Stanley Kubrick's classic sword-and-sandal film Spartacus (1960) turned a whopping 60 years old this week. To celebrate, I will share my ranking of (almost) all feature films directed by Kubrick. I say 'almost', as I simply haven't gotten my hands on Fear And Desire (1953), his very first movie that barely makes the cut for feature length qualification with its 62-minute runtime. I have, however, seen all 12 films that he made after that underground debut, and here is my ranking:
12. Killer's Kiss (1955)
Kubrick's debut feature film (when not counting Fear And Desire) is not a bad film, but it's quite bland, and therefore bad by Kubrick standards. But you can't really blame the director: Kubrick is definitely at his best when he has a large budget backing him, as his best films are riddled with massive set design and an overall grandiose production scale. There's only so much he can do when given 67-minute runtime, for a film largely financed by his family. It's a fine debut, but there's no real "wow factor".
The story in Killer's Kiss is about a washed-up boxer (Jamie Smith), who tries to save a dancer (Irene Kane) from her crooked employer (Frank Silvera). The film-noir style works well enough, and Kubrick's trademark perfectionism behind the camera is apparent already at this early stage of the career. The film is well-shot and an overall solid sign of things to come, but it's a long way from the greatness of Kubrick's later projects.
11. Lolita (1962)
This highly controversial adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's novel treads on some thin ice, as any movie about pedophilia is bound to do. While I do understand the interpretation that some people have of this film as inadvertently glorifying or humanizing the subject, I myself see it as a merely realistic and explanatory look at a serious issue. The protagonist, Professor Humbert (James Mason) finds himself attracted to fourteen-year-old Lolita (Sue Lyon), and the film follows his struggles as he tries to repress said feelings and deal with them.
Lolita definitely isn't for everyone, but for a viewer like myself, it does offer some very interesting psychology mixed in with the expert directing that one may expect from a Kubrick film. It is an uncomfortable film to watch, which absolutely was Kubrick's intention, so I'd call the film a success despite it being one of the director's overall weaker offerings.
10. Barry Lyndon (1975)
Barry Lyndon is one of the most beautifully shot films I have ever seen. The only reason that it isn't higher here is that the story isn't as captivating as in most Kubrick films (and the over-3-hour runtime is a bit overkill in this instance), and a beautiful visual outlook isn't enough to make a film great if the story isn't interesting (that is the same problem that I have with some of Wes Anderson's films). However, when the visual artistry is as phenomenal as it is in Barry Lyndon, it does garner some serious points in my book.
Barry Lyndon is one of those films where more or less every shot could be framed and put on one's wall as a magnificent photograph. Kubrick's perfectionist tendencies are on a whole new level, as are the skills of cinematographer John Alcott, as everything from the contrasts in color and symmetrical viewpoints to amazing background sceneries and powerful pieces of imagery are striking throughout the film. While it isn't among my favorite Kubrick movies, it is among his most beautiful and artistic for sure.
9. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Shot and finished just before Kubrick's death and released posthumously, Eyes Wide Shut was a weird but oddly appropriate way for the iconic director's ever-changing filmography to go out. It is just as ambitious, artistic and experimental as any of his films, but in a strikingly sexual manner. The plot is basically about a doctor (Tom Cruise) who finds out his wife (Nicole Kidman) has been cheating on her, and who then embarks on a night-long quest of moral and sexual discovery.
A big chunk of the film (and its most famous sequence) takes place in an orgy, and it is a thing to behold. I'm still not sure what to make of that part of the film, as seeing such erotic and gratuitous imagery shot in such an artistic and perfectionist way makes for a truly strange experience. As odd as the mixture of styles in that sequence is, it definitely succeeds in making this film unique even among Kubrick's own work, and the overall creepy atmosphere in the latter half of the film is brilliantly accomplished throughout various directorial choices. It is too bad that Kubrick passed away before the film's release and subsequent controversies it sparked, as it would've been great to hear his cryptic take on it all.
Also, I feel like I should make a joke about this being a movie where Tom Cruise stumbles upon a cult with strange lore and rituals...Kubrick truly was ahead of his time.
8. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Speaking of graphic material, here's one of the most violent films ever made, still holding its own after nearly 50 years. Paving the way for Quentin Tarantino, A Clockwork Orange proved that ultra-violent cinema doesn't have to be b-class gore with no substance, but rather elements of violence can help make a certain type of great film even greater. I'm guessing quite a few critics weren't too excited to give Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Writing and Best Directing to such an extreme film, but what choice did they have when the movie is simply so good?
Wendy Carlos's zany soundtrack, Malcolm McDowell's sledgehammer performance, Kubrick's screenplay based on Anthony Burgess's novel, John Alcott's cinematography and John Barry's lavish set design make for one of the most unique movie milieus of all time. The film takes a deep psychological look at the human tendencies for violence and crime, making the film feel very relevant despite its futuristic setting. In addition to the film's composed score, the frequent use of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 makes for a pitch-perfect style choice - after seeing this film, you won't be able to hear that piece without getting some frightening images in your head.
7. The Killing (1956)
One of the more down-to-earth Kubrick films, the director's sophomore production is quite a straight-forward heist movie. If you're wondering why it's ahead of classics like A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, the answer is that it's more or less the perfect heist movie, quite possibly outdone only by Ocean's Eleven (2001). Only 84 minutes long and fast in its pace, The Killing follows a crook (Sterling Hayden) who assembles a crew to rob a race-track event. The build-up is cool enough, but the actual robbery is where things get really interesting.
Halfway through the film, Kubrick takes a Rashomon (1950) -style approach, as we see the whole heist go down from start to finish several times, from different points of view. This is an absolutely fascinating and thrilling way to follow the event, after which there is just time enough for an awesome final sequence. Believe me, when there are only 20 seconds left before the end credits sequence, you still have no idea how the plot will be resolved, as Kubrick truly keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat until the last possible moment. The man truly was a master of suspense.
6. Spartacus (1960)
Spartacus is the most likely Kubrick film to be the favorite of someone who generally doesn't like Kubrick, just as it is reviled by many of Kubrick's fans (not this guy though). The reason for this phenomenon is that Spartacus is his most "Hollywood" film, as the studio had quite a tight grip on their vision and didn't let Kubrick go full experimental-interpretational-art-project on this one. While I hugely appreciate the director's experimental side, this film is placed so high on my list because he also does a great job with a conventional Hollywood film - in my book, Spartacus beats Ben-Hur (1959), Gladiator (2000) and others in the arena (pun intended) of the greatest sword-and-sandal movies ever made.
Spartacus is absolutely epic. The grandiose set design, the over-3-hour runtime (much more justified here than with Barry Lyndon) and the theme of rebellion against injustice make for a large-scale movie that you won't soon forget. Filled with amazing performances by Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis and others, this true story about a famous slave uprising is masterfully captured by Kubrick. The iconic "I am Spartacus" scene is emotionally powerful, even after one has seen it parodied in every comedy series ever made.
5. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
This gripping Vietnam War movie is split into two very different but equally brutal parts. The first half follows a group of marines during their intense boot camp, which includes R. Lee Ermey's iconic performance as the inhumanely strict drill sergeant Hartman, as well as an unsettling performance by Vincent D'Onofrio as a private whose suffering leads to a breaking point that veers on psychological horror in a frighteningly real-feeling way.
The second half sees the main characters actually go to Vietnam, which strangely enough isn't as intense as their training period, but still a very draining thing to watch. Kubrick's vision was to capture the dehumanizing effect that war has on people, and he sure nailed it. The film's most central character is Pvt. Joker (Matthew Modine), as we see the events unfold largely from his perspective, and this approach tells the story in a grim and thought-provoking fashion.
4. Paths Of Glory (1957)
The slightly better out of Kubrick's two war films, this World War I movie is truly astonishing. While nearly all great war films are 'anti-war' to some degree, as romanticizing and glorifying war doesn't sit well with a lot of people, no other film comes close to Paths Of Glory in just how anti-war you can be - something a pacifist such as myself can very much appreciate.
Paths Of Glory is a depressing film to watch. Full Metal Jacket is gripping in its own right, but this film is on whole different level. It will make you question the very concepts of war, and realize just how screwed up it can be. The film was controversial for its anti-military themes and portrayal of injustice within military ranks, but it has later gained a legacy of supposedly being very realistic - some people just didn't want to accept the hard truths that it had to tell. Paths Of Glory is one of the most powerful movies I've seen, and its message remains very important to this day.
3. The Shining (1980)
It really says something about Kubrick's filmography that this is literally my favorite horror movie of all time, yet only my third-favorite movie from the director. The Shining creates horror in a unique and masterful way, as fans will know: Kubrick moved, added and removed objects in the background between camera shots. This ingeniously creates a form of unconscious horror, where the viewer doesn't notice the intentional continuity errors, but it messes with their mind - something about the Overlook Hotel just feels very wrong and unsettling.
Jack Nicholson also contributes one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen, as his character Jack Torrance's descent into madness comes to life with perfection. The camerawork and set design are the diamond quality that one can expect from Kubrick, and the film is filled with iconic imagery and expertly built scenes - the corn maze transition, the blood flowing out of the elevator, and of course that final shot that really sticks with you.
2. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)
Stanley Kubrick had a most peculiar sense of humor - most of his films are more or less devoid of comedy, while some use a very specific kind of dry humor as a subtle extra spice. But in Dr. Strangelove, the only full-on comedy movie he ever made, his comedic senses are absolutely unleashed, and it is a thing of wonder. The film is a sharp yet silly political satire that is very relevant to this day.
Peter Sellers kills it in his triple role as three very different characters - the variety of his acting and the expert work of the film's costume department is so flawless, that I legitimately didn't realize it was the same actor until I saw the end credits. Between his increasingly manic acting performance and the overall theme of boldly criticizing the cold war through a fictional tale that feels absurdly over-the-top yet frighteningly realistic and possible all at the same time, this film is a straight-up masterpiece and possibly my favorite comedy movie of all time.
Also, "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room!" is the greatest line in cinematic history and I will stand by that opinion.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
I've been dreading the day that I discuss this film (one of the three only films that I've ever given a full 10/10 rating to) in my blog, as its greatness simply can't be put to words. Oh well, I'll try my best.
Kubrick's perfectionist directing is at its best in this impeccably crafted piece of art, where many of the shots are iconic and worth framing on one's wall (even more so than with Barry Lyndon). The magnificent set design in the film's various sci-fi locations, coupled with the creative use of classical music (Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra in the opening sequence is the most majestic use of music in a film that I can think of) makes for a unique and thoroughly fascinating atmosphere.
The way the actual story is told is brilliant in its unconventional manner. The first 25 minutes contain no dialogue, and mainly follow a group of apes. From there, I don't want to spoil the direction the story takes, but let's just say that the story is divided into very separate-seeming segments that take place in a wide range of time. However, there are clear thematic similarities between these acts, and there are multiple ways one can interpret the meaning of why the story consists of specifically those events. Most interpretations touch on some truly larger-than-life themes, speaking of which...
That final half and hour. Again, I won't spoil the specifics, but just...it's simply beyond anything else I've seen. The film certainly isn't for everyone, but for someone with my specific tastes, the final act of 2001 is the absolute best that a movie can be. It goes beyond all conventions of storytelling to deliver a visually and narratively mind-bending spectacle unlike any other. The sheer amount of mystery, art and imagination that is mixed into that ending segment is something that will always stay with me. Thank you, Stanley Kubrick, for proving with this film that there are no limits and boundaries to one's creativity and vision.
Thank you for reading! Next week's blog has an odd concept, the reasoning for which I'll explain in the text: I'll be ranking all six films that have been directed by either Ari Aster, Jordan Peele or Robert Eggers. Fans of horror cinema, see you then!
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