It is impossible to look at masterpieces of modern cinema without bringing up the works of Stanley Kubrick. Being the director of 16 films, his work was progressively more and more groundbreaking as time went on, and in this post, I will be talking about the three essential Kubrick film that you should watch as an introduction to his work.
The first film I will be recommending is 2001: A Space Odyssey. I cannot count the amount of times I have watched television programmes and interviews with directors and film critics and this film has been mentioned as the defining moment where the person in question knew they had to pursue a career in film. The film was released in 1968 and does require a lot of patience and interest from the audience, with over 20 minutes of the film passing before the first word is spoken. The film questions everything we know about existence, about space and about mans want to be in control. Questions that cannot be answered are raised through the most breathtaking images and sequences of film, and once the film is over, the audience are left one of a few ways (A) confused (B) in awe & (C) with their life being changed. I, myself, was left relating to all three.
The film is utterly inspiring if the audience is willing to disregard all the differences in this sci-fi film and modern (as in- after the film was released, the beginning of CGI etc) sci-fi films, which, granted, can be hard to do, however the end result of having watched this film is one that will stay with you for a long, long time.
The next film is the deviously amazing A Clockwork Orange. This is one of Kubrick's most shocking films, leading Kubrick to ban the showing and selling of the film in the UK for his entire lifetime after reports that people were committing crimes similar to those in the film. The film tells the story of Alex Delarge, a teenager in a dystopian futuristic Great Britain. With some of the most memorable sequences of Kubrick's career (Singin' in the Rain, anyone?) and an impeccable performance by Malcolm McDowell, the film is a must watch for film students (believe me..) and cinema-lovers in general.
The amount of justice this film deserves is unable to be explained with words, the images, characters and story speak for themselves entirely.
The final film in this list is my favourite of the three, The Shining. The Shining boasts some of the most groundbreaking work of Kubrick's time and is a how-to guide on character development, plot development and all-round how to make a movie. My favourite horror movie of all time, the combination of the beautifully haunting location, psychopathic characters and supernatural activity make for an extremely thrilling watch. The opening titles is one of my favourite moments of the film, a beautiful helicopter shot showing both the isolation of the setting and the beauty of the natural world. The screams in the music played over the shot are haunting, appearing to come from the trees and the ground, following the car and the characters inside, almost setting the film up in one long shot. As soon as I first saw the opening titles, I was gobsmacked and genuinely scared.
There is not too much I can say regarding this film apart from watch it. It is absolutely amazing, and that is from someone who doesn't usually find horror films to be that appealing.
As is evident from this post, I am a huge admirer of Kubrick's work, perhaps once you have watched all three films you'll move on to some of his classic films such as Lolita or Paths of Glory. Perhaps you'll even find yourself watching the terrifyingly long and dull period drama, Barry Lyndon and appreciating the highly stylised mise en scene. I hope this post provokes interest in people who perhaps have never had the final kick up the backside to get familiar with Kubrick's work, and I hope you enjoy the films.
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