Fear and Desire
Oh, my God, Zach. I think you’re the eight person on this site to admit loving Eyes Wide Shut.
We’re an abused, underground sort of lot, and usually profess our regard for this film in more clandestine settings. We likewise intersect with the fans of “Fire Walk With Me”.
I totally agree Zach.
first, to No T.Hanks: add me to this list. ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and ‘Fire Walk With Me’ are among the best work from their respective directors.
Now, as for a direct response to this thread: ‘Barry Lyndon’. Love the direct formalism and excrutiating attention to detail in the art direction and cinematography. The casting of O’Neal and (moreso) Berenson might seem like faults in most movies, but it’s inspired here. Their wooden acting lends them to be every bit as much a part of the beautiful compositions as the costumes or sets (a common practice for Kubrick).
Kubrick’s films are full of men who can’t live in harmony with the world that surrounds them. They fight (for the most part impotently) to alter this reality. Barry creates a completely new identity, but can’t escape who he is, and his new reality is every bit as opressive as the last. Early on, we detest Barry as a loathsome character, only to somewhat sympathize with him in the end simply because he’s not as pathetic as Bullingdon.
The Killing.
Napoleon.
Napoleon. Just kidding. If I had to choose I would say Barry Lyndon or Eyes Wide Shut.
2001 is the first legitimately intellectual film Kubrick made and a greater achievement than anything else of his by quite a bit, as good as some of that other stuff is.
full metal jacket
2001: A Space Odyssey
I like his “color” films, however, I’m sucker for black and white. Dr. Strangelove is my personal favorite, and I think it’s his best as far as casting goes. Paths Of Glory is an underrated masterpiece of cinematography, beautifully shot. Lolita is a mix of both, great cast, great story, great camera work. The Killing is in a category all it’s own. Probably one of the most influential American films of the 20th century.
Each of Kubrick’s films raises a new discussion, its hard to choose just one. He dipped into Sci-Fi, film nior, book adaptions, black comedy, horrror, and epics.
2001 was made in 1969…which is amazing. But Barry Lyndon, for me, was the greatest because of its ability to realize that era on screen, and by no means am I downplaying any of his other ones… they are all so good and this thread is an anomaly.
Lolita
other Kubrick faves:
Spartacus
Paths of Glory
Barry Lyndon
The Killing
the 2nd half of Full Metal Jacket
Repetitive thread, sure. But the OP wrote exactly my opinion so I feel like commenting.
The following are in my top 25:
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Eyes Wide Shut
3. Barry Lyndon
4. A Clockwork Orange
Barry L
Dr. Strangelove
Eyes Wide Shut is certainly fantastic: but 2001 is the flagship of Kubrick’s fleet in my opinion.
Dr. Strangelove
My Rankings
1. Eyes Wide Shut
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. The Shining
4. Lolita
5. Barry Lyndon
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. Dr. Strangelove
8. Full Metal Jacket
9. Paths of Glory
10. The Killing (needs re-watch)
11. Spartacus
Have not seen Killer’s Kiss or any of the early films like Fear and Desire and Flying Padre.
For me, I would have to go with 2001, because it was way ahead of it’s time. I have a lot of favorite films from Kubrick and other directors that go past a definitive top ten, but with all of my favorite films, a lot of them are Kubrick ones. I thought that he made one great film after another starting with Dr. Strangelove and ending with the Shining. All of those films were usually the best in their genres or at least one of the best in those genres such as antiwar films like Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory, science fiction: 2001, dystopian type films: Clockwork Orange, period films: Barry Lyndon, and horror films: The Shining. I think some of his other films are good too such as Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut, which I slowly warmed up to. When I saw Eyes Wide Shut, I didn’t appreciate it, but after watching it a few more times, I began to like it more. I think Kubrick was way ahead of his time in a lot of the films he made. I think I could say that Eyes Wide Shut is probably one of the best films of the 90’s and maybe Full Metal Jacket is one of the best of the 80’s. I think I read that when he made Full Metal Jacket, he made the film from a more objective point of view rather than a subjective one like the antiwar films such as Paths of Glory and Dr. Strangelove. I think he also liked to use a lot of available light in his films or perhaps some of them. Also, he didn’t usually repeat himself with the same genres most of the time.
A Clockwork Orange is the greatest satire yet committed to film. It actually improves upon the source material — Anthony Burgess’’ not inconsiderable achievement in language and social commentary.
There is not a single superfluous shot in the picture, nor an errant line of dialog.
In terms of technique and craft in the service of theme, A Clockwork Orange is unsurpassed as a pop-art dystopian nightmare that, like most of Kubrick’s oveure, has only become more prescient and relevant with the passage of nearly four decades.
Kubrick is often decried as a cold misanthrope. If anything, I see his collective body of work as a dire cry of warning from a man deeply disappointed in humanity yet committed to delivering a message to the complacent masses collecting objects made of plastic, eating hotdogs and washing them down with a Coke.
A Clockwork Orange is easily among the most important films of the 1970s or any decade. Watch it on a double-bill with Lindsay Anderson’s O Lucky Man!
Cheers,
Steve
CinemaUprising.Blogspot.com
In order:
Barry Lyndon
The Killing
Dr. Strangelove
Paths of Glory
Those four are the only Kubrick films that really work for me, but boy do they work! I’d be fine if all of his other films fell into the ocean; never to be found again.
That’s not a very nice thing to say about three of my favorite films.
Paths of Glory touches me most emotionally, but 2001 takes the cake.
Sorry, Drew. For your sake and for that of posterity, I wouldn’t really want all of his other films to be lost forever. It’s only that I don’t respond to all the others very well, which is strange considering how much I really do love the four I listed. To be fair, it’s been almost a decade since I’ve seen A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut. I’d like to revisit them sometime soon.
There is absolutely not enough The Killing love here.
The Killing is by far my favourite of his. I don’t really enjoy my filmmakers too perfect and the raw imperfection (although still very complete and good) of The Killing directly matches with its noir plot.
Paths of Glory,Lolita, Barry Lyndon, 2001, A Clockwork Orange
@Apursansar
Do you really think ‘Fear and Desire’ is his best? I’ve just never met anyone who has included it among his top films. I, for one, have never been lucky enough to see it.
I would love to hear your expanded thoughts on the film and why it’s your favorite (and where I can find a print).
@Law
While his perfectionism is part of why I love him, I completely see where you’re coming from with ‘The Killing’. A filmmaker who hadn’t completely found his confidence and personal style yet. Very fearless and ambitous in his directorial choices (hints of the epic visionary that would come later abound).
Eyes Wide Shut
Zach Wise
What do you guys think is Stanley Kubrick’s best film? I’m prone to say 2001, but there is something about Eyes Wide Shut that leaves me in awe, much like Barry Lyndon… Thoughts?