Stanley Kubrick, great or overrated?

[Sors]

2001 A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Lolita, Sparticus (Kind of), A Clock Work Orange, Eyes Wide Shut.

I think that Dr. Strangelove is aguably the best movie ever made, and I think that even with such a weird movie like Eyes Wide Shut, he is possibly the greatest film maker to ever live.

Discuss.

 

[Murmur]

I love the lighting in the films of his that I have seen.

 

[catch22]

I don't think he's the best ever, but I do think he was a great filmmaker with a unique voice.

 

[nadroj1985]

I think he's a bit overrated. Granted, I haven't seen 2001 or The Shining yet, so I might be missing his best ones. But A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, and Eyes Wide Shut are all good, but not great films, IMO. I like a lot of the particular shots in a lot of these films (particularly the opening of ACO), so I can see that Kubrick has a lot of talent, but I just haven't seen a film of his that I've really loved.

 

[MoonlessNight]

Full Metal Jacket wasn't particularly good, but I suppose everyone has an off day.

 

[Sors]

Granted, I haven't seen 2001 or The Shining yet, so I might be missing his best ones. But A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, and Eyes Wide Shut are all good, but not great films, IMO.

I can see people not thinking A Clockwork Ornage or Eyes Wide Shut are not great films...but Dr Strangelove is considered by many to be the greatest comedy ever...along with one of the greatest movies ever. I think it is absolutely brilliant in almost every aspect of the film. By far the greatest satire ever made and I think this is his best movie.

 

[Glaz]

I can see people not thinking A Clockwork Ornage or Eyes Wide Shut are not great films...but Dr Strangelove is considered by many to be the greatest comedy ever...along with one of the greatest movies ever. I think it is absolutely brilliant in almost every aspect of the film. By far the greatest satire ever made and I think this is his best movie.

Agreed, Dr. Strangelove is one of the best films ever made and easily his best work. He is a great director, though I'd put Coppola ahead of him.

 

[Switch Radic]

Many of his films were about things that were pretty in your face. He had a very ambiguous way of presenting things which I think turned alot of people off. And I'll be honest with everyone here and say that I didn't really think eyes wide shut was all that great of a movie. I only really went to see it because of the skin. Thank God alot has changed since 1999!

 

[SUNSTONE]

I loved Full Metal Jacket, especially the boot camp first half of the movie.

Eyes Wide Shut, a brilliant movie, with a very good point.

He is definitly a unique, distinct director that offers a refreshing style.

 

[funyun]

Stanley Kubrick was great. A Clockwork Orange is the best movie ever made (based off of a book that's almost as good), and Dr. Strangelove iis one of the greatest comedies ever.

 

[nadroj1985]

I can see people not thinking A Clockwork Ornage or Eyes Wide Shut are not great films...but Dr Strangelove is considered by many to be the greatest comedy ever...along with one of the greatest movies ever. I think it is absolutely brilliant in almost every aspect of the film. By far the greatest satire ever made and I think this is his best movie.

Yeah, I can see why people think so much of it, I suppose. But I wouldn't call it the greatest comedy ever, because it's not the funniest movie I've ever seen. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, maybe, but not Dr. Strangelove. Although I will say that the opening credits, with the one plane refueling the other, is hilarious.

 

[Sors]

I wish A Clockwork Orange ended like the British version of the book. The book offers something the movie doesnt. A messsage of hope. Thats why I like the book more.

 

[Everglaze]

I think he's over-rated and I'm being honest.

The way I see it, yeah, he's a big-name director and all but I really don't catch the "spark" in what others see in him.

I own "The Shining" on VHS (though I never watch it) and I've seen Dr. Strangelove which I wrote an essay on for my film class.

I have seen "Full Metal Jacket" twice but have not seen "Clockwork Orange" nor do I wish to.

One thing I like about Kubrick though, is the fact that he broke some film shooting rules in one of his movies to intentionally do something unique.

 

[Sors]

One thing I like about Kubrick though, is the fact that he broke some film shooting rules in one of his movies to intentionally do something unique.

Yeah, sorta like Tarentino in that aspect.

 

[bigsierra]

I think he's over-rated.

I did like Apocalypse Now though.

Kidding. I was just kidding.

I hated Full Metal Jacket. I liked the TV version of The Shining better. Two viewings of a Clockwork Orange, both at festivals and didn't like it either time. I think he went way over the top to give simple message. With 2001, I never knew what the message was, but I liked "Mother" in Alien better. I thought I might like Sparticus, but then never watched it because it was directed by him. If Eyes Wide Shut was never made, would Tom and Nicole still be together? Anyway, another simple message with a convoluted story to present it to us.

 

[TrueQ]

I thought Strangelove was alright, and I loved Clockwork Orange, though I didn't much care for Space Odyssey, and I've heard good things about Eyes Wide Shut. So I guess Kubrick's movies are pretty much all over the range.

 

[funyun]

I wish A Clockwork Orange ended like the British version of the book. The book offers something the movie doesnt. A messsage of hope. Thats why I like the book more.

I agree. That's one thing I like about the book more than the movie, though all in all I think the movie is better. I liked the ending of the British version of the book because it really showed the plot and the character coming full circle and gave a deeper insight into the theme past the point where the movie and the rest of the book takes it.

But I still think that the movie is a masterpiece of cinema and of art in general. I take flack for this everytime I say it, but the dialogue is Shakesperean.

 

[funyun]

I have seen "Full Metal Jacket" twice but have not seen "Clockwork Orange" nor do I wish to.

Why? I understand that the movie is quite disturbing at times, and can be incredibly violent, but I think everyone should see it whwn they are ready. I mean, you can always not like it.

 

[Sors]

Why? I understand that the movie is quite disturbing at times, and can be incredibly violent, but I think everyone should see it whwn they are ready. I mean, you can always not like it.

I think there are many people that should not see A Clockwork Orange. I agree that it is a wonderful work of cinema, but people should keep in mind that its original rating was X.

 

[Switch Radic]

plus there's the whole thing of guarding your heart too. I saw a Clockwork Orange and to be honest with you, I didn't think that it was that great of a film. Kubrick tends to focus his lens on the negative aspect of society and humanity, and people praise this and call this art. Why glorify something that we can live above? I don't consider Kubrick that strong of a director simply because all he shows is that there is nothing but hopelessness in his heart. Consider this, whenever a movie is made or a book written, or a painting painted, whenever any work of 'art' is done, the artist is always revealing to the audience his or her heart. It is an inevitablity. The artist can't help but do that because all they know is in their heart. And when I see these films and read these books and listen to that music, I am being shown the heart of the artist. And oftentimes, I don't like what I see. It is so much the world and not enough of the truth.