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1) The Killing (1956): The Killing has Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay, a criminal who wishes to retire and masterminds the robbery of a racetrack. The film is an adrenaline rush right from the beginning and never lets down until the very end. I do not want to give much of the plot, so I'll be happy to say that the entire cast is excellent and that this movie rightfully deserves to be among the five best films of the film-noir genre. I still pick Double Indemnity as the ultimate best, but The Killing can happily rest as a #2.
2) Paths of Glory (1957): This is Kubrick's first war movie, starring Kirk Douglas. Some consider it Kubrick's first masterpiece. You see The Killing is a great movie overall, but from Paths of Glory and on, Kubrick's filming excellence simply moves the bar up to a newer standard. It deals with emotions and concerns of the characters, and how to deal with desperation, fear, loyalty and commitment. It is a very profound movie that creates the path of understanding the dehumanization of the mind seen in other Kubrick films.
3) Spartacus (1960): Kubrick's first -and only- epic movie starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis and Peter Ustinov. Need to say more? To be perfectly honest, this film is more of a Douglas product than Kubrick's, because Stanley's contributions to the script weren't as usual as in his other movies. In fact he stepped in to replace the previous director who resigned from the task. Some even consider this as Kubrick's farewell to Hollywood and the beginning of the true mastermind in film-making. As in The Killing, Sparatcus is a great film, but it's the last below Stanley's standards.
4) Lolita (1962): This is where it all begins. From this point and on, Kubrick will cast whoever he wants to in the part he wants to, star or not, famous or not, Hollywoodish, British or any-thing-ish. Lolita is a brilliant, surreal and intriguing film. Kubrick begins working on films based on controversial books, but he moves away from some of the elements seen in text. He decides to use film-making resources to recreate the scenes in his own particular way. He relies on music, camera angles, acting, dialog, script, in order to achieve the results he wants. Lolita's value goes beyond the story: it's how the story is told, the way it is told, the pace in which is told. Like I said, this is where it all begins.
5) Dr Strangelove (1964): Kubrick's friendship with Peter Sellers pays off in what is considered by many, the greatest comedy of all time. Only Stanley Kubrick would have the guts to make a satire of the cold war, during the peak of the cold war. As in Lolita, Kubrick casts the right actor for the right part. In retrospective, I just can't see anyone else portraying the roles of Dr Stangelove: I can't picture another person other than George C. Scott as Gral Turgidson, Slim Pickens as Major Kong, or Sterling Hayden as Gral Ripper, even less anyone in Peter Seller's three way performances. The legacy of Dr. Strangelove is quite straight forward: it's Kubrick's way to laugh at the entire world for the absurdity of the human nature to engage in a war.
6) 2001 (1968): I first saw 2001 when I was eight years old, with my mom and a friend. The two of them ended up leaving the room before the end of the first act, while I kept watching marveled wondering "What in the world is going on here?" Then came the scenes with HAL, which left me sleepless for several nights... even more than Alien, Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers. In the end, my perception of 2001 was one word: masterpiece. 2001 is more than a film, it's an experience; it's a journey that takes us from our past to our present to our future, mixing conceptual art with science fiction. Arguably the greatest sci-fi movie of all time, one can review 2001 in one brief sentence: there are great movies, and there is 2001.
7) A Clockwork Orange (1971): This was my second Kubrick film and up to that point I had never seen anything like it, or barely even close to it. Of course, I have never seen anything like it ever since. There is so much to interpret, discuss and analyze from ACO, it would take me a 500 page book to write it all up. Only Kubrick can make the viewer experience so many mixed emotions, each one different from each other, for the same person: first you despise Alex, then you hate him, then you laugh with him, then you feel bad for him, then you hate him, then love him, then feel sorry, then love, hate, pity, envy, admire, respect, despise again... you see, Alexander De Large, is each one of us, and that's what Kubrick tells us in ACO.
8) Barry Lyndon (1975): Has a similar effect than ACO, but with less crudeness and more classicism. I think it's Kubrick's longest film, not in terms of time but in terms of pacing -as in, the film "feels long"-. There is a bit of satire and irony expressed in the narrative of the film, which are placed in order to make the viewer feel a more modern sentiment towards the novel. The film is absolutely impressive, especially for its effects and photography -Stanley's specialty-, and of course for being able to show picaresque romance to a contemporary population. It is a different side to Kubrick and it's a side you will end up admiring for sure.
9) The Shining (1980): I guess at this point Stanley was thinking something like "well, I've made war, comedy, drama, adventure, sci-fi... mmm... why not make horror?" Jack Nicholson vowed never to work again with Kubrick, after having experienced the "hundreds of takes" method Stanley was famous for, and when watching The Shining you can tell it was taking its toll on Jack. By the end of the second act, he looks exhausted, crazy, tired, sick, just like the main character of the film should be. The kid Danny Lloyd on the other hand, looks as fresh as a lettuce. It's been reported Danny didn't even know he was filming a horror film. That's quite remarkable: to have your cast work on something they're not even aware of. Just like its predecessors, The Shining is one of the best movies in its genre, it doesn't date, and it is a testament of brilliance, vision and art.
10) Full Metal Jacket (1987): I would say the war genre is the only one where Stanley made two films about. Up to this point, all his past movies fell into different genres, although one can make a case of FMJ. This film deals again with dehumanization -just like ACO-, but in a different way, because in this case it is caused by circumstance and not by actions. The film is divided in two acts, each one ending up with the same result, built in a separate context. As in other Kubrick films, it discusses human nature and questions it. It also rises the question of duality and conflicted personalities, regardless of the environment or settlement. Once again, the scenarios are sublime, and the photography and takes are flawless. In a nutshell, there is nothing bad you can say about a movie that ends playing The Rolling Stones' Paint it black.
11) Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Kubrick's final film. While many consider it his worst (or less great, for that matter), I do place it right there with any other one. I dare. The reason why I do it is because I believe Kubrick tells the vision that any other person wouldn't dare to. He goes where no one has wanted to go, in a way where he can preserve film-making integrity and admiration towards the art. EWS is a two hour journey through the emotions that every man and woman feel but do not wish to say and prefer to hide. Once man realizes the importance of not hiding, EWS will be respected as another Kubrick masterpiece.
So there we go! That is my humble tribute to the greatest movie director of all time. Happy Birthday Stanley and thank you.
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