Through the Past, Darkly

Film noir is dark and tasty, like strong espresso. The new Criterion Collection set brings together literature, film, criticism, and all sorts of extra treats in a double-packed "Ernest Hemingway's The Killers" (1946) directed by Robert Siodmak combined with a second version of the short story-turned-movie (1964), directed by Don Siegel. How fun!

Robert Siodmak (8/8/1900-3/10/1973), a German-born Jewish American who fled from the Nazis, infused many of his films with a deep understanding of the complexities of the human heart, fully recognizing and acknowledging the existence of evil. He directed something like a dozen film noir style films, among others. In his version of The Killers, the ensemble cast, shot with a hint of German Expressionism, includes not only Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster, but also Kitty's lovely foil, Virginia Christine; Edmund O'Brien with a good Bogey-like performance as insurance investigator; and Sam Levene as a likeable, crusty Philly cop. It's hard to beat a convoluted crime film that criss-crosses through time until we reach the then present. Characters like Swede, Kitty, Colfax, Red, Dum-Dum and the two hitmen wreak havoc as they move the plot forward, piece by piece. Kitty's last line to the Swede: "Aw, that's sweet."

Starting with the names of characters, the Siegel version changes many of the details, and brings in Lee Marvin and a convincingly evil Ronald Reagan, plus Angie Dickinson as the femme fatale, with John Cassavetes as the Swede-like character, and Virginia Christine from the first version. Great stuff!

Femme fatale: 1. a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations, or 2. a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery. (Mirriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition)