As confessed in my previous article on Room 237: Documentary, my love for Stanley Kubrick is undeniably a respect for his work. Starting from Fear & Desire (1953) to his last, Eyes Wide Shut (1999), every film made by him managed to awake my docile senses. There are many of his films that I still enjoy re-watching, and there are few which I fear watching again.

As quoted by Kubrick himself,

The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.

To talk about the popular scenes from his films, watching the final sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey was a delirious experience. From the time Dr. Bowman enters alien atmosphere of Jupiter (Planet) to his transformation from a human into a Starchild is so magnificient.

When Peter Sellers donned the character of the cynic and war-mongering doctor in Dr. Strangelove , I found a sense of hilarity and fear watching his performance. The absurdity of one psychopath and the willingness of others can destroy the entire world. Dr. Strangelove referring the US President as “Mein fuhrer” depicts the fascist government that has been running the first world country.

The critics often panned his films upon release only to hail them as great years later. Over the time, his style of film-making became an inspiration for most filmmakers, and his character; Alex DeLarge, Hal 9000 and Dr. Strangelove, became the cult figures. His carefully chosen subjects; pedophilia in Lolita, beyond the future in 2001: ASO and sex-fantasied communal congregation of the few wealthy in Eyes Wide Shut are still fresh in people’s thoughts.

A perfectionist and experimental Kubrick never stopped testing his ideas and neither failed in his endeavor, which is why he is regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers ever lived.

What made him Great?

A film-maker who never managed to win a single Academy Award, for which he can be considered the Leonardo DiCaprio of the filmmakers, was in the league of his own. He made movies not to please the award ceremonies but his niche audience.

An adamant director and a thrifty producer, he never made a single bad movie in his life. His films can be considered the masterpieces of modern cinema. Over his career span of 48 years, he made only 13 motion pictures and 3 short movies with an average of 4 years in between each release.

2001: ASO, Spartacus and Barry Lyndon are ranked among the epics of the films produced in Hollywood. Dr. Strangelove, Lolita and A Clockwork orange are among the highly lauded and critically acclaimed movies ever.

Most Clichéd about Kubrick

1. Slow and protracted scenes

A scene from 2001: ASO lasted more than 15 minutes. In one scene, Dr. Bowman is pulled into a tunnel of colored light and other cosmological elements of Jupiter, and in another, Dr. Bowman deactivates HAL 9000 for its mischief. The sedated and lengthy scenes often became the major trademarks of Kubrick’s craft which followed suit in Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining.

Capturing the time and space of entirety of a particular sequence [2001: ASO] were followed religiously by Kubrick, for whom there were no cutting shorts. When a scene required to be long, he made them generously long.

2. Reverse tracking shots

After Hitchcock, Kubrick would be the one to popularize the dolly zoom method of tracking shots in the movies. The popular scenes from Paths of Glory tracking Col. Dax (Kirk Douglas) walking in the trenches, A Clockwork Orange tracking Alex Delarge (Malcom McDowell) walking around the London mall and Gen. Sgt. Hartman (R. Lee Ermey) and his recruits marching in Full Metal Jacket were all done using reverse tracking shots.

3. Subliminal messages

The Shining is probably more famous for its subliminal messages that Kubrick tried delivering. The length of controversy of discreet messages went furor, even Rodney Ascher (Room 237) made a documentary film on it.

…as it happened!

#1 Lolita (1962)

Lolita happened in the spring of 1962. An independent venture of Kubrick and James B. Harris, Lolita became the most controversial movie of the time. Their experiment with the sensitive subject of pedophilia and lust landed the movie in troubles with the censors. The British Board of Film Censors rated the movie ‘X’ therefore, barring the audience under the age of 16.

Despite, the comments it may have received from the then audience and the critics later, Lolita opened up a space for film-makers to make and promote movies as they pleased.

A scene from Lolita (1962): Humpert and Lolita discussing in a room. Sue Lyon sunbathing in a scene from Lolita

#2 Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

The year 1964 began with the release of Dr. Strangelove or…, a comic take on Cold War and the brewing hatred between two giants of the World; USA and Russia. Assimilating the great cast, creating life like sets and adapting a dark story of war and nuclear weapon into major motion picture was quite a tough task for Kubrick.

Peter Sellers as the Dr. Strangelove himself and his alien hand syndrome, along with addressing the US president with “Mein Führer,” stole the show entirely. The implications of the movie is to portray the dire consequences of brewing hatred among two nuclear powers of the world, along with a comic gesture on what could happen to the world if a nuclear war is to take place!

Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove, a warmongering Pro-Nazi Kubrick directing a scene of Dr Strangelove

#3 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

The most challenging and expensive venture of Kubrick has to be none other than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Made in 60s’, it explored a Science-fiction tale of how the world, mankind and Space would land up in the 21st Century. Kubrick employed the specialists from the fields of science and technology, Arts, Special Effects and Sounds to give his movie a real-life like experience.

From building a rocket capsule to creating a cosmological phenomena of an unseen Jupiter’s atmosphere, he mastered the craft of making stories that are far-sighted and thoughtful.

Most critics and audiences panned the movie when it was first released. Today, it’s a cult and is used in reference to every possible space exploration movies made post-2001: ASO.

Kubrick and Keir Dullea during the filming of 2001: ASO Dullea as Dr. Bowman in 2001 ASO

#4 A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The year 1971 ended with the horrors of Alex DeLarge‘s criminal past. As it happened, a controversial story of A Clockwork Orange established Kubrick as the film-maker who could make movies on any subject given, despite the level of visual intolerance it could render On-screen. Alex’s character portrays a sociopath; he glorifies rape, assault and loot. He’s an imagery of evil, yet the movie established him as a profound character of behavioral psychology and morality.

It’ was banned in UK for 27 years, following the controversy surrounding the violence occurred in the English society which were believed to be inspired by the movie.

Malcom McDowell played Alex DeLarge, the anti-hero, in A Clockwork Orange Kubrick directing a scene from A Clockwork Orange

#5 Barry Lyndon (1975)

Alex’s story was followed by the exploits of the 18th century Irish Adventurer in 1975, when the year ended with the Luck of Barry Lyndon. A movie of epic proportion, after Spartacus, Barry Lyndon explored the rise and fall of a hearty character –Barry Redmond, an Irishman who managed to experience the harshest treatments and sweetest pleasures the world has ever to offer.

3 hours long, the movie is considered one of the finest movies of Kubrick. Despite its rather slower and darker tone, the movie doesn’t fail to capture your attention and constant critical consensus. It’s a masterpiece!

Ryan O’Neal, donning a Victorian-aged suit with a curly blonde locks and quirky smile, shines throughout his adventures in the movie.

Kubrick shooting a scene of Barry Lyndon One of the most recognized attribute of Barry Lyndon is the use of wide-angle lens throughout the movie.

#6 Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Labeled an Erotic-Thriller by the critics, Eyes Wide Shut took on the complex premise of Illuminati and their quasi-religious-sexual rituals. Exploring the taboo subjects, Kubrick showed how a regular family suddenly disparages into the mess. Sexual fantasy, envy, dishonesty and boredom are its common themes.

Released few months after the death of Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut remained his final project and marked the 13th motion picture his career.

Eyes Wide Shut also explored the modus operandi of a secret society, possibly Illuminati. Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) experiences a mass-orgy of a secret society first hand

For complete Stanley Kubrick Filmography, The Kubrick Site and Kubrick Collection @WarnerBros