Out of the primeval ooze springs Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker), the “hero” of "Kiss Me Deadly." While, at first, it may appear that Mike is a parody of the hard-boiled detective, I assert that he is merely the pulp detective writ large.
The detective insists on being paid up front for his work, while Mike is driven only by a profit motive. The pulp hero is stoic and looks down on emotional attachments, Mike seem downright uncomfortable with them. The pulp detective uses wit to get one over on his enemies. Mike uses sarcasm to keep everyone at arm’s length. The pulp hero seems to get a rush from fighting. Mike is downright sadistic, loving every minute that he can inflict pain.
Mike is actually humanized slightly (if that can be believed) in his original book series. No longer an unthinking instrument of justice ready to burn our mangle at the smallest provocation, his flaws and ignorance give him a chance to recognize them in himself and, thereby, gain redemption.
Similarly to "The Maltese Falcon," "Kiss Me Deadly" also uses a Macguffin— the so-called “Great Whatzit,” a mysterious atomic weapon. Apt for a Mike Hammer story, it symbolizes power and death.
The movie opens with a mysterious woman (Cloris Leechman) running from an insane asylum, where she has been held against her will. Mike Hammer stops for her and helps her sneak past a road block. During this scene, they talk and the woman says bluntly, “You are the kind of person who only takes in relationship," hinting that Mike’s self-centeredness is obvious, even to those who have only known him for a short while. After Mike is ran off of the road and hospitalized, the girl is captured and killed. Mike is called in for questioning by the police. After he bluntly refuses to answer any questions, the police taunt him by revealing his background: He’s a divorce lawyer, not a true private detective. Most of his money comes from instigating divorces by pimping his secretary, Vieda (Maxine Cooper), and himself on various couples and manipulating things from there. This scene reinforces what an unpleasant person Mike is, as an officer even says, "Open a window!” after Mike leaves.
When a police officer and friend asks him to tell the police everything he knows about the cases, he gives a twisted smirk and asks, “What’s in it for me?" showing his greed and unwillingness to think of others. Later, when reunited with Veida, she tries to get romantic with him, but he sarcastically reminds her of a client, the first of many times he will use sarcasm and nonchalance to deflate intimacy.
After a detailed scene, where Mike grins while beating a man to a bloody pulp, he enlists a friend (Nick Dennis) to help him investigate the case and bribes him with the promise of a car if he does. Mike does this, despite knowing the capabilities of the shadowy group that he’s tailing. Later, when discussing the case with Vieda, he suggests, "We’re going to stay away from these penny ante divorce cases. I have got something big,” reinforcing the centrality of the profit motive to his quest. This is confirmed when he mentions his “fee” to stop pursuing the case to one of the organization’s heavies.
After rescuing the dead woman’s roommate, Lily Carver (Gabby Rodgers), from an attempted attack by the organization and allowing her to stay in his apartment, she hugs him in gratitude. He becomes clearly uncomfortable, literally holding her at arm’s length. The organization finds and kills Nick. When Mike tells Vieda this, she is not surprised: “Just like all your friends are gonna get it one day.” She shows the cost and how pervasive Mike’s mindset is of using his friends as tools for gain. Later, when at a bar, he hears a blues song describing a painful grief. This song stirs in him guilt about his involvement in Nick’s death and his treatment of Vieda. He can’t handle these emotions, so he drinks them away— a warped twist on noir’s social drinking. However, his drunkenness leads to his capture by the organization .
When Mike jeers at how polite they’re acting, they explain that, "We’re on this earth for such a short span, might as well be." The idea that one can still be civil, even in a brutal line of work, agitates Mike and goads him into attempting to escape. When he finally does learn that the "Great Whatzit" is atomic, this concept of death as no longer something he can just beat up sobers him.
It is finally here when Mike can truly focus on someone other than himself, as shown by nearly all of his remaining dialogue. He is frantically calling for Vieda, desperate to save her. Although "Kiss Me Deadly" depicts noir masculinity at its most savage, its suggestion that a traumatic threat can redirect it into something positive— even noble— is ultimately hopeful.
