The reason The Killers is remembered is it was Burt Lancaster's first movie. Yes, it's a film noir murder mystery, but if it didn't give birth to such a fantastic star, it probably would have been swept under the rug with the other low-budget 40s films.On the surface, it sounds like a cheesy story that someone wrote to make fun of old gangster movies. Burt's nickname is "The Swede" and Ava Gardner plays the slinky love interest Kitty Collins. Hit men and detectives make up the rest of the characters, and while there are twists and turns and flashbacks, it almost feels like it's spoofing itself.I found it most similar to another Burt Lancaster movie, Criss Cross, and it's not as good as the really memorable film noirs like Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. But maybe it's just me. Give it a watch and see what you think of it!

"The Killers" follows tow hit men who takes out a complacent victim (Burt Lancaster), after which a detective and insurance agent go down the rabbit hole into a web of mystery which entangles the magnetic Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner).Marked by what may be the best opening scene in film noir history, "The Killers" is in the ranks with Wilder's "Double Indemnity," though it doesn't so often get the same amount of talk. The fact that the film partially riffs on the Ernest Hemingway story gives "The Killers" a bit more of an edge in my opinion. It is rife with suspense that holds up even as the narrative breaks up into kaleidoscopic fragments, twisting and turning through time and space.As the hallmark of most all film noir, moody cinematography, shadows, and darkness play a major aesthetic role here. The film is photographed exceptionally, yet retains a grittier feel than its glossier Hollywood peers; in that respect, "The Killers" is a bit more hard-edged and reminiscent of the B-movie noir, yet thematically and otherwise, it is not a B film in the slightest. The film marks Burt Lancaster's first starring role, with Ava Gardner as the mysterious femme fatale who appears in the thick of things.Overall, "The Killers" is a historical game changer for noir, and a real convention-setter. It's a bit nervier than some film noir, and a bit grittier in tone, but I think that that fact alone sets the film apart to some extent. Gardner's appearance as the jet black-haired Kitty Collins is also one of the most memorable femme fatale performances in history. 9/10.

After out of town killers come into a small community to kill a garage mechanic/former boxer nicknamed "the Swede", an insurance investigator pieces together the crime--and the victim's reluctance to run when warned of his impending death. Gripping film noir, expanded from Ernest Hemingway's short story, is often misrepresented as the first of its kind when the genre (and these stylized characters) had been kicking around cinema for at least 10 years. Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner turn in star-making performances, though the seasoned character actors in the lesser roles are often just as good or better. Screenplay credited to Anthony Veiller, however both John Huston and Richard Brooks worked extensively on it. The melodramatic music by Miklós Rózsa and the striking cinematography by Woody Bredell both compliment the film tremendously. Remade in 1964 with Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson, in what was meant as a TV feature but instead was released to theaters. **1/2 from ****

Two hit men bump off unresisting victim Ole "Swede" Anderson (Burt Lancaster, terrific in his film debut) without a hitch. Shrewd and persistent insurance investigator Jim Reardon (an excellent performance by Edmond O'Brien) decides to pursue the case and untangles a complex web of crime and trickery that leads to the lovely, yet lethal Kitty Collins (ably played to the irresistibly sultry hilt by a ravishing Ava Gardner).Director Robert Siodmark, working from a crafty and compelling script by Anthony Veiller, not only relates the gripping and intricate story at a steady pace and stages several action set pieces with breathtaking skill and precision, but also does a masterful job of crafting an extremely dark, tense, and brooding fatalistic atmosphere where almost everyone is crooked and practically nothing is initially what it seems to be. The super acting by the top-rate cast keeps this movie humming, with especially stand-out contributions from Albert Dekker as fearsome ringleader Big Jim Colfax, Sam Levene as helpful and streetwise cop Lt. Sam Lubinsky, Vince Barnett as petty thief Charleston, Virginia Christine as the sweet Lily Harmon, Jack Lambert as vicious hoodlum 'Dum-Dum' Clarke, Jeff Corey as doomed junkie Blinky Franklin, and, best of all, Charles McGraw and William Conrad as the splendidly mean and menacing killers Al and Max. Elwood Bredell's sumptuous black and white cinematography provides a beautifully moody look and boasts a few striking unbroken crane shots. The robust score by Miklos Rozsa hits the stirring spot. Highly recommended.