STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES (2001)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Nobody made films like Stanley Kubrick. All his works were originals, usually based on controversial novels, and often adapted to suit Kubrick's own style and thematic concerns. He was not just a great director - he was a genius and his work was as anticipated as anyone else's. Though the first few years of his filmmaking output was steady, he would often spend about four to five years on a single project, carefully nurturing it and trying not to make mistakes like another genius, Napolean Bonaparte (a film project once considered by Kubrick). The irony is that Kubrick was often critically wounded by critics for making films about dehumanization that seemingly showed he had less concern for performances than for style. Audiences often warmed up to his work in some cases ("2001," "A Clockwork Orange") and sometimes stayed away in droves ("Barry Lyndon"). Usually films of his were reviled to only later be re-reviewed by some as great masterpieces. Only the late Pauline Kael stayed with her initial opinions.
"Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" is the first real documentary about Kubrick (aside from the biased and still fascinating "Invisible Man"), a real shock when you consider that he had made films for more than forty years. He was obsessed by film from the moment he became a "Look" magazine photographer in New York City to the time he was in his early twenties making noir pictures like "Killer's Kiss" and "The Killing" and already graduating to titanic heights with one of the finest anti-war films ever made, "Paths of Glory." The rest is history, as evidenced by cinematic miracles like "Lolita," "Dr. Strangelove," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange." His films were unique and as Jack Nicholson explains, "Totally conscious." They were also completely assured works, often dealing with images and music and a compassionate look at the dehumanization of man rather than succumbing to a straightforward narrative. Kubrick often played with structure, such as the deliberate two halves of "Full Metal Jacket" which feel like two movies for the price of one.
This documentary has fascinating tidbits throughout, including the problems with the violence and the copycat crimes resulting from the release of "A Clockwork Orange"; the relentless taskmaster that Kubrick was on the set of "2001," according to Douglas Trumbull; the tempermental attitude Kubrick displayed to Shelley Duvall during the making of "The Shining" for a whole year; the famous Kubrick retakes for "Eyes Wide Shut"; a nice little bit from Irene Kane (star of "Killer's Kiss," now known as reporter Chris Chase) and how she was driven home by Kubrick; the films that Kubrick hoped to make in his ten year hiatus between "Full Metal Jacket" and "Eyes Wide Shut" such as "Aryan Papers" and "A.I," the latter a project directed by Steven Spielberg and so much more.
"A Life in Pictures" provides plenty of archival material from the Kubrick estate to please all fans of the late master. There is early home movie footage of Kubrick as a young kid; excerpts from his own home movies where he angrily directs his own kids; lots of never-before-seen photographs of Kubrick on the set of "Eyes Wide Shut"; extra home movie footage of the making of "The Shining"; a glimpse at "Day of the Fight" and "Fear and Desire," two early Kubrick films that are hard to find on video; and more behind-the-scenes footage from "Full Metal Jacket." There are also numerous photographs of Kubrick and his wife and daughters through the course of many years, showing his warm, genial side despite his cool view of humanity overall. Yes, Kubrick spent a lot of time in his English estate and always shot his films in England post-"Spartacus," despite seeing himself as a New Yorker. Christina Kubrick, Kubrick's third wife, states that Stanley felt New York had changed, no doubt from the jazzy feel of those Bronx streets that he had grown up with. Also, he was perhaps the object of envy from many Hollywood types in that he was always near his family and his work was never too far out of reach.
There are plenty of interviews in the film with other admired directors, cast members, friends, family, but no real rivals. Malcolm McDowell is the only interviewee who expresses some regret that Stanley never spoke to him again after "A Clockwork Orange." They had a strong relationship where McDowell was willing to do anything for the director, including scratching his cornea twice in one truly disturbing scene (a fact omitted from this film), not to mention getting pneumonia during a drowning scene. McDowell had always spoke negatively about the director, and saw his misgivings as a cry for help. Otherwise, there are glowing feats of praise for the man himself. Spielberg talks briefly about his secret relationship with Kubrick and his reluctantly accepting "A.I." as a directing assignment, a project Stanley had worked on for many years. Sydney Pollack reminisces about the constant retakes on the set of "Eyes Wide Shut." Shelley Duvall describes the making of "The Shining" as a project that exhausted and thrilled her, yet she would never want to repeat the experience. Matthew Modine mentions the difficulty of understanding Kubrick's intentions in "Full Metal Jacket." Stanley's wife, Christina Kubrick, and his brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, say he was difficult at times but never anything less than a wonderful man. Directors interviewed who admired Stanley's work include Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Alex Cox, Alan Parker and Paul Mazursky (who acted in "Fear and Desire"). Only Allen admits his initial dissatisfaction with one film, "2001," then later states that after repeated viewings, he discovered it was a remarkable film.
There are many aspects to Kubrick that could have merited some mention. For example, Kubrick was especially fanatical over details of his own work and assumed that his actors would always speak with nothing but raves about him. Ryan O'Neal had thought "Barry Lyndon" was a Tom Jones adventure instead of the slow-paced character study of a bastard, and had said so in an interview at the time. Stanley never spoke to him again. Peter Sellers (who starred in Kubrick's "Lolita" and "Dr. Strangelove") had expressed disgust over "A Clockwork Orange," and later recanted his statements. Stanley never spoke to him again. Of course, Stephen King, author of "The Shining," never liked Kubrick's adaptation of his novel. I assume Stanley never spoke to him again either. At least some negative comments from some people might have helped us understand that no matter how much of a perfectionist Kubrick was, he was not perfect. His sadness over "Barry Lyndon's" reception should not have come as such a surprise - no matter how much work you put into a film, it will still get some negative reviews from somewhere. Costume dramas have never been big box-office hits anyway, but "Barry Lyndon" remains one of the most astounding visual works of art ever made.
"A Life in Pictures" is quite an illuminating portrait of a man who equated filmmaking with chess and with the strategies of war, and thus tried to make sure he did not make any mistakes. Of course, he made some (such as his bad timing with the release of "Full Metal Jacket" coinciding with other notable Vietnam flicks, though the film was a modest success). He was not perfect by any means, and he may have been an overly controlling taskmaster who demanded as much from himself as he did from others. All these qualities show his humanity, and not as a one-dimensional reclusive madman as often quoted by the media. There are admirers and detractors of Kubrick, but make no mistake, his compassion for humanity in the face of inhumanity had always shone through. You just had to see his films more than once to find it.
