The title of "Killing" is terrifying, but the content is a trivial contradiction between two middle-class American families. The two children fought, and the parents of both sides met and reconciled. As a result, each of them had different values and caused a quarrel. This was a bad and desperate day for Perelop, Michael, Lansie, and Allen. There are only three main scenes: the living room, the kitchen, the elevator, and the bathroom that has appeared twice. In such a small space, only Polanski can schedule it so smoothly, and in a limited space, it is perfect with all available elements. The dramatic conflict.
There is no scene change in "Killing", and all drama conflicts are promoted by lines and actors' performances. So Polanski incorporates all his violent expressions into his lines. Such "cold violence" still has Bordeaux's sharpness. The language confrontation involves all-encompassing topics, from family education to outlook on life, and the relationship between husband and wife, but they cannot escape the pessimistic and desperate direction. The topics seem to be mentioned inorganically, but in fact they are intertwined and matched with the rhythm of emotions. It's just right, it's not arranged randomly at all.
Director Polanski chose natural light rarely, and the indoor background tone is not obtrusive. In this case, a large bouquet of yellow tulips is quite eye-catching. There are many explanations for the flower language of tulips, but it’s true that the color is melancholy. It is said that people living in rooms of this color will be melancholy and paranoid. Combined with the scene of Kate’s last falling flowers, this bouquet of tulips is definitely not the director’s random, careful You can find that no matter how you schedule around the living room, the strong yellow is always the focus of vision and the best color background for emotional climax. In addition to the living room, another important scene in the film is the corridor elevator, where Polanski enters and exits twice, which drew the audience's appetites. The corridor becomes a transitional section between the closure and the outside world, full of temptation. Knowing that he can't go out, every time he lingers in the hallway makes people nervous. This is the director's ability to create suspense.
"Killing" not only the director's skillful and well-informed scheduling, but also relies on the brilliant interpretation of the four protagonists. Judy Foster, Kate Winslet, Christopher Waltz, John C. Reilly, you can imagine the sparks splashing between them just by looking at the names. The two male protagonists are quite different in personalities, and each has its own merits. Even when Christopher plays the role of a lawyer, he has a bit of "shameless bastard" viciousness. Judy and Kate share the same characteristics of middle-class women in the United States. They are inevitably suspected of being crazy in their performances. Judy is paranoid and Kate is hypocritical. It is rare that the two of them have a good grasp of the subtleties of their personalities.
