired; gallery of archival stills and original posters; isolated music & effects track; and more. The release also arrives with a collector’s booklet containing new writing by Sergio Angelini and archive interviews with director Robert Siodmak, producer Mark Hellinger and cinematographer Woody Bredell, illustrated with original production stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The boxer

In the rather long prologue of this legendary film noir, two killers (William Conrad and Charles McGraw) arrive in a small New Jersey town looking for a man nicknamed the "Swede" (Burt Lancaster, Brute Force, Conversation Piece). In the local diner, they confront the bartender, the waiter and a customer named Nick Adams. When they leave, Nick rushes to a nearby hotel to warn the Swede. Much to his surprise, however, the handsome young man refuses to run away or call the police. Shortly after, he is killed.

A series of uneven episodes gradually reveal why the Swede had to die.

In one of them ambitious insurance investigator Jim Reardon (Edmond O’ Brien, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) begins asking questions to find out more about the Swede because he had a policy with his company. He quickly discovers that the Swede was an ex-boxer who started hanging around with a shady character named Colfax and befriended his younger mistress, Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner, On the Beach, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman).

In another episode, a member of Colfax’s gang is found shot. Before he dies in a local hospital, he mumbles something about a robbery and a payout.

Other men who knew the Swede are then questioned and through various flashbacks his past is reassembled. Eventually, the insurance investigator meets 'Dum-Dum' Clarke (Jack Lambert, Kiss Me Deadly), another member of Colfax’s gang also looking for answers, and the flirty Kitty.

Directed by German-born director Robert Siodmak, The Killers is loosely based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway which was published in 1927. The film launched Lancaster’s career and went on to earn four Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

The prologue essentially sums up Hemingway’s original short story which chronicles the arrival of the killers in the small town but does not reveal any details about the Swede’s past. The rest of the film actually introduces events from a different story about a real heist gone wrong, which producer Mark Hellinger liked. This story was developed by the great John Huston and later on finalized by Anthony Veiller.

The film is very dark but it has a good sense of humor. The dialog is sharp and witty but it does not feel like the different characters try hard to impress. In other words, there is good balance between style and substance.

Lancaster is terrific. There are numerous close-ups in which he already looks like a big star. Gardner is stunningly elegant throughout the entire film. Even during the card game where the Swede confronts Colfax and she isn’t dressed to impress, she looks fantastic. O’Brien and Lambert also leave lasting impressions.

Siodmak and cinematographer Elwood Bredell‘s careful framing and use of light and shadow quickly create the type of atmosphere that makes so many of these noir films special. The film is also complimented by a very edgy soundtrack courtesy of the legendary Miklós Rózsa (Ben-Hur, Double Indemnity).

The Killers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Siodmak's The Killers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The technical presentation of this classic noir film is virtually identical to that of French label Carlotta Films (you can see our review of the French release here). Indeed, excluding some minor sharpness/density fluctuations, the film looks just as pleasing in high-definition. Most close-ups boast very good depth, especially when they are well-lit (see screencaptures #2 and 9). The few panoramic shots impress with good fluidity. Generally speaking, contrast levels remain stable. Color balance is very good -- there is a wide range of nuanced whites and grays and the blacks do not appear artificially boosted. Grain is well resolved. The only exceptions are in areas where the above mentioned density fluctuations are easy to spot (see screencapture #12). It is quite obvious, however, that these are inherited source limitations, not digital anomalies. Some light vertical lines and specks remain, but there are no large damage marks, cuts, or stains. Overall image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Killers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Arrow Video have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are very good. More importantly, however, there is no annoying background hiss. Dynamic intensity is fairly limited, but Miklós Rózsa's dramatic score easily breathes in all the right places. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

The Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - original trailers in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Killers (2 min).
  2. Brute Force (3 min).
  3. The Naked City (2 min).
  4. Rififi (3 min).

• Frank Krutnik on The Killers - in this video piece, Frank Krutnik, author of In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity (2006), discusses the original story from Ernest Hemingway's that inspired The Killers and highlights some of the key differences between the two, producer Mark Hellinger's involvement with the film, John Huston's work on the script for the film, and Robert Siodmak's contribution to the noir genre, and deconstructs four key scenes from the film. In English, not subtitled. (55 min).

• Heroic Fatalism - this visual essay takes a closer look at Ernest Hemingway's original story and the films that it inspired: Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946), Andrei Tarkovski's student film (1956), and Don Siegel's color film (1964). The essay is based on Philip Booth's Hemingway's The Killers and Heroic Fatalism: From Page to Screen (Thrice)', published in Literature/Film Quarterly, Winter 2007. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Radio Killers - three radio adaptations of The Killers. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Jack Benny Program (1946), with special guest Edward G. Robinson. (11 min).
  2. Screen Director's Playhouse (1949), with Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, and Robert Siodmak. (30 min).
  3. Two for the Road (1958), with Charles McGraw and William Conrad. (30 min).

• Stills and Posters Gallery - a collection of archival stills and original poster for The Killers.

• Isolated Music & Effects Track - presented as LPCM 1.0.

• Booklet - collector's booklet containing new writing by Sergio Angelini and archive interviews with director Robert Siodmak, producer Mark Hellinger and cinematographer Woody Bredell, illustrated with original production stills.

• Cover - reversible sleeve featuring one of the original posters and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw.

The Killers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is the release of Robert Siodmak's The Killers which English-speakers residing in Region-B territories should have in their collections. The technical presentation of the film is just as good as that of French label Carlotta Films, but obviously all of the supplemental features are in English. It is great that we finally have this film on Blu-ray. It is an indisputable noir classic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.