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Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly came near the end of the golden age of film noir, but its so fundamentally wrapped up in the definitions of the genre that its no wonder that the French film critics that initially coined that term responded to it as much as they did. You can feel the fingerprints of this film all over the early masterpieces of the French New Wave (particularly Breathless, which seems to draw much of its creative breath from here). The energy that this movie sends off is so radioactively intense that it seems entirely possible that it could kick off a new movement in film, and thats all the more impressive since its a B-picture. Still, no amount of badly post-synchronized dialogue can mask the technical and aesthetic prowess that Aldrich shows here. Though this adaptation of a Mickey Spillane novel is outwardly a fairly straightforward genre piece, its infused with a rough and tumble grittiness that makes it seem far move alive than most of its contemporary crime films. It soaks in the seediness of its Los Angeles setting.
Mike Hammer (a very brusque Ralph Meeker), the sleazy detective at this sordid storys core, travels mostly at night through this other city that never sleeps, and that gives the impression that everything you see going on is somehow wrong, since its happening while decent people are at home in bed. Hammers movement from elite estates to burnt-out juke joints shows just how prevalent this urban decay is. As much as Hammer is presented as the lone crusader of truth here, chasing after an answer that he doesnt know the question to, hes also definitely a resident of this environment and shares its grizzled morality. Aldrich's skewed camera angles and extreme close-ups help lend a queasy mood while were watching this tour of the citys underworld, and this mood seems to rub off on the detective as the film goes on.
Near the end of the film, as his anxieties increase, he begins bitch-slapping nearly everyone in sight as he grows more and more frenzied in his search. Even the series of pretty girls that Hammer comes into contact with during his quest are no exception to the corruption that extends to everyone here. The amazing thing about Hammer isnt that he begins to slide downward, but that hes held on as long as he has. Kiss Me Deadly touches on several issues that seemed rooted at the heart of civil unrest in 1950 s America, including the threats of political conspiracy, nuclear weapons, and racism.
A hysterical tone permeates every element of the film, to the extent that even the opening credits move backwards. Though Hammer is presented here as a modern day Pandora, its less disturbing that he finds evil than that he doesnt have to look very far to find it. Its seeping through every crack of every dirty sidewalk trying to get at him. Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly (1955) concludes with a nerve tingling apocalyptic finale. The ending descends into Science Fiction territory akin to Hammer Science Fiction.
Disturbing set piece that symbolized what everyone during the 1950 s feared the most. The story's apocalyptic ending is full of biblical and Greek tragedy references. The relationship between Mike Hammer and his beautiful secretary, Velda has an ambiguous complexity that is the most interesting aspect of the Mike Hammer stories. Mike Hammer has sensual feelings for Velda but pulls back or is uncomfortable with having anything serious with Velda. Maybe due to the fact that every woman Mike Hammer in previous stories was involved with usually got killed.
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Research essay sample on Robert Aldrich Kiss Robert Aldrich Kiss Me Deadly Hammer
