The Killers

"I watched both versions (1946 & 1964) of The Killers recently on Criterion and really enjoyed both of them, in their own ways. The films are based on a Hemingway short story w/ an interesting premise: Two hitmen find a man who has been in hiding. Once they catch up to him, despite the fact that he supposedly has the proceeds from a large payroll heist stashed away somewhere, he just accepts his death and doesn’t try to run, bargain or fight back. Why? The 1946 version is the better film, it’s a film noir classic that launched the screen careers of legends Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, but I had a lot more fun w/ the ‘64 version. It’s off-beat nature brings a different energy to it. The ever gruff Lee Marvin and a completely whacked out John Cassavetes are in the leads as the hitmen odd couple and Ronald Reagan plays the sleazy heavy just two year before he would be elected governor of California."