7 Favorite Stanley Kubrick Films

[mc ukrneal]

It's difficult to me to recall many movies with so much atmosphere as Eyes wide shut.

That was about its only decent quality unfortunately. Both times I watched it were pure torture. Anyway, I much prefered any other movie of his that I have seen.

[Grazioso]

Wow, not much love for earlier Kubrick The Killing? Paths of Glory? Great stuff.

[TheGSMoeller]

Wow, not much love for earlier Kubrick The Killing? Paths of Glory? Great stuff.

Those are great films, the execution scene in Paths is nail-biting 

[jowcol]

As far as Full Metal Jacket goes - I felt it could have ended at the end of the boot camp.  That first half of the film was as brilliant as anything he ever wrote.  I have to admit the 2nd half of the film was very "Meh..." for me. 

If you read the book it was based on, I think the second half could have been much more powerful, the ending was much more dramatic and brutal-- but the cinematography was gorgeous.

[TheGSMoeller]

One of the most beautiful moments in film, a perfect marriage of sight (cinematography) & sound (Schubert).
The fact that Kubrick paces his scenes so delicately, and that goes for all his films, is what places him in a small class of brilliant filmmakers.


http://www.youtube.com/v/tclviMArwiQ&feature=related

[mc ukrneal]

One of the most beautiful moments in film, a perfect marriage of sight (cinematography) & sound (Schubert).
The fact that Kubrick paces his scenes so delicately, and that goes for all his films, is what places him in a small class of brilliant filmmakers.


http://www.youtube.com/v/tclviMArwiQ&feature=related

At 5.39, he says," And to make a long story short..." and I thought to myself - too late! I like the idea of this movie and it has some beautiful images, but I find it hard to sit through the whole thing. The pacing you so admire seems to me a weakness as well (for me). I find this a more obvious fault in Eyes Wide Shut, though I feel Barry Lyndon is a cut (or several) above that one for sure.

[Brahmsian]

One of the most beautiful moments in film, a perfect marriage of sight (cinematography) & sound (Schubert).
The fact that Kubrick paces his scenes so delicately, and that goes for all his films, is what places him in a small class of brilliant filmmakers.

Great scene, one of the best scenes in the entire Kubrick catalogue.

Another great use of music in Barry Lyndon, is Paisiello's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". 

[DavidW]

I'm not too impressed with Nicole Kidman's or Tom Cruise's acting, so I'm not sure if I'd be convinced by either of their roles.

That's my problem with the movie!  Tom Cruise hams it up in every scene.

[Brahmsian]

That's my problem with the movie!  Tom Cruise hams it up in every scene.

So does Jack Nicholson in The Shining, but it works!  Can you imagine anyone else playing the role of Jack Torrence?

[DavidW]

So does Jack Nicholson in The Shining, but it works!  Can you imagine anyone else playing the role of Jack Torrence?

But the difference is that Nicholson was supposed to be over the top because his character was. 

[Todd]

Can you imagine anyone else playing the role of Jack Torrence?

Of actors working at the time, maybe Christopher Walken or Robin Williams.  Really, I think a cocaine addled Williams could have pulled off the crazy part with ease, though he was probably a bit too young for the part at the time.  There were no doubt others. Possibly Roy Scheider, though he may not have had the range.  Seeing him play crazy would have been intriguing.

[Brian]

Of actors working at the time, maybe Christopher Walken or Robin Williams.  Really, I think a cocaine addled Williams could have pulled off the crazy part with ease, though he was probably a bit too young for the part at the time.  There were no doubt others. Possibly Roy Scheider, though he may not have had the range.  Seeing him play crazy would have been intriguing.

Robin Williams is an intriguing idea, although his creepy villain in One Hour Photo is the opposite type of scary from a crazy "heeere's Johnny" type - quiet and insular and totally collapsed upon himself. And he's not exactly demonstrative in Insomnia either (from what I hear).

[jowcol]

At 5.39, he says," And to make a long story short..." and I thought to myself - too late! I like the idea of this movie and it has some beautiful images, but I find it hard to sit through the whole thing. The pacing you so admire seems to me a weakness as well (for me). I find this a more obvious fault in Eyes Wide Shut, though I feel Barry Lyndon is a cut (or several) above that one for sure.

I remember reading an interesting interview with Kubrik where he expressed his awe and admiration for a 30 second Michelob commercial- he confessed that he could not cram that much into such a short piece of film.  His  sense of pacing is bit at odds with the post MTV generation.

I'll need to see Eyes Wide Shut again-- pacing was differnent, but the orgy scene was tres cool with a nice Boesch feel to it.

[DavidW]

Robin Williams is an intriguing idea, although his creepy villain in One Hour Photo is the opposite type of scary from a crazy "heeere's Johnny" type - quiet and insular and totally collapsed upon himself. And he's not exactly demonstrative in Insomnia either (from what I hear).

He was actually considered for the role... that is until Kubrick saw an episode of Mork and Mindy!  He thought that he would be too crazy after that.

[Todd]

Robin Williams is an intriguing idea, although his creepy villain in One Hour Photo is the opposite type of scary from a crazy "heeere's Johnny" type - quiet and insular and totally collapsed upon himself. And he's not exactly demonstrative in Insomnia either (from what I hear).

True, but those performances are from an older Robin Williams.  His manic energy in the late 70s was different, and of course the parts being discussed are all different.  I read, like David mentioned, that Kubrick thought Williams would be too crazy, and that may be true.  Who knows . . .

[drogulus]

   

At 5.39, he says," And to make a long story short..." and I thought to myself - too late! I like the idea of this movie and it has some beautiful images, but I find it hard to sit through the whole thing. The pacing you so admire seems to me a weakness as well (for me). I find this a more obvious fault in Eyes Wide Shut, though I feel Barry Lyndon is a cut (or several) above that one for sure.

     I think it's a joke. In the context of this movie it is funny.

[Mirror Image]

That's my problem with the movie!  Tom Cruise hams it up in every scene.

Well there's nothing quite like a good Tom Cruise hamming...

[DavidW]

Well there's nothing quite like a good Tom Cruise hamming...

[Mirror Image]

Oh goodness that was the moment I was afraid of. There should have been some guards waiting offstage ready to taser him.

[Grazioso]

True, but those performances are from an older Robin Williams.  His manic energy in the late 70s was different, and of course the parts being discussed are all different.  I read, like David mentioned, that Kubrick thought Williams would be too crazy, and that may be true.  Who knows . . .

It's rather a system shock to watch all his manic flip-outs through the years and then compare it to something like his classic portrayal of a grieving husband on Homicide: Life on the Street. The man can tone it down extremely effectively when called to.