Stanley Kubrick is one of the most regarded directors of the 20th century. His films include “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “A Clockwork Orange”, and “Dr. Strangelove” which have been microscopically analyzed over the years and have given way to inspiring many directors.
In comparison to other directors, Kubrick made only a few feature-length films, thirteen, to be exact. Quality over quantity appears to be the Kubrick legacy.
With fellow director Steven Speilberg set to finish Kubrick’s scrapped Napoleon biopic there is a lot of talk about Kubrick’s completed filmography. This is my take on what I consider to be the best introductory Kubrick movies.
If you are a fan of horror, “The Shining” (1980) is your next watch.
Based on the book with the same title by Stephen King, “The Shining” follows the chilling story of the Torrance family. Head of the house Jack Torrance moves his wife and child out to a secluded and abandoned hotel in the Colorado Rockies. His hope is to start a new life with his family and revitalize the infamous Overlook Hotel to its past glory.
Things take a turn for the worse when the hotel’s dead spirits begin to toy with Jack’s already erratic personality. Wendy and Danny, Jack’s wife and son face many challenges in fleeing the hotel.
The Shining is culturally a very well-known piece. Phrases like “Here’s Johnny” and “Redrum” were popularized because of this movie.
Recent films like Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” pay homage to motifs seen in “The Shining”, including the color red being used to create tension and anxiety in both films. The Overlook Hotel is adorned in many shades of red, whereas the main character of “Get Out”, Chris, wears red to symbolize the horrors he has to face.
Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” (1987), set during the Vietnam War, follows the life of a soldier nicknamed Joker.
Notably, “Full Metal Jacket” is based on a 1979 novel by Gustav Hasford named “The Short-Timers”. The first half of the film delves into themes of toxic masculinity and control as Joker endures boot camp alongside his fellow recruits.
The second half brings the audience into the war as Joker fights a seemingly invisible enemy that sharpshoots, and kills off his squadron. “Full Metal Jacket” does not shy away from or glorify the horrors of war. Kubrick critiques masculinity and its shaping of destruction while questioning the power of femininity during war.
Will Quilla, a TV-Video Production major at SUNY Plattsburgh says “Full Metal Jacket is a really good movie with humorous parts that contrast the darker themes. Matthew Modine (Joker) and R. Lee Ermey (Drill Sergeant) are standout actors in the film.”
Though “Full Metal Jacket” is a war movie, viewers of all different tastes can enjoy it, Quilla says.
Lastly, Kubrick’s 1999 film “Eyes Wide Shut” is a personal favorite, but also a fantastic film that is solely based on the 1926 Austrian book “Traumnovelle”, or in English,“Dream Story.”
“Eyes Wide Shut” captures the short, but bizarre journey of Dr. Bill Harford, a man trying to piece together a secret cult-like society. At the same time, Bill grapples with feelings of distrust after his wife Alice confides in him that she once desired to have sex with another man. Bill spends his time roaming the streets of New York City and getting himself into dangerous situations.
Isabel Yu, a Biochemistry major at SUNY Buffalo, and film enthusiast says, “Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut is somewhere between a wet dream and a nightmare. On the surface the movie seems to be about the tension and allure of the moment before giving in to all of our sexual fantasies and the power that sexuality holds both to open and unravel reality.”
Yu adds, “However, the only thing that holds true as lasting power in this world is money and status, which is the underlying theme of the movie.”
“The Shining”, “Full Metal Jacket”, and “Eyes Wide Shut” are great films to ease into the work of Kubrick. If you find yourself interested in seeing more, the complete list of Stanley Kubrick’s work can be found here on IMDb.