Kill

I would not normally see a movie like this one but..... only to see Stephen Boyd. This was rather avant garde for it's time: gritty, ugly and a bit confusing at first but the story progresses nicely and we learn what drives our ant-hero. Stephen Boyd is at his very best. If made today, a film like this would probably get very good reviews. Ahead of its time, for sure with a blockbuster performance by Stephen.

I stumbled across this film while browsing Netflix. Worth the rent! Anyone who loved Jean Seberg will love this film. She's terrific. This role shows her at her tragic best.

Those of you who are used to the American style of crime movie might not get this film. Romain Gary's approach is one of minimalist absurdity. This is much more French ala Goddard than French Connection. But give it a chance. View with no expectations and perhaps you'll see the film for what it is.

Stephen Boyd is no slouch either. His scenes with Seberg are very disturbing.

An extremely remarkable feature, partly because of Romain Gary's script, the husband of Jean Seberg, which does not appear from the information. This multi-award winner writer (of for instance *The Roots of Heaven* (directed by John Huston with Errol Flynn) shot himself December 2nd 1980 one year after the suicide of his wife Jean Seberg, who was hounded to death by the FBI for no valid reason at all. This film was maybe their last major collaboration, and the script (the story of the film) is ingenious, James Mason in the final *ballet* scene seeing his worst nightmare come true. Romain Gary was a survivor of the Holocaust, which is touchingly described in his autobiography "Promise at Dawn", perhaps the most brilliant and moving epic of a mother ever written, in which every word is true.

According to IMDB, there were two versions of "Kill!", as they cut the nude scenes in one in order to get the film shown in more conservative countries. Surprisingly, the version they have on YouTube is the nude version. And, unlike the nudity in most films, it seemed completely gratuitous in many cases...with nude women in many scenes doing really nothing other than getting naked. It didn't in any way relate to the plot...I guess Romain Gary just liked seeing naked women.

I have no idea if Jean Seberg's nude scenes use a double or not...though considering the animosity that existed between her and the writer-director (they'd just divorced and reportedly did NOT want to make this film. I assume he probably insisted she do these scenes. Regardless, Gary seems to have put a lot of Jean's own life into her character...such as her being involved with African-American causes (showing this by putting an Afro wig on for no other apparent reason at the beginning of the movie) and her being dissatisfied with her much older husband in the story.

When the story begins, a big-time drug kingpin is inexplicably released by a judge....and most of Alan Hamilton's drug agents resign in protest. Hamilton (James Mason) remains on the job...and soon someone tries to kill him. At the same time, heroin dealers around the world are begin assassinated....and you assume Hamilton's ex-coworkers are behind this....or, perhaps Hamilton himself.

Now at this point, this is when things get weird. Hamilton's estranged wife (Seberg) begins having an affair with Brad (Stephen Boyd). She tells him she hates him and he's insane...but, inexplicably, is soon in the sack with this violent man. She still she sleeps with him...possibly because she craves the excitement. But soon he's killing people and acting very cruel....and he himself might be a heroin dealer or an ex-cop killing them...or both! What's next? See the film.

The general plot for this film is good...as are the twists and turns and surprises. It showed intelligent writing...at least in that regard. However, while Gary wrote a decent script, his directorial skills were very poor here....with the most over-indulgent ending I've seen in years. It's loud, brash and completely over-the-top....and detracts seriously from what could have been a much better film. A curious film...with an odd message that the best way to deal with drug dealers is to simply murder them!

This movie is not for everyone, but I think it is a 70's classic. Directed by Romain Gary, and starring his wife Jean Seberg (just after her nervous breakdown), this is a strange, dreamlike, bizarre film. There are some great moments in this film- sort of a cross between a spaghetti western, ClockWork Orange and Performance. Jean Seberg herself is perfectly cast in this as the bored housewife Emily looking for a thrill--and off to Pakistan (well, OK it was filmed in Spain) she goes! The renegade she meets, Brad Killian (name obviously in reference to his dedicated profession of killing every drug runner he can find), is played by the wonderful Stephen Boyd. In his leather-clad outfit and wild hair, he makes for a great anti-hero as he seduces Emily, and turns the cards on her husband, played by the excellent James Mason. The music is amazing, and there are a host of classic Italian character actors in this flick as the bad guys. Oh, and Curd Jergens shows up too! It's a great 70's trip - I highly recommend this if you can track it down on IOFFER.