Don Siegel
Contratto per uccidere

"I saw a man dying for love, I saw another who had no more tears, no knife can hurt you more than a great love that squeezes your heart."

Well-chosen words from the song "Dieci ragazze per me" by Lucio Battisti come to mind every time I rewatch "The Killers," a classic of the noir genre made in 1964 by Don Siegel, an American director with a straightforward and no-frills style, a master of the action movie. The above-cited quote might seem like a digression since the film is not lacking in action and violence. But in reality, the true protagonist is a certain Johnny North (played by the great John Cassavetes), a former race car driver who, during the peak of his brilliant career, had a passionate affair with a certain Sheila Farr (the alluring Angie Dickinson), a high-class adventurer kept by a shady businessman (the rugged Ronald Reagan).

From this sordid tale of lost love pains, North will derive burning emotional disappointments, along with a serious car accident. He is eventually killed by two gangsters (one of whom is played by the unforgettable Lee Marvin) without putting up any resistance, causing them to suspect that there is much rotten beneath the entire affair. (You can find it everywhere, not just in Denmark, dear Bard.) Moreover, when a million-dollar sum is at stake, as in this case, no one is disinterested—not North nor any of the other characters involved in this grim story, which will lead to a bloody conclusion.

The film, based on a story by Hemingway titled "The Killers," was initially intended to be broadcast on television. However, due to the violence of the subject matter, it was decided to release it in theaters (at the time, there was still strong shock in the USA following the assassination of President Kennedy). Furthermore, in the film's plot, directed with a fast pace, a cynical world is shown where people are prepared to do anything in the name of money: break promises, betray loved ones, and kill without much scruple. It's a dark reality where no one is saved, and only in the character of North can traces of romantic idealism be found, misguidedly placed in a femme fatale who could be dismissed with well-known epithets (you can imagine which ones, just recall certain Homeric poems...).

An impeccable gangster movie that will leave an indelible mark on the genre (just rewatch Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" to see its debt). Even more recommendable in light of the excellent performances by the various actors mentioned (John Cassavetes, Lee Marvin above all) and the charming actress Angie Dickinson (perfect in the role of the morally corrupt high-class trollop).

I would add a note regarding Ronald Reagan in the role of the gangster businessman Jack Browning (a genuine scoundrel). This was the last film he acted in before dedicating himself fully to a political career. I don’t know, as I have not seen them, how his acting skills were in previous films, but in "The Killers," he is characterized by two expressions: a serious rocky expression and a slightly smiling face. In this case, he only hints at a half-smile on an otherwise wooden and rocky face. In short, not really a great acting performance, and it seems he later regretted portraying such a morally reprehensible part. Perhaps he had a crisis of conscience? Certainly, once he became President of the USA in the 1980s, he tried to present a more charming and empathetic image to the American and international public (whether he succeeded, I leave to others to judge). What is certain is that in "The Killers," he does not shine for acting verve, and perhaps in his heart, he was tired of acting in Hollywood.