The Killing: Stanley Kubrick’s crime film is precise as a clockwork, and the story is told without any missing or unrequired element; the mildly non-linear structure and the dry, no-nonsense narrator make the film richer. The dialogue has character, but is over-expository and clunky at times. It’s a good cast in action, all of whom create memorable characters: Sterling Hayden is very effective at the center of the action, but Elisha Cook Jr. (in full puppy-eyed psychotic and paranoid mode) and Marie Windsor (a very fine femme fatale) are the performances (and characters) that shine the most. Betty Steinberg’s editing is solid, and the camera work of Lucien Ballard (strong lighting, elegant camera movements) is also remarkable.

Read what I wrote before: The Killing