SK

Stanley Kubrick would have turned 90 today, except he died in 1999.  Considering how long he took to make his films, he must have figured he'd live to be 150.

Some call him the greatest director of all, but I'm of two minds about him.  He's certainly original, and even his weakest work offers something different, but the truth is only one of his films, Dr. Strangelove (1964), gets my full support.  Kubrick, who generally doesn't display much of a sense of humor, somehow turned out the perfect dark, satirical comedy.

But aside from that, almost every film is flawed, many seriously.

His earliest features I'll ignore (as he did)--Fear And Desire (1953) and Killer's Kiss (1955) show a guy with a low budget who's still learning.  His first major film is The Killing, and it's pretty good, if not especially significant.  His next, Paths Of Glory (1957), is the one that truly put him on the map, and while it's a pretty solid anti-war film, and directed with a sure hand, I'm not sure if it's aged that well.

Then comes the epic Spartacus (1960), a project that was essentially work for hire.  Kubrick didn't initiate it (in fact, he replaced the original director, Anthony Mann, after shooting began).  It's not bad, though Kubrick would disavow it.

Now we come into the Kubrick era where he has prestige, money and an iron will, and every film he made was pretty much to his specifications. First we get Lolita (1962).  It starts as a decent satirical comedy of social mores, but weakens as it goes on, and goes on far too long.  The performances by James Mason, Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers are fascinating, but it just falls short. (He also couldn't quite go all the way with the material provided by the novel, though considering the times it's amazing he made it at all.  Indeed, the ads back then asked "How did they ever make a movie of Lolita?")

Next is Strangelove, which I've already noted is his one definite classic.

Then comes his most famous movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Though technically a marvel, it was not treated well by the critics, originally.  Most came around and today it makes top ten lists, but I think they got it right the first time.  (I suppose on re-viewing, since you know nothing much is going to happen, you don't get too disappointed.)

Kubrick was smart to make it cryptic, since what's going on is less than meets the eye.  It is visually fascinating, and, as I often say, there's a fairly interesting 80-minute movie about a rogue computer packed inside what is otherwise pretentious nonsense.  2001 does lead one to ask how can it be a failure when one returns to it so many times, even as its silliness is still out there for everyone to see.

Next, another major title, A Clockwork Orange (1971). Some fine scenes, and an intriguing lead performance from Malcolm McDowell.  But the ideas behind the whole thing, once again, are fairly shallow, and the film is actually pretty ugly.  However, like 2001, it's still a film you can return to even as you recognize its deep flaws.

The next film I can't make any excuses for.  A fair number have tried to blow up Barry Lyndon (1975) into a masterpiece, but it's a three-hour bore.  It looks great, but the story is tiresome and the acting isn't much. (In general, especially in his later films, Kubrick gets weird performances from his actors.  Maybe they get exhausted and stop acting like humans, which is just how Kubrick likes it.)

Next is another disappointment--The Shining.  It was not treated well when it came out, but is now considered a horror classic.  You'd think a horror film should at least be scary, but I guess that's not what matters here.  A great set, but I have to agree with Stephen King--the car looks good, but it's got no engine.

Then there's Full Metal Jacket (1987).  It's oddly structured.  You've got this intense 40-minute short about basic training starring R. Lee Ermey, followed by a rather dull army film set in Vietnam.  I've watched the first act a number of times, after which I change the channel.

Then comes his final film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999).  I suppose this was supposed to be sexy, or spooky, or riveting, or something.  Instead, it just comes across as bizarre.  People acting strange as Tom Cruise takes a journey that doesn't really go anywhere. (The one scene I like is near the end, when he has a long talk with Sydney Pollack.  Many critics thought it was too expository, but I don't believe a word Pollack is saying.) Kubrick died while the film was still in editing, though there seems to be some dispute about this. Maybe it would have been a bit tighter, but I don't think he could have made it work.

So that's it.  A fairly light filmography compared to many great directors, but he made films the way he wanted.  And people still watch them.  I don't think he could have asked for much more.