"The Killers" and Heroic Fatalism

Phillip Booth's essay on the film adaptations of "The Killers" was rather enjoyable.  I found it to be an easy and quick read.  My only regret is not having seen all three versions of the story discussed in the essay.  While I agreed with many of Booth's points, it was difficult to think critically when I haven't seen the films.

The Killers (1946)

In Booth's description of the 1946 version of "The Killers" much time was spent comparing the film to other works of the era.  Understanding Booth's point proved difficult as I have never seen the movies mentioned.  Furthermore, the extended amount of time spent discussing the director took away from the commentary on the actual film.  It was interesting to read about the film's history and background, but I found myself wondering less about the story's purpose when I was introduced to all the extra information.  On the other hand, knowing the history of the directors allows the reader to understand the director's style.  Understanding the director's style makes comparing different versions of the story easier.

The Killers (film short)

While I have never seen this version of the film, Booth's description was easy to visualize.  After reading the intriguing account, I am quite interested in seeing the film.  Booth notes that the film short is closely related to Hemingway's actual story.  I was curious about this because both longer versions of the filmed differed from the original story.  Booth's discussion of the "unexpected images" in the short really caught my attention.  Because the essay did an excellent job of bringing the short to life, I am very interested in seeing it.

The Killers (1964)

The comparison between Sheila and Kitty as the "femme fatale" role was a compelling addition to the essay.  Although I was more captivated by what I saw of the 1946 film, reading about the later version interested me.  As we discussed in class, it was surprising that the film was even called "Ernest Heminway's The Killers" because it had so few similarities to Hemingway's actual story.  

I have always been rather skeptical of film adaptation of novels and short stories.  More often than not I am justified in my skepticism.  After reading this essay, though, I'm thinking that the movies may engage me as much as Hemingway's short story.