Has anyone read the script for Napoleon? Is it good?
I was thinking about this when I was watching a doc on the Eyes Wide Shut DVD. I know they’ve been trying to make a Napolean movie for a while (at one time I heard Pacino was going to play him) but I don’t think if it did get made they would use Kubrick’s script. MGM owns that script I believe and so only MGM could approve such a project.
Drew I’d assume since its Kubrick it probobly is good but your right no one can really know until the movie comes out.
source: http://www.filmjunk.com/2006/11/06/stanley-kubrick-lost-films-to-be-produced/
Kubrick’s son-in-law Philip Hobbs recently stumbled across an 80 page treatment for a movie called Lunatic At Large, described as a “dark mystery thriller about an axe-murderer who has escaped from an asylum”. The film is now being pushed into production, with Christopher Palmer reportedly directing, and Colin Farrell being offered the lead role.
Other unfinished Kubrick scripts that have been discovered include Killer’s Kiss (”the missing link between A Clockwork Orange and The Shining”), The Down Slope (an American Civil War epic) and God Fearing Man (based on the true story of a priest who becomes a bank robber). So what do you think, is A.I. proof that they should leave Kubrick’s work alone? Or are you interested in seeing these stories on screen? Personally I think they sound pretty cool, but attaching Kubrick’s name to it would be a bit misleading. (Thanks to Henrik for the heads up on this one.)
very odd… Killer’s Kiss was an early Kubrick film, not a missing link. There is no missing link between A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, because during that time period, Kubrick was either working on the Napoleon project, or Barry Lyndon. The mismatching of facts doesn’t help much in solidifying the article.
Maybe he ment it was half Clockwork and part Shining, a horror/sci-fi mix OR the person who wrote it does not have his facts straight.
The German Lieutenant script is online to read. It feels terribly dated.
He spent years researching a film about the holocaust that actually began to affect him emotionally, as his wife has commented. He abandoned it because of Schindler’s List. It’s interesting that there’s no reference to that project in that quote.
Killer’s Kiss is a very cool little film, and it was definitely not unfinished. Weird article.
Technically these all are unrealized projects. “Unfinished film” implies a film that began shooting but stopping before completion. Orson Welles’ It’s All True, for example.
I think that many directors would avoid taking on a project that they know will involve them being unfairly compared to Kubrick. I looked up Christopher Palmer on imdb and couldn’t find one film he had directed. Many of the big names will probably avoid these scripts like the plague.
I did a little research, and apparently Christopher Palmer is well known in the television commercial business?
some of his work:
http://www.vklj.net/weblog/archives/00000128.html
never mind, all the videos have been removed for copyright infringement. Nevertheless, the article still has some information on him and is worth the quick read.
http://www.donkeyontheedge.com/i/napoleon.pdf
there’s a Napoleon draft. Where can I find German Lieutanant?
This thread just reminded me that I meant to read the Napoleon script two years ago. Crap. Well, I’m not in the mood anymore.
Why oh why aren’t I rich?
Hmmm, that article sounds like a bunch of hooey, like someone just making stuff up. None of those sound like anything Kubrick would be remotely interested in.
Of course its one of the great tragedies in the history of cinema that Kubrick didn’t either make more films in his rather unproductive last 20 years, or had simply lived longer to make a couple more. I can personally live without the Napoleon epic, because that massive-budget opus being canceled is what led to the comparatively smaller and more intimate Barry Lyndon, which I think is infinitely more interesting and original than any historic biopic like Napoleon could ever be. The idea of Kubrick making a holocaust film is almost too terrifying to ponder, it would have probably made “Schindler’s List” look like a lighthearted romp in comparison. No doubt it would have been a masterpiece, but perhaps a virtually unwatchable masterpiece, as Kubrick would not be one to trivialize such a momentous subject.
My only super-regret, from the “unfinished” projects of Kubrick that I know of, is “A.I.”. The Spielberg film is OK, and he no doubt meant to honor Kubrick’s intentions with it, but he can’t help his own precious and shallow way of making movies, especially with sci-fi subject matter. The material is really intriguing and undoubtedly would have been much deeper and powerful, not to mention visually superior in every way, in Kubrick’s hands. As a lover of good, thoughtful sci-fi (a rare, rare commodity these days), I can’t help but dream of what might have been if Stanley had been able to finish another science fiction opus. Oh sigh…….
I agree with much of what you say. I totally agree that Barry Lyndon is the more interesting of the two projects. Greed makes me wish we had gotten both. A.I. has grown on me over the years.
@Rory: I would LOVE to have that book. Taschen makes some great material—I picked up The Stanley Kubrick Archives a couple of years ago and not only is it well-made (and heavy—the thing must weigh fifteen pounds), but it’s packed full of fantastic material.
I want the Kubrick Archives! I would love a first edition one so that I can have the 2001 cells, but such is life. Next week I am picking up the Bergman Archives which comes with cells from Fanny and Alexander!
Am I a minority for actually loving AI?
Goddamn that book is beautiful! Have you people seen Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes?
MIchael: Are you referring to the documentary that showed Kubrick’s actual archives? Those hundred if not thousands of boxes of material the man accumulated in his life?
The Stanley Kubrick documentary Boxes is amazing. The need to put that out on DVD or include it as a bonus feature on one of his films.
I want that book but it’s way out of my price range. Think It’ll ever be released as a paperback?
I doubt it. It’s massive: If I have it open on my lap it’s a good three feet across, and heavy. You don’t even bother opening it unless you’re going to sit with it a while.
It was a gift, but I know it was expensive. I think I’ve seen it on craigslist at a very reasonable price.
Yes, I was referring to the documentary. I hope it comes out on DVD. So is the book already out? I thought it didn’t come out till’ Nov. I image that Taschen might make it into there 25 series and it would be cheaper. That would be awhile though.
The German Lieutenat
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/clarke/38/scripts/TheGermanLieutenant.txt
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&vid=cccf2532-64af-4dc3-a108-584fd42b7b3e
Here’s that documentary. Or is this unethical to post? Whatever.
The Book “The Stanley Kubrick Archives” is presently “only” $ 44.10 at Amazon.com
The holocaust film that Kubrick had been prepairing for since 1976, but gave up after hearing that Spielberg had started shooting “Shindlers List”, had “The Aryan Papers” as it’s working title. It would have been based on the book “Wartime Lies” by Louise Begley.
Jordy Matheson
Now:
As most of you probobly know Stanley Kubrick left quite a few unfinished films, such as a Napolean epic and a WWII film. Sinces he passed away he can’t possibly make another film (like my logic there) so do you think that theres another director out there that could take the basic ideas he had and make it their own good movie, not trying to be Kubrick however because thats crazy. I mean he had alot of good ideas that are good no matter what.I watched A.I., which was a Kubrick film that was done by Steven Speilberg, I liked that film more then most and thought he did a good job of it, and hoped for another film of the sort, the ending was in Stanleys original treatment so you can’t get angery at Speilberg for putting it in.
I Think that if a Director took one of his films and made it their own they could make a really good movie. I think Martin Scorcese could take on a Nepolean Epic just becuase he wouldn’t make it like a usual old epic.