A young hitchhiker, wearing nothing but a trench coat, is running hysterically down the highway until she finds herself literally in the path of private detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker). Hammer tells her to get in and speeds down the highway, unaware of the journey he’s about to embark on. The hitchhiker reveals her name is Christina and that she has just escaped from a nearby mental institution where she was being held against her will. She insists that if they can make it to the next bus stop, he should forget he ever saw her, but if they don’t, to remember her. The pair are immediately run off the road and kidnapped, leading to Christina’s shocking murder and Hammer being left for dead. All of this, and we’re only ten minutes in.
We rejoin Hammer, having survived his previous ordeal, as he begins trying to piece the whole thing together; much to the chagrin of the local police. He’s aided by Velda (Maxine Cooper), a woman he claims is his secretary but is obviously much more to him than that. As Hammer gets closer to finding the truth, the violence begins escalating, from both the baddies and Hammer himself. Mike’s journey leads him to the discovery of Lily Carver (Gaby Rogers), Christina’s roommate, whom fears for her well being and insists that Mike protect her. Hammer’s introduction to Lily, who’s got some secrets of her own, leads him to the real truth of it all, and it involves a mysterious locked case that no one should dare open and culminates in an ending that is truly shocking for its time.
Mike Hammer, Kiss Me Deadly’s main protagonist, is an Anti-hero like none other. Portrayed brilliantly by Ralph Meeker, Hammer is as sleazy and cocksure as any bad guy before him, although he’s the closest thing to an actual hero there is. He’s a private investigator that specializes in adultery cases, most of which he’s conspired to make happen. As the film progresses, not only is his penchant for violence revealed, but his absolute enjoyment of it. Hammer comes across as nearly heartless until Velda’s well being is at risk. Deep down within the slime there is a heart, and it adds another layer to an already brilliant performance.
Released in 1955, Kiss Me Deadly is truly marvelous within its anarchic narrative as well as in its use of cutting edge film techniques. The film is very loosely based off the book of the same name, written by Mickey Spillane. Whereas the book finds Hammer mainly dealing with the Mafia, screenwriter A. I. Bezzerides took this opportunity to add in espionage and mystery, not to mention the nuclear fears of the Fifties. Director Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) brings an unbelievable sense of vision considering the time period of the film. From the beginning with the opening credits racing at the viewer to the interesting use of angles and lighting throughout to the penchant for long takes causing tension to build in nearly every scene, Aldrich takes viewers on his ride and by his rules. The story Aldrich is telling is kind to no one and that’s what makes it so compelling to watch.
High-Def Presentation
Kiss Me Deadly has been rescued from near obscurity and brought to us in wonderful high definition glory from the fine folks at The Criterion Collection to continue their longstanding high watermark of film preservation. This single-disc Blu-ray presents the film at its original aspect ratio of 1:67:1 and features a 1080p encode that, save for a slight bit of noise in the opening scene, looks simply amazing. Audio wise, we are given one track; an English LPCM 1.0 that may not blow anyone away by any means, but serves the movie well with the dialogue loud and clear and presenting a nice balance with the background.
Beyond the Feature
Along with being known for their amazing transfers, Criterion is also well known for including a wealth of supplements and this release is no exception. All video supplements are presented in either 1080p or 1080i.
Feature-Length Audio Commentary: This commentary features film noir specialists Alain Silver and James Ursini, and it is a delight. Both men are obviously well versed on the genre and the film and provide interesting asides in regards to the director, the locations, the style and the story itself.
Director Alex Cox on Kiss Me Deadly (7 mins, 1080p): Filmmaker Alex Cox discusses, quite ecstatically, his love for noir, the film and it’s odd-ball ending as well as Mickey Spillane’s original novel and the differences between it and the film. Cox’s personality makes this one a lot of fun.
Mike Hammer’s Mickey Spillane (40 min, 1080i): A 1998 documentary on the life and work of writer Mickey Spillane. Filmed by Max Allan Collins, the documentary is packed with interviews with actors, fellow writers and publishers. A text-based postscript is also provided.
The Long Haul of A.I. Bezzerides (10 min, 1080i): An excerpt from a 2005 documentary featuring Kiss Me Deadly’s screenwriter A. I. Bezzerides, Mickey Spillane and others discussing the film and book’s differences. This short feature is quite humorous, as you can tell Bezzerides and Spillane both detest each other and their versions of the story.
Bunker Hill, Los Angeles (8 min, 1080p): Narrated by writer-actor Don Bajema and featuring Los Angeles film buff Jim Dawson, this video piece covers and discusses many of the locations that are used in Kiss Me Deadly.
Altered Ending (1 min, 1080p): Soon after its initial showings, the last minute of the film was removed, leaving an even more abrupt (and depressing) ending. The true ending was restored in 1997, and here Criterion provides the way the movie had been ending up until that time.
Theatrical Trailer (3 min, 1080p): Kiss Me Deadly’s original trailer.
Booklet: A 20-page booklet featuring J. Holberman’s essay, “The Thriller of Tomorrow” as well as an article by Aldrich himself titled, “You Can’t Hang Up The Meat Hook.” This piece was written for the New York Herald-Tribune in 1955 in response to controversy stemming from the violence in Kiss Me Deadly.
Kiss Me Deadly is film noir at its finest. It has all the elements of a classic “whodunit” mixed with Cold War fear and an even bigger mystery just beneath the surface. Our perception of hero is blurred amidst a seedy tale where everyone has an ulterior motive. It’s a tale where everyone wants to come out ahead and will take whatever steps it requires to get there, even the “good guys.” Add to that a superb high definition transfer and a wealth of worthwhile supplements courtesy of the fine folks at Criterion and you’ve got one of the top Blu-ray releases of the year. This film is truly a classic and would be a welcome addition to any serious film fan’s personal library.
– Matt Hardeman
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