Line #85 Creator/StanleyKubrick


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stanleykubrick.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:This man cares about his work. [[KubrickStare His eyes say so.]]]]
3
4	->''"When I made my first film, I think the thing [that] probably helped me the most was that it was such an unusual thing to do in the early '50s for someone to actually go and make a film. People thought it was impossible. It really is terribly easy. All anybody needs is a camera, a tape recorder, and some imagination."''
5	-->-- From an interview with ''East Village Eye'' in 1968
6
7	Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director and screenwriter, known for creating some of the most important, controversial, and stylistically distinctive films of the second half of the 20th century.
8
9	Born to a middle-class Jewish family in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, Kubrick was a college dropout (albeit one who was also a [[SelfMadeMan voracious reader and autodidact]]). From an early age, he was [[TheMovieBuff a cinephile]] who was especially fond of foreign films and arthouse filmmakers such as Creator/JosefVonSternberg and especially Creator/MaxOphuls (who he cited as his favorite, and his biggest influence).
10
11	One of Kubrick's biggest interests growing up was photography. His father not only had a darkroom in their house and encouraged him to utilize it, but he also ended up being his high school's photographer. Fittingly, one of his first jobs was as a photographer for the magazine ''Look'', which he got when he sold them a photograph of a newsstand vendor forlornly selling papers announcing the death of FDR. He was initially hired as an apprentice photographer but very quickly worked his way into being full staff and established himself as one of their strongest assets. Many of Kubrick's friends and colleagues, as well as biographers and historians, have attributed his early interest and career in photography to being highly influential on his unique style of filmmaking, specifically his meticulous manner of framing shots.
12
13	An integral impetus for Kubrick's early filmmaking was the MediaNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem, which began when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an antitrust suit that broke up the monopoly of film distribution formerly held by major studios. An indirect effect of this was the nurturing of independent theaters, and by extension, independent cinema, which found Kubrick able to make documentary newsreels and find a way to distribute them without having to cross many hurdles. He quickly taught himself the nuts and bolts of filmmaking along the way without dealing with the studio system, cultivating an independent sensibility that he carried with him to the end of his life.
14
15	Kubrick made his first two feature films, ''Fear and Desire''[[note]]Which Kubrick shelved because he was dissatisfied with it[[/note]] and ''Killer's Kiss'', entirely on his own, not only directing but serving as his own cinematographer, editor and sound-man, which provided him a thorough technical knowledge of filmmaking. His next feature, ''Film/TheKilling'' (produced by associate James B. Harris), proved to be his first success and a ticket to Hollywood, where he attracted the attention of Kirk Douglas. Douglas partnered with him to make ''Film/PathsOfGlory'', which became his BreakthroughHit, earning him respect and good notices from America and England. The interim period between that film and ''Film/{{Lolita}}'' (his first film made in self-imposed exile in England) featured a period of striving in the Hollywood system, including an attempt to collaborate with Creator/MarlonBrando on ''Film/OneEyedJacks'' and ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'', produced by Douglas, who brought Kubrick in after firing original director Creator/AnthonyMann. Although ''Spartacus'' was a major success, Kubrick felt dissatisfied because the project was clearly Douglas' (and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's) more than his, he didn't feel personally invested in the subject, and he was generally too independent-minded to do journeyman work. Going forward, [[TheDeterminator he resolved to maintain his independence]] against all odds. He went to England to make ''Film/{{Lolita}}'' and never returned to America, citing a fear of flying[[note]]Which biographer Bill Krohn believes [[UnreliableNarrator is a rather convenient excuse]]; he notes that during the making of ''Lolita'', Kubrick shuttled back and forth between England and America to shoot the footage for the exteriors, which he did not delegate to second-unit[[/note]].
16
17	In England, Kubrick was able to cultivate [[ShroudedInMyth a sense of mystery and excitement about his work]], as well assert full creative control. At a remote distance from Hollywood, he oversaw all aspects of the production of his films, including pre-production, editing, sound mixing, advertising and exhibition[[note]]No, [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer seriously]]; Kubrick would appoint staffers to go to different theaters across America and England, and if he received reports and complaints that a projectionist was screening his film in the wrong aspect ratio, or if the theatre had bad lighting, [[ControlFreak he would personally call the projector during the screening and tell the man how to screen it correctly]][[/note]]. He was able to do this thanks to support from excellent producers such as James B. Harris and Jan Harlan (who was also his brother-in-law) and the fact that his films were, relatively speaking, both less expensive than other Hollywood super-productions of the time and generally successful at the box office. During this time, Kubrick also became, so to speak, a ReclusiveArtist. He would give interviews as per his convenience and would otherwise be inaccessible to journalists and celebrity gossip columnists, generally interacting only with his collaborators and producers. As such, a number of legends cropped up about him.
18
19	People he had worked with have described Kubrick as [[BetterWithNonHumanCompany acidic to others but amazingly fond of animals, particularly cats]], and very close to his wife and children. Actors who worked on his films have described him as manipulative, distant and aloof; Creator/MalcolmMcDowell thoroughly enjoyed working with him on ''Film/AClockworkOrange'', but was [[WhatHaveYouDoneForMeLately snubbed after shooting was complete]]. Others, such as Ryan O'Neal, Creator/JackNicholson, Creator/TomCruise and Creator/RLeeErmey, however, enjoyed working with him and described him fondly.[[note]]On average, however, his relationships could be defined by the making of ''Film/DrStrangelove''; actors that did exactly as he said walked away with their paychecks (unless they were named Peter Sellers or R. Lee Ermey, who got to do a surprising amount of {{improv}}). Slim Pickens [[EnforcedMethodActing was never told he was making a comedy]], implying that his character was the hero of the film, heroically delivering the bomb that ''ends the world''. Pickens was okay with it in the long run, spinning the publicity into a highly successful career. On the other hand, Creator/GeorgeCScott wanted to play General Turgidson as a dignified WellIntentionedExtremist, so Kubrick tricked him by [[FalseReassurance assuring him that the cameras were off]], and that Kubrick and the rest of the cast and crew are the only ones seeing him. He proceeded to use those takes, leading to Scott swearing never to work with Kubrick again.[[/note]] In other cases, most notably his treatment of Creator/ShelleyDuvall on the set of ''Film/TheShining'', his behavior went beyond controlling and became abusive, to the point of what some even describe as psychological torture.[[note]]In short, he forced her to work 12-hour days for over a year, isolated her and constantly yelled at her, and forced dozens of takes no matter how minor the scene, including 127 takes of the exhausting baseball bat scene. Duvall at one point came to Kubrick with clumps of hair that had fallen out of her head due to stress. The experience may have contributed to the detachment from reality and intense mental illness that she has suffered from later in life, though she has denied it being the case.[[/note]]
20
21	%% On Shelley Duvall, please try to use the Rule of Cautious Editing Judgement. While it was not the experience of all actors under Kubrick, Duvall's experiences were undeniably horrifying and merit inclusion in Kubrick's legacy rather than being papered over or chalked up as YMMV. Also, may be more myth than fact as most of what's found supporting the abuse is on sites like Quora and Reddit without citations. It's entirely likely that he didn't treat her any differently than any other actor but that her own dedication to the craft combined with his perfectionism damaged her mental health rather than being a product of abuse.
22
23	Because of his high artistic ambitions (he was obsessed with originality and doing things that had never been done before), his insistence on personally researching each aspect of pre-production (a side-effect of his autodidact origins[[note]]For ''Film/BarryLyndon'', Kubrick would personally scour countless paintings to create reference material for the film's look, costume and production designer, work that other filmmakers -- including great directors -- would properly delegate to others but which he felt he had to do himself[[/note]]) and his insistence on doing a film that interests him thoroughly, Kubrick's production pace slowed down drastically. He made four films in TheSixties and five films in the next three decades, with much of his time spent on pre-production for unmade projects such as a planned {{biopic}} on UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, a film on UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, and a science-fiction project about an android. He abandoned the former two because he felt he had been beaten to the punch[[note]]By Sergei Bondarchuk's adaptation of ''Film/{{Waterloo}}'' in TheSeventies and ''Film/SchindlersList'' by Spielberg in TheNineties, respectively[[/note]]. The lattermost project was subsequently completed after his death by Creator/StevenSpielberg as per Kubrick's suggestion, and released as ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence''.
24
25	Yet despite this seeming procrastination, Kubrick was still able to more or less make a film as per he pleased, as evidenced by ''Film/AClockworkOrange, Film/BarryLyndon, Film/TheShining, Film/FullMetalJacket'' and much later ''Film/EyesWideShut''. During his lifetime, virtually all his films were met with a polarizing reception by critics and the audience, but most of them were box-office successes. They were shocking and controversial not only in terms of content but for their cold, detached and at-times sardonic tone that somehow made his films feel more European than American, and certainly like nothing in Hollywood.
26
27	All of Kubrick's movies were adaptations of literature, both LitFic and genre fiction, but they were all subversive of [[GenreBusting genre]] and Hollywood conventions, featuring AntiHero protagonists, violence and disturbing sexuality. Their most consistently acclaimed traits, namely their visual design, use of music[[note]]Kubrick generally didn't like original scores, much to the annoyance of composers who worked with him, and he tended to use samples from classical and modernist music and mix them up with other pieces[[/note]], blazingly original iconography (his background in photography really shows in his work) and overall bleak view of humanity and institutions made his filmography ripe for AffectionateParody, PopCulturalOsmosis and cult appeal.
28
29	In short, he's a filmmaker no one is going to stop talking about any time soon.
30
31	[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick His incredibly thorough article]] on Website/{{Wikipedia}} lacked an infobox[[note]]those boxes usually found on the top of "traditional" wikis that are like mini [=CliffsNotes=] about the subject of an article; it seems that it was exactly because of how thoroughly detailed his article was that no one bothered to add one[[/note]] for twenty years; [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Stanley_Kubrick/Archive_7#No_Infobox there was quite]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Stanley_Kubrick/Archive_9 a debate over it]] before one was added in 2021.
32	----
33	!!Filmography:
34
35	[[index]]
36	* ''Day of the Fight'' (1951) -- His first film, a documentary short about a boxing match. Inspired by his boxing pictorials for ''Look'' magazine.
37	* ''Flying Padre'' (1951) -- Another documentary short, about a priest who flies around his 400-square-mile parish to minister to his parishioners.
38	* ''Film/{{Fear and Desire}}'' (1953) -- His first real film, which he considered his [[invoked]] OldShame. Kubrick and his first wife were the only crew on-set during production. Recently restored and released on video via [=BluRay=]. Incidentally one of the actors is Paul Mazursky who later went on to become an actor-director in his own right.
39	* ''The Seafarers'' (1953) -- Another documentary short, which Kubrick was commissioned to make by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafarers_International_Union_of_North_America Seafarers International Union]] of fishermen and sailors.
40	* ''Film/KillersKiss'' (1955) -- Kubrick's second wife cameos in this one. Another one Kubrick felt [[OldShame was tyro-work]].
41	* ''Film/TheKilling'' (1956) -- A FilmNoir, his first real success, the first collaboration with Creator/SterlingHayden, famous for its non-linear variation on ''Film/TheAsphaltJungle''-style heist movie plot that was highly popular in TheFifties.
42	* ''Film/PathsOfGlory'' (1957) -- The first of his two films starring Creator/KirkDouglas, he also met Jan Harlan during production[[note]]Jan's sister Christiane is the woman who appears in the last scene and sings at the end. She and Kubrick married and he settled in England with her and his family, for the rest of his life[[/note]] and his BreakthroughHit. Set in France during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI with a critical look at the military establishment that was quite daring for its time and which led to it being [[BannedInChina banned in France]].
43	* ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'' (1960) -- The second his films starring Kirk Douglas and the last film he would make in America and Hollywood. Despite Kubrick's dissatisfaction, it's considered a landmark EpicMovie, critical for ending MediaNotes/TheHollywoodBlacklist and one of the most subversive mainstream blockbusters of that era. Also notable for being Kubrick's longest movie, beating out ''Barry Lyndon'' by just ten minutes.
44	* ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'' (1962) -- Adapted from the [[Literature/{{Lolita}} novel]] by Creator/VladimirNabokov[[note]]Who actually really liked the film and was satisfied with how it turned out. This despite him being cheesed by Kubrick asking him to write a long screenplay and then using little to none of it, albeit providing remuneration.[[/note]] Starring Creator/JamesMason, one of Kubrick's favorite actors[[note]]He appeared in two films by his hero Creator/MaxOphuls[[/note]], Sue Lyon, Shelley Winters and Creator/PeterSellers in the scene-stealing expanded role of Quilty.
45	* ''Film/DrStrangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'' (1964) -- A jet-black satire on the UsefulNotes/ColdWar with a screenplay by Terry Southern that ends with [[EverybodyDiesEnding the whole world dying]] to the strains of Vera Lynn. Starring Creator/PeterSellers in three brilliant and very different roles, but also George C. Scott, Creator/JamesEarlJones, a second appearance by Creator/SterlingHayden and a scene-stealing turn by Slim Pickens.
46	* ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' (1968) -- A landmark science-fiction with groundbreaking special effects by Douglas Trumbull, co-created with Creator/ArthurCClarke and a film that revolutionized the science-fiction genre, albeit made by a man who generally disliked the genre and wanted to bring it OutOfTheGhetto.
47	* ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' (1971) -- Adapted from a [[Literature/AClockworkOrange minor novel]] by Anthony Burgess. A major commercial success in its year of release, but extremely controversial for its scenes of violence and rape. The negative publicity was such that Kubrick himself shelved it after it turned out profits, and prevented it from being widely exhibited until his death. Extremely influential for its production design, its costumes[[note]]By Milena Canonero who would win an Oscar for her work on Film/BarryLyndon and later work on every one of Creator/WesAnderson's films[[/note]] and unusual use of music.
48	* ''Film/BarryLyndon'' (1975) -- Adapted from a minor novel by [[Literature/VanityFair W. M. Thackeray]], it's a GenreDeconstruction of period films that shows how oppressive and downright weird European society was. It is often incorrectly cited as the first movie to have a scene lit only with candlelight (Film/TheNightOfTheHunter did it first.) Unpopular and neglected by the audience, it is the preferred favorite of cinephiles like Creator/MartinScorsese, who consider it his masterpiece.
49	* ''Film/TheShining'' (1980) -- Radically different from the [[Literature/TheShining novel]], to Creator/StephenKing's distaste. It's now considered a great classic of the genre, provoking a number of [[WildMassGuessing fan explanations]] and much like ''2001'', Kubrick eschewed conventional genre features by bringing in highbrow elements. Features one of Creator/JackNicholson's most famous performances and its extended production, with the gigantic set built in England and his treatment of Shelley Duvall, cementing Kubrick's reputation as a perfectionist. Also notable among videophiles for being Kubrick's first film to be explicitly shot in open matte, meaning it was filmed in Academy ratio[[note]]an aspect ratio just ''slightly'' wider than 4:3[[/note]] but cropped to a widescreen aspect ratio in theaters (thus allowing it to avoid PanAndScan when broadcast on television and included on home media releases before the mass adoption of 16:9 [=TVs=] by simply uncropping the vertical space of the picture), a practice he would carry onto his next (and last) two films[[note]]Kubrick already shot his movies in Academy ratio even before ''The Shining'', but this was the first time he consciously did so with the intent of using the extra vertical space on television sets, owing to the rapid rise of home media in the latter half of the 70's[[/note]].
50	* ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' (1987) -- One of the most iconic [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam War]] movies, starring Creator/MatthewModine, Creator/AdamBaldwin and, in scene-stealing turns, Creator/RLeeErmey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and Creator/VincentDOnofrio as Gomer Pyle. Controversial in its year of release for the fact that the film's two halves are entirely different from each other, with most preferring the first half (starring aforementioned scene-stealers).
51	* ''Film/EyesWideShut'' (1999) -- Starring Creator/TomCruise and Creator/NicoleKidman, it became his last film, completed six days before his death with some sound mixing work still left to be done. Three years in the making, and preceded with incredible publicity and buildup, the film faced a [[BrokenBase mixed]] reception only to receive appreciation [[VindicatedByHistory very recently]].
52	[[/index]]
53
54	----
55	!!His movies provide examples of:
56
57	* AuteurLicense: Kubrick is admired by film-makers for creating a niche within Hollywood despite the fact that he wasn't prolific, rarely made films with big stars and never made purely commercial films. More importantly, he held on to this license right till the end of his career, despite never making a single blockbuster film, though his movies were generally hits. None of his movies faced ExecutiveMeddling and with the chief exception of ''Spartacus'', all of them exist as Kubrick intended. Indeed, while Creator/OrsonWelles codified this idea with ''Citizen Kane'', Kubrick is seen by film-makers as a more successful example of making a ''career'' as an auteur within Hollywood and was highly respected by the MediaNotes/NewHollywood generation for the same reason.
58	* BannedInChina: [[invoked]]
59	** ''Paths of Glory'' was banned in France until 1970 due to its critical depiction of the French Army. In Spain, it wasn't shown until 1986, 11 years after the death of Generalissimo Franco.
60	** It was widely believed that ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' was banned in England. But in truth, after accusations of LifeImitatesArt, the film was withdrawn from distribution in the UK at Kubrick's request. Not that he believed it had actually inspired the crimes but he was worried because his family received threats and saw protests staged outside his home and he was a man who liked his privacy. It remained unavailable in the UK until after Kubrick's death in 1999 and Kubrick and his family moved to a new home in England during the production of ''Film/BarryLyndon'' to avoid any further fallout.
61	** Certain scenes of ''Film/EyesWideShut'' were digitally altered in the USA at the time for being too sexually explicit. In other Western countries, people got the uncensored version. There was also censorship in the UK owing to the use of a recitation of the Bhagavad Gita (as part of the music by Jocelyn Pook which Kubrick excerpted) during the orgy scene, which Hindu organizations protested as sacrilege and it was removed for the UK release and remains missing in Region 2 releases.
62	* BadBoss: In making ''Film/TheShining'' he deliberately treated Shelley Duvall horribly [[EnforcedMethodActing so she would be sad and scared all the time for real.]] She even lost a lot of hair from the stress.
63	** A lesser known example is when Tom Cruise avoided telling Kubrick he had an ulcer while filming Film/EyesWideShut, fearing how Kubrick would react.
64	* BeleagueredBureaucrat: In ''A Clockwork Orange'', society's institutions are run by people who believe they can "fix" dangerous products of society like Alex [=DeLarge=], without taking any responsibility for the world that created him.
65	* BigApplesauce: It was his home but aside from ''Killer's Kiss'', none of his films were shot in New York. One of his films that was set in New York -- ''Film/EyesWideShut'' -- was shot in London, using sets, second-unit projection and carefully chosen streets.
66	* BittersweetEnding: He generally favored DownerEnding or GainaxEnding. The only outright happy ending in his films is ''Killer's Kiss'' which contrary to belief was his call and not forced by ExecutiveMeddling. In the case of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' and ''Film/EyesWideShut'' at least, it's possible to [[spoiler:see the endings of both films as positive, especially the latter where the couple seem to put aside their baggage and re-commit to their relationship, but the tone and approach in both is kind of ambiguous and comic, and left to the audience]].
67	* BlackAndGreyMorality: Sometimes shown during moments of his stories, particularly ''Barry Lyndon'' and ''A Clockwork Orange''. However, because his films are known for their realism, morality is more portrayed as GrayAndGreyMorality.
68	* BlackComedy: His stories often include this kind of humor as an integral and natural part of the events. ''Dr. Strangelove'' is built around it. ''A Clockwork Orange'' is mostly this throughout the entire story.
69	* BrooklynRage: Averted; despite being a New Yorker, Kubrick is famous for his cold, detached way of film-making. It's often surprising to hear him speak in interviews with a thick Noo Yawk accent.
70	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Kubrick was famous for being eccentric, but the quality and impact of his films, as well as his good relations with Warner Bros. studios and ability to sustain an unusual niche career in the mainstream, [[HiddenDepths speaks for itself]].
71	* TheCameo: His daughter Vivian plays minor uncredited roles in four of his movies. She also wrote the soundtrack of ''Full Metal Jacket'' under the name of Abigail Mead. His third wife, Christiane Harlan played the German woman who sings at the end of ''Paths of Glory'' and Kubrick himself can be heard as the voice on the radio in ''Full Metal Jacket''.
72	* CentralTheme: The dark side of human nature, effects of war, dehumanization in order to support the plan, broken systems, corruption.
73	* ChildrenAreInnocent: During the filming of ''The Shining'', Kubrick didn't expose Danny Lloyd to the disturbing elements of the movie, and severely re-edited the footage shown to Lloyd to cut out anything scary. It got to the point where Lloyd thought he was starring in a boring drama about a family doing nothing in a hotel. A major PetTheDog moment for Kubrick, seeing how it was happening simultaneously with his treatment of Shelley Duvall.
74	* TheConspiracy: A running motif in his movies is characters undone by fate, institutions, machinations by unknown figures who are mysterious, powerful and whose interests and motives they cannot seem to comprehend, and to whom they will always remain small-fry. Whether it's Alex [=DeLarge=] finally [[spoiler:being cured and engaging in ultra-violence with the support of the dystopian government, Humbert being undone by Quilty and Lolita, Dave Bowman being undone by HAL and then the Monolith, Redmond Barry by society and class]]. Film/EyesWideShut directly uses conspiracy as a major element and its left ambiguous how much of it [[spoiler:is an actual conspiracy and how much of it is just Hartford imagining and projecting his paranoia and sexual frustration externally]]. Even in the credits, Kubrick showed a conspiracy theorist side of his own -- pay close attention to the closing credits for the German versions of ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' and ''Film/TheShining'', and you'll see a very subtle hint that [[spoiler:he did not believe in the Moon landings]].
75	* ControlFreak: He had a reputation for being a legendary perfectionist in movie history (though reading some of the stories of Creator/CharlieChaplin, Creator/WilliamWyler and Creator/JosefVonSternberg will make you think Kubrick is quite reasonable). He would demand dozens of takes for very minor scenes (which was not very unusual as a production practice when he started making films in TheFifties).
76	* CreatorThumbprint: [[http://archive.is/cuGEM Bathroom scenes]], often ominous.
77	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Every film up to ''2001'', with the exception of ''Spartacus''. Since Kubrick preferred control and independence he preferred black-and-white which was cheaper than color at the time[[note]]It only became cheaper and normal in UK and USA by the end of TheSixties[[/note]].
78	* DownerEnding:
79	** [[spoiler:''Paths of Glory'' ends with the soldiers accused of desertion being shot.]]
80	** [[spoiler:''Dr. Strangelove'' ends with the entire world succumbing to nuclear war.]]
81	** [[spoiler:Alex in ''A Clockwork Orange'' is sent back in the streets, despite his criminal record, and now hailed as a victim of the people who tried to cure him of his violent tendencies.]]
82	* TheFilmOfTheBook. Every Kubrick feature film after the first two was an adaptation of a book or short story. ''2001'' is a partial exception, as the original Arthur C. Clarke story only dealt with Heywood Floyd's trip to the Moon, and the rest of the story was written by Kubrick and Clarke in collaboration.
83	* GenreProlificCreator: While many film directors usually work within one identifiable genre Kubrick tried out different kinds of genres all his life: war/anti-war films (''Fear and Desire'', ''Paths of Glory'', ''Full Metal Jacket''), science-fiction (''2001'', ''A Clockwork Orange''), historical drama (''Spartacus'', ''Barry Lyndon''), comedy (''Dr. Strangelove''), erotic thriller (''Lolita'', ''Eyes Wide Shut''), film-noir (''Killer's Kiss'', ''The Killing''), and horror (''The Shining'').
84	* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: A number of Kubrick films were altered between premiers, original release, and re-release:
85	** The original version of 2001 was longer than the current version, and Kubrick himself cut down and removed the scenes. He did the same with ''The Shining'' removing the original ending of the film between the premier and general release.
86	** In the case of ''Spartacus'', Kubrick never considered that one of his personal works and was fairly indifferent to the restoration in the '90s which sought to restore lost scenes, only agreeing to look into it at Creator/StevenSpielberg's request. He was consulted, and he okayed the work of Harris and Katz who restored several scenes, some of which were redubbed by Creator/AnthonyHopkins mimicking Creator/LaurenceOlivier's Crassus.
87	** For home video releases, a major problem is trying to determine what Kubrick's preferred aspect ratio was. Kubrick apparently composed most of his films in the Academy Ratio, even when movie theaters shifted to widescreen as default from the '60s onwards. As such his films still looked natural on early home video releases and TV viewings, before black bars became the norm. When the Kubrick DVD collection came out (which he oversaw), he allowed for multiple ratios, not anticipating the rise and spread of wide-screen TV, which happened after his death. As such a number of his films are overseen by assistant Leon Vitali to ensure that proper aspect ratios are maintained for Blu-Ray releases.
88	* GrayAndGreyMorality: Where his films are mainly portrayed in terms of human morality and nature.
89	* HobbesWasRight: His work is at times misanthrophic, critical of institutions and governments, and social mores which despite appearing civilized are often poor disguises for appalling violence and cruelty. ''Film/PathsOfGlory'', ''Film/DrStrangelove'' and ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' definitely show Kubrick's hatred for these things as does Film/BarryLyndon and Film/EyesWideShut in a more subtle manner.
90	* HumansAreFlawed: Kubrick's films show mankind at its weakest and most anti-heroic, especially political and military institutions and organizations. A telling moment in ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' is that one of the first things apeman does with his higher intelligence is bashing the head of his fellow ape-mans in with a huge bone. However, further evolved humans are shown still trying to change for the better.
91	* KubrickStare: TropeNamer; a lot of his films used it.
92	* LightIsNotGood: In virtually any of Kubrick's movies that are filmed in color, an abundance of fluorescent lighting and polished floors/walls (giving the impression of a WhiteVoidRoom) hint that something ''really, really bad'' is going to happen.
93	* MoonLandingHoax: A common joke goes that NASA hired him to fake the Moon Landing. Unfortunately for them, his famous perfectionism meant that he insisted they shoot on-location. More "straight" portrayals of a faked moon landing will inevitably feature him (or a LawyerFriendlyCameo of someone who looks suspiciously like him) behind the camera and calling the shots on the lunar set.
94	* NoWomansLand: Kubrick has generally been considered a director of men, with very few strong women characters in his movies. The fact that the main exception is the titular ''Film/{{Lolita}}'' is saying something.
95	** A number of his movies are set during wartime such as ''Film/PathsOfGlory'' and ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' where the main options for women are either sex objects, potential and actual rape victims, [[spoiler:or a child soldier, as in the case of the Sniper at the end of the film]]. Likewise, his dystopian film ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' is set in a future where women are more or less sex objects, and rape is more or less a constant never-ending crime.
96	** His film, ''Film/BarryLyndon'' was one of the few period films of its time, and times afterward, that really put across how misogynist and sexist the period setting romanticized in earlier literary adaptations are. A society where the only careers available to women is marriage and children is not healthy either for women, for children or for their spouses. Depresssingly this seems to have gotten worse in his "contemporary" ''Film/EyesWideShut'' where by the turn of the millennium, women are once again trapped in boring marriages, with careers as prostitutes and DisposableSexWorker, and/or TrophyWife being their primary roles in bourgeois society. Whether this reflects how Kubrick believes society to be, or reflected his own imagination is, of course, a separate issue.
97	* OddFriendship: With Creator/StevenSpielberg. They were very different in terms of style but they had a friendship and collaboration, often talking on the phone. When Kubrick thought he couldn't deliver on ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'', he gave Spielberg his blessing to direct the project. Spielberg stayed true to Kubrick's style for the making of the film.
98	* ThePerfectionist: In preparation of each new project Kubrick read every possible book about topics concerning the story that he could lay his hands on.
99	** One has to see this to believe it because he also categorized the information in files and tried to find answers to really odd problems that seemed trivial to others. Nevertheless, the end results were often staggering, with officials [[RiddleForTheAges often wondering how on Earth he was able to get his facts and details so accurately precise]] (think the polar opposite of Creator/DanBrown).
100	** Quite amusingly, Kubrick denied being a perfectionist. Dorian Harewood, who played Eightball from ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', said that in an interview that Kubrick was a perfectionist. Kubrick called Harewood a few days later and denied being considered such. Likewise, Kubrick said that he kept doing multiple takes because he thought his actors, though they got the right idea, weren't happy with their performance.
101	** This extended to the foreign-language dubbing and subtitling of his films. Kubrick would make sure that he had frequent contact with the translators he chose and would grill them on things such as past translation problems and how they'd solved them. Additionally, the translators and Kubrick would agree on the former's methods and processes ''before'' the translating had begun.
102	* PosthumousPopularityPotential: During his lifetime Kubrick's work had already received recognition for being artistically and intellectually more interesting than your average movie, but nearly all his works were polarizing upon their intitial release. ''Paths Of Glory'' was dismissed because it showed the army as cold and inhuman and didn't glorify the military. ''Lolita'' caused controversy because it was about a middle aged man falling in love with a teenage girl. ''Dr. Strangelove'' upset people because it showed governments as incompetent [[spoiler: and unable to prevent a nuclear war]]. ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' was criticized for being pretentious and incomprehensible. ''A Clockwork Orange'' caused outrage for glorifying rape and violence. ''Barry Lyndon'' was seen as boring and soulless. ''The Shining'' was lamblasted for relying more on creepy atmosphere than actually showing anything happening, not to mention Jack Nicholson's over the top performance. ''Full Metal Jacket'' got mixed reviews because the second half just pads on without the strength of the first half. ''Eyes Wide Shut'' got better reviews, but this had more to do with Kubrick's death before the film came out. A lot of people still felt it was a slow erotic movie that wasn't sexy at all [[spoiler: and just resulted in a ShaggyDogStory with an anticlimax.]] All of his films have been VindicatedByHistory nevertheless, usually within 10 years after their initial release.
103	* PrimaDonnaDirector: The TropeCodifier. After earning his AuteurLicense, every one of his movies were productions which extended for years where he controlled every tiny detail and forced the actors to do over 20 takes ''at minimum''. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools This resulted in great films]]. It also ensured that virtually no actor worked with him twice.[[note]]except Creator/SterlingHayden, Philip Stone, and Creator/PeterSellers, who had two movies, and Creator/JoeTurkel, who had three.[[/note]]
104	* ProductionThrowback: Re-insertions of "CRM 114", originally the comunication device onboard the bombers of ''Dr. Strangelove''
105	* PublicDomainSoundtrack: A prominent use of classical music in all his films from ''2001'' onwards. Most notably he removed Alex North's original composition for ''2001'' during production, neglected to tell North about it, and the composer expectantly discovered the changes when he went for the screening. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(score)#Reception Alex North was a respected composer certainly and his unused score for ''2001'' is considered pretty good]].
106	* ReclusiveArtist: To the point that [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Conway one conman]] successfully managed to impersonate him ''in front of an experienced film critic''. [[note]]Kubrick's wife was horrified when she heard about Conway's impersonation, but Kubrick apparently [[ActuallyPrettyFunny found the idea very amusing]].[[/note]] It should be noted though that Kubrick was only reclusive in terms of being a public figure and Hollywood celebrity. He was generally accessible to critics who wanted to interview him about his films, such as Michel Ciment of Positif, and he also maintained friendships with producers and directors and kept up to speed with new film-makers. He also sent fan letters to film-makers he admired, [[http://www.cinematheia.com/stanley-kubricks-letter-to-ingmar-bergman-in-1980/ such as this one]] to Creator/IngmarBergman.
107	* SceneryPorn:
108	** Kubrick really "composed" his backgrounds. Many rooms and settings have an almost photographic quality to them. They have been carefully constructed, built or put in the frame in a way that they too become interesting to look at. Small significant and symbolic details can be spotted by the observant viewer.
109	** A scene in or just outside a bathroom. Or both. Involving someone breaking into the bathroom.
110	** Shots down long paths with parallel walls.
111	** Later in his career, extensive {{Steadicam}} use. Kubrick was one of the first filmmakers to really embrace the technology. Interestingly, he was also known for personally handling the camera whenever a handheld (shaky) shot was necessary. Examples are ''2001'' (when descending the ramp on the moon), and ''The Killing'', which is notable because it creates a JitterCam effect (meant to portray the chaos after a gunfight) inspired perhaps by a similar sequence in Creator/NicholasRay's ''Film/OnDangerousGround'' made a few years back.
112	* ShortLivedBigImpact: [[invoked]] He only made thirteen films from 1953 to 1999, yet most of those films are regarded as some of the best ever made. It must be noted that Kubrick deliberately carved himself this niche with Warner Bros. studios. Most of his films were box-office successes and every film was an event, so each film stood out individually among all other films brought out that year.
113	* ShroudedInMyth: [[invoked]]
114	** Due to Kubrick's reluctance to talk about the hidden meanings of his films he's probably one of the most analyzed and discussed film directors of all time. There are still scenes in his work that remain mysterious and are open for interpretation. Particularly ''Film/EyesWideShut'', which has fuelled many [[ConspiracyTheorist conspiracy theories]].
115	** Likewise, Kubrick's refusal to have a public profile means that there are many misconceptions about his style, approach, and methods of making films as well as his habits as a working professional in the film industry.
116	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Mostly on the cynical end of the scale. 2001: A Space Odyssey might be his most idealistic film.
117	* SlidingScaleOfShinyVersusGritty: Many a film student will note that Kubrick was fond of a particular 2-act structure in his films, one with a "shiny" aesthetic half and one with a "gritty" aesthetic half. ''A Clockwork Orange'', for example, begins with a gritty portrayal of gang violence and is followed by a shiny portrayal of the main character's life in prison and going through human experimentation. ''Full Metal Jacket'' opens with a "shiny" first act that ends with a tragic murder, followed by a jarringly LighterAndSofter yet visually "gritty" second act of the main characters' tour in Vietnam.... and so on. Usually, it's the "shiny" part of the movie [[LightIsNotGood where the most unnerving events of the movie take place]].
118	* SignatureStyle: Mostly on the cynicism side for SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism, lots of hallways and tracking shots (he was particularly fond of the Steadicam), almost always an adaptation of a book, mentally unstable protagonists, surrealism, classical music ([[SoundtrackDissonance many times used for ironic effect]]), tons of black humor, the Kubrick Stare, at least one scene involving a toilet and above all meticulous attention to detail. And, of course, tons and tons of eerie, artificially polished environments [[LightIsNotGood doused in a wash of fluorescent lighting to convey a sense of unease]].
119	* SoundtrackDissonance: Kubrick often used well known classical music and pop melodies and put them in an ironic new context. This has led to PopCulturalOsmosis in some cases where one can't hear the original piece without associating it with a Kubrick film instead. A notable example would be ''"Also sprach Zarathustra"'', the main theme to ''2001''.
120	* TakeThat: Much of ''Film/DrStrangelove'''s plot was inspired by Kubrick's conversations with the political scientist Thomas Schelling, whose influential book ''Arms and Influence'' took a very different perspective on nuclear weapons and the likelihood of their use by either UsefulNotes/ColdWar power.
121	* ThrowItIn: [[invoked]] Despite his reputation for being a perfectionist and retaking shots over and over, many of Kubrick's films' most iconic moments were unscripted, including:
122	** Much of Peter Sellers' dialogue in ''Film/DoctorStrangelove''.
123	** Much of R. Lee Ermey's dialogue in ''Film/FullMetalJacket''.
124	** The inclusion of "Singing in the Rain" in ''Film/AClockworkOrange''.
125	** The inclusion of "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" in ''Film/EyesWideShut''.
126	** Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" line in ''Film/TheShining'' (due to his long residence in the UK, Kubrick [[PopculturalOsmosisFailure had no idea what the line meant]] and had to be talked out of using a different shot).
127	** [[http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2013/01/09/film-crit-hulk-smash-hulk-vs.-tom-hooper-and-art-of-cinematic-affectation [=FilmCritHulk=]]] argues that this was a much bigger part of Kubrick's MO than is typically acknowledged and that rather than looking for perfection, the retakes were intended to break actors out of conventional acting to better serve the director's intentions. Indeed this was the reason why directors in the GoldenAge such as Creator/WilliamWyler or Creator/CharlieChaplin used multiple takes, since they had specific intentions and were not usually comfortable with actors trained in multiple styles and approaches, and generally preferred a process to wear their resistance until they got the results they wanted.
128	* TransatlanticEquivalent: Well more trans-''Pacific'', but Kubrick carries one nonetheless with Creator/IsaoTakahata. Both were film directors known for being [[ThePerfectionist incredibly]] [[ControlFreak strict]] towards the people they worked with, sometimes to the detriment of their physical and mental health, but were also wildly acclaimed for making some of the artistically strongest films in their respective mediums (live-action for Kubrick, animation for Takahata), films which ranged from bittersweet to cynically depressing, tapped into the flaws of human nature, delved into a number of different genres, and [[AcclaimedFlop tended to be bigger successes with critics than box offices]].
129	* TwoActStructure: The first half of most Kubrick films will typically take place in a sterile, brightly lit, "civilized" environment that accentuates and contrasts the human suffering that takes place within it. The second half is set in a location of relative wilderness and chaos (such as outer space, a prison, or a war zone) but provides glimmers of hope for the protagonist(s).
130	* VerbalTic: A lot of the dialog in his movies [[SelfDemonstratingArticle goes... very... slowly...]] sometimes with lots of [[PunctuatedForEmphasis pauses within a line]], or more commonly, characters pausing before EVERY reply, sometimes causing a conversation of four or five lines to take nearly a minute.
131	* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: Stanley Kubrick's films are full of BlackComedy, with major characters who are incredibly cold and unsympathetic in nature.
132	** Jack in ''Film/TheShining'' is an incredibly self-centered and abusive [[TheAlcoholic alcoholic]], and his SanitySlippage over the course of the film slowly peels back the layers separating AffablyEvil, FauxAffablyEvil, and AxeCrazy[[note]]This is a far cry from book!Jack, who is mostly a good man, but one with a bad temper who desperately tries to control it, and hang onto both his sanity and sobriety while the Hotel mercilessly grinds them away[[/note]].
133	** Alex is a cold, sociopathic, criminal who rapes and steals along with his droogs who are doing it because of human choice.
134	** Barry Lyndon, the [[Film/BarryLyndon titular character of the Kubrick classic]]. He only gets worse within time.
135	** Quite a few of the major characters in Dr Strangelove fall into this, such as the chilling-yet-hilarious lunacy of General Ripper, and the antics of those in the War room.
136	* WagTheDirector: [[invoked]]
137	** In a bit of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and in a non-hostile manner during the production of ''Spartacus''. Creator/KirkDouglas fired Creator/AnthonyMann and hired Stanley Kubrick, as two of them were very good friends and Kubrick did it as a favor to Douglas. However, though directing the film made Kubrick famous, [[WeUsedToBeFriends they weren't friends by the end]], as Kubrick later claimed that almost everything was really controlled by Douglas, who was also the producer, and the picture really wasn't big enough for both of them. Douglas later went on to describe Kubrick as "a talented shit."
138	** Kubrick quit the production of Creator/MarlonBrando's vehicle ''One Eyed Jacks'' (1961) after it became clear that Brando wanted to direct the film himself and Kubrick would be the director in name only. Brando was insecure and uncertain and finally did direct the film, and it's considered a pretty good film in its own right, albeit not really having the Kubrickian elements.
139	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[invoked]]
140	** Kubrick's film about UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte (he was a big admirer of the [[Film/Napoleon1927 1927 silent Abel Gance film]]). A project he dreamt about making for years and garnered an unbelievable amount of documentation about. But it was thwarted by the movie ''Film/{{Waterloo}}'' (1970), which got such a bad reception that producers weren't willing to invest in another Napoleon movie. ''Film/BarryLyndon'' is set in part of the same time period and is probably the closest he ever got into making it. Decades later, Creator/RidleyScott and screenwriter David Scarpa were inspired by his script when making ''Film/{{Napoleon\|2023}}'', and Creator/StevenSpielberg (much like with ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'') is interested in making a Napoleon story of his own, potentially as a miniseries.
141	** His movie project about the Holocaust, ''Aryan Papers'', which also got scrapped because he saw ''Film/SchindlersList'' and felt he couldn't top it. Not to mention that Kubrick himself found the subject matter to be incredibly depressing.
142	** ''A.I.'' a science fiction movie he felt was more something for Creator/StevenSpielberg, who eventually made it posthumously for Kubrick: ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence''.
143	** According to [[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/30/stanley-kubrick-childrens-film-death-pinocchio-eyes-wide-shut-spartacus this article]], Kubrick was planning on making a ''children's film'' and a film in World War II. Specifically, a film about Pinocchio and one on Monte Cassino, one of the most bitter and bloody battles of the European theater in the Second World War. [[WesternAnimation/GuillermoDelTorosPinocchio A Pinocchio movie set during World War II]] eventually did get made in 2022, albeit by [[Creator/GuillermoDelToro someone else entirely.]]
144	** Kubrick had wanted to film Creator/JohnLeCarre's novel ''Literature/APerfectSpy'', and was even willing to work for Creator/TheBBC when they outbid him for the rights, but fearing cost overruns, they turned him down.
145	** Daniel Waters pitched ''Film/{{Heathers}}'' to Kubrick with the intention of having him direct it, believing that "Kubrick was the only person that could get away with a three-hour film." Kubrick, however, turned Waters' offers down; Michael Lehmann directed the movie instead, and its runtime was cut down from 3 hours to 103 minutes.
146	----
147	!! References to Kubrick in popular culture
148
149	* CelebritySong Instrumental [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8J98ZeS-ME Stanley Kubrick]] by Music/{{Mogwai}}.
150	* An appearance in ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory''.
151

Context Creator / StanleyKubrick