Stanley Kubrick(1928 — 1999)
Stanley Kubrick
États-Unis, Royaume-Uni
6 min read
Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was an American director, screenwriter and producer. A former photographer, he became one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century, renowned for his perfectionism and the diversity of his genres, from war films to science fiction.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on July 26, 1928 in New York, he started out as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s
- 1964: directs Dr. Strangelove, a satire of the Cold War and nuclear deterrence
- 1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey revolutionizes science fiction and special effects in cinema
- 1971: A Clockwork Orange, whose violence sparks fierce controversy in the United Kingdom
- 1980: The Shining, a horror film adapted from Stephen King; he dies on March 7, 1999 shortly after completing Eyes Wide Shut
Works & Achievements
An indictment of the absurdity of war, set in the trenches of 1916. The film was long banned in France for its portrayal of the army.
A grand epic about the slave revolt in ancient Rome. Kubrick's first major box-office success, but also his least personal film.
A black comedy about the risk of nuclear war between East and West. An emblematic work capturing the anxieties of the Cold War.
A science-fiction film about the evolution of humanity and artificial intelligence (the computer HAL 9000). Its special effects left their mark on film history and earned Kubrick his only Oscar.
An adaptation of Anthony Burgess about youth violence and conditioning by the State. A cult and highly controversial film.
A sumptuous recreation of the 18th century, filmed by candlelight. A model of pictorial care and classical music.
A horror film set in an isolated hotel, based on Stephen King. Famous for its Steadicam tracking shots and its harrowing atmosphere.
A war film in two parts about Marine training and the Vietnam War. A study of the dehumanization of the soldier.
Anecdotes
At just 17, Stanley Kubrick sold his first photograph to Look magazine: the image shows a newsstand vendor devastated by the announcement of President Roosevelt's death in 1945. Hired as a staff photographer, he roamed New York for five years before ever touching a camera. This photographer's eye explains the extreme care he would later bring to every shot.
For the period film *Barry Lyndon* (1975), Kubrick wanted to film nighttime scenes lit by candlelight alone, with no electric lighting whatsoever. He had ultra-fast lenses adapted—originally designed by NASA to photograph the far side of the Moon. The result looks like 18th-century paintings coming to life.
Kubrick was famous for his perfectionism and sometimes demanded dozens of takes. On *The Shining* (1980), a staircase scene with actress Shelley Duvall was reportedly shot nearly 127 times, a long-cited record. The actors came away exhausted, but the director was searching for the most truthful emotion.
Passionate about chess since his teens, the young Kubrick played for money in New York's parks to make ends meet. He compared directing to a game of chess: anticipate, keep your cool, and never act on impulse.
Kubrick had a paralyzing fear of flying and refused to board a plane. Settled in England from the 1960s on, he shot nearly all his films there and drove his car at reduced speed, controlling everything in his world just as he did on his sets.
Primary Sources
The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent; yet if we can come to terms with this indifference, then our existence as a species can have genuine meaning.
I wanted to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized understanding and penetrates directly into the subconscious with its emotional and philosophical content.
The director has to be a kind of idea-maker-in-chief: he decides everything, from the angle of a lamp to the tone of a line of dialogue, because it is the accumulation of these details that creates the meaning of the film.
Following threats and the conflation made between the film and real acts of violence, the director requested that the film no longer be shown in the United Kingdom.
Key Places
New York City borough where Stanley Kubrick was born in 1928. He grew up there and developed his passion for photography and chess.
Capital of American cinema where Kubrick directed *Spartacus*. He soon distanced himself from it to escape the control of the major studios.
Studios near London where Kubrick shot several of his major films, including *The Shining*. Working there spared him from having to fly.
Vast English manor where Kubrick lived and worked from the 1970s onward. He died there in 1999, shortly after completing *Eyes Wide Shut*.
