Monday, March 9, 2009

A Stanley Kubrick Special

I'm bored, so I'm going to write some very brief opinions on all of the Stanley Kubrick films I have seen.




The Killing (1956)- A film-noir about a group of thieves ripping off a racetrack, Kubrick really established himself as a director with this film. He showed great ability to handle a non-linear film, a problem that still plagues film makers today. I really enjoyed it, and I didn't expect to. My favorite shot: While the plotting thieves stand in a room, the camera is strategically placed directly behind a bed frame that makes the men look as though they are standing in a jail cell. I wonder why...

Paths of Glory (1957)- Kirk Douglas so much enjoyed The Killing he personally requested Stanley Kubrick for this film. Paths of Glory was a film about not just the cruelty of war, but the corruption that can corrode an army from the inside. Mr. Bennett has told me that the film lost the meaning of the novel, but until I read it myself I can't really put the two side by side. I really enjoyed this film, mostly due to the direction of Kubrick. My favorite shot: The three men, one completely incapacitated, stand in front of the firing squad, prepared to receive punishment for a ridiculous charge.

Spartacus (1960)- I hate admitting it, but I didn't make it through this film. I'll probably try again another time, but at this point this remains one of the few Kubrick films I don't really care for.

Lolita (1962)- In my own personal opinion, Lolita was the first truly great film Kubrick made. In Lolita, Kubrick explored the dangerous world of sexual obsession using the story of Humbert Humbert (no I didn't stutter, his first name is Humbert, and his last name is Humbert), who becomes caught up in a very difficult world when he falls for his wife's daughter, the girl with the "lovely, lyrical, lilting name...", Lolita. Although it was over 3 hours long, my attention stayed throughout and although the end of the movie was shown in the beginning, I was intent on seeing what happened next. Throw in a great performance by Peter Sellers and we've got a winner. My favorite shot: The first reveal of Lolita. As soon as she is presented in front of the camera we feel the tension from Humbert immediately.



Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)- Another Kubrick gem driven by Peter Sellers, this is probably the best dark comedy of all time. It's examination of how men behave even when faced with certain doom is startlingly hilarious. George C. Scott's character Buck Turgidson is on guard the entire movie when the President invites a Russian into the war room. He is afraid that the Russian is going to steal information from us, and we assume this is preposterous because the matter at hand is the destruction of the world. Then at the end, just as the bomb is being dropped, the Russian snaps some photos with a secret camera, as if they are going to be useful. It just shows how stubborn we could be. This time around, Peter Sellers gives three great performances and one of the best lines in movie history: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!". My favorite shot: It's small and maybe insignificant, but the one woman in the film appears twice: Once in Buck Turgidson's bedroom, and once on the cover of a playboy magazine. Haha, nice picture of women this movie paints.


2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)- Stanley Kubrick's ambiguous science fiction film that has only gained credibility over the years was an issue for me. In a previous post I gave the full account of my experiences with this film, but I'll give you the sparknotes here. The first three times, I hated it. The fourth time, I liked it. I love the message of technology getting out of hand and how no matter how advanced we get, our basic instincts will always be to kill or be killed. 2001 gave Kubrick his only Oscar, and it was for Best Visual Effects. This is a well deserved award, and some of the effects in this 1968 film can be passed off today without being recognized as "outdated". My favorite shot: Any shot of the HAL 9000. That ominous red eye is damn creepy.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)- Arguably his piece de resistance (and my favorite of his works), this film is utterly brilliant. Only the twisted mind of Stanley Kubrick could take scenes of rape and violence and make them almost beautiful. This movie became the second originally X rated film to be nominated for Best Picture, and the only reason it didn't win is because it scared the crap out of the Academy. That had to be the reason, because it couldn't have been because The French Connection was genuinely better. The French Connection sucked. There are so many scenes in this film that are engraved in my imagination forever, and I'm happy about it. The wayward teen Alex, played superbly by Malcolm McDowell, was the perfect example to use for the message of this film. Is it acceptable and ethical to take away a man's ability to decide for himself what is right and wrong? Even if you could clean up the streets, is it justifiable to take away that natural born right? It's an interesting question and quite the moral dilemma. I like it. My favorite shot: Alex stands over a drunken bum who is complaining about the problems with society. The bum refers to the world as "stinking". The camera switches to Alex's face, staring downward at the man, the moonlight striking his features perfectly, and without moving a muscle other than his mouth he says, "Oooh...and what's so stinking about it?" It's not as effective when you write it down, but seeing it is amazing to me.

Barry Lyndon (1975)- I was very hesitant to watch this film. First, it's over 3 hours long. Second, I'm not the biggest fan of historical type films. Third, I had never heard of Ryan O'Neal, and my father told me he was a pansy. But I came across this movie in Barnes and Noble, and it was around Christmas time, so I made my friend by it for me on the spot (Don't worry, I bought him something too). Even when I got it home, I was still nervous to watch it. So I stowed it away for a bit and waited for a day that I could watch a 3 hour movie undisturbed. So I finally watched it and what do you know, it wasn't half bad. It wasn't even a quarter bad. It was really good! The character Redmond Barry was a dynamic one that you couldn't quite get a handle on. For the first half of the movie, you feel sorry for the poor boy an you wish him success. Then in the second half of the film, when he gains his wealth, he is a detestable character that I didn't really care for at all. And even better, the 3 hours really went by fast. My favorite shot: Candlelight card game.





The Shining (1980)- Somewhat slow, but the definition of terrifying. Kubrick's take on Stephen King's novel is nothing short of spectacular. Although it lost the meaning behind the book (I guess like Paths of Glory), it didn't bother me because one man's vision is totally different from another man's. Kubrick's mastery of the tracking shot made the Overlook Hotel an eerie place where you could sense evil around every corner. Then when Jack finally snaps and he starts beating down that bathroom door with the axe, I freeze in place, even after 20+ viewings. Those two little girls scare the crap out of me still also. Those little freaks practically made me lose bladder control when I first saw this movie back when I was 11. My favorite shot: As Jack beats down the bathroom door, the camera moves back and forward smoothly, following his swings with perfect synchronization.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)- There's not much to say about this one that hasn't been said about the others. It was terrific, and most of that can be attributed to Kubrick's amazing direction. My favorite shot: Private Joker's interview with the film crew that visits. He mentions wanting to be "the first kid on his block with a confirmed kill". He wears a peace sign while he says this.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)- His final film, this was another that I hate to say I didn't get through. I turned it off after the orgy scene. I was unsettled by it.






So yea that's it. Thanks for reading.

4 comments:

  1. Barry Linden is what is known as a "period piece," namely a film about a period in history. It is as much about the time period as it is about Barry Linden. It's really necessary to see this one in the theatre, the TV screeen can't handle the enormous outdoor shots. I think he was trying to imitate some of the artists of that time, like Fragonard and Watteau. I think that this film might be criticized as being a bit self-indulgent, meaning that Kubrick was off on a mission of his own and didn't quite care what anyone else thought of the film. Robert Altman does this kind of thing. Watch Gosford Park. You can't figure out what's going on, and Altman doesn't care. Of course, once you do figure it out, you realize it's a very superior film. Not for you, though. Try it in a dozen years, or so. You might want to watch "The Player" if yo u haven't already. That's Altman at his anti-Hollywood best.

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  2. Lolita and the Shining are two of my all time favorites. Have you read Lolita? It's an incredible book, but I actually think I may like the movie better.

    I love most Kubrick movies I've seen, other than 2001, but I hesitate to say I'm a Kubrick fan only because most people I know who label themselves as such are overwhelmingly pretentious and condescending. Your comment, however, was neither of those things and I appreciate that.

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  3. Yea I do not consider myself above people because I am a Kubrick fan. I don't like to condescend to people in general, unless they really, really, really, really deserve it.

    I own the book Lolita but have not gotten around to reading it yet. I'm lazy. Books are hard for me to get involved in. I'd say that it'll be read before 2012.

    Have you read my other post about 2001? If you didn't like the movie the first time, watch it three more. It worked for me, haha. Thanks for your comments guys!

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  4. Stanley Kubrick was one of the best filmmakers to ever live. I implore you to go back and check out Eyes Wide Shut. It is an umcompromising masterpiece that says a lot about the romantic human condition.

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