A Serious Discussion About the Legendary Stanley Kubrick

[Fabricus]

There are two types of people in this world: there are those who consider Stanley Kubrick a film director, and there are those who considers him a genius. This thread is for forum members who fall into the second category.

I'll start by presenting the great man's filmography; I'll then move on to cinematography; at some point I'll need to discuss Barry Lyndon and those extraordinary Carl Zeiss f/0.7 primes (half a dozen of which were bought by NASA and used for Neil Armstrong's moon shots).

If you wish to contribute, please do so. I'll come back tomorrow and detail Kubrick's filmography.

[fasteddie]

Is it true he gave an interview shortly before his death where he alleged the moon landing was a con filmed by him?

[Fabricus]

Is it true he gave an interview shortly before his death where he alleged the moon landing was a con filmed by him?

There's a lot of interesting conspiracy stuff about this on Youtube.

I think the story about him filming the landings was inspired by the great work he and Arthur C. Clarke did on 2001. I'll try to dig out a video which explores this.

Conspiracy theories about the moon landings have been around for decades. Never once, however, did the Russians claim the landings were faked.

[JLCrab]

what I was looking for in Kubrick's 1960 Spartacus was the scene where the defeated Roman General has to answer as to how he was defeated and answered (almost): But -- they were slaves.

However, I found this instead:

Edited December 11, 2015 by JLCrab

[fasteddie]

Sorry, should be a vid but wont upload.

[Frank James]

Kubrick's masterpiece (in my opinion) was "Barry Lyndon", a commercial bomb which was savaged by the critics of its day. The most obvious flaw was the casting of Ryan O'Neal as the rake and rambling lad, Redmond Barry/Barry Lyndon. He wasn't exactly terrible in the role, but somehow it just didn't work. It would have been so much better with a seasoned UK actor in the role. Albert Finney comes immediately to mind, but perhaps it was too soon after Tom Jones. If the film were made today, someone like Christian Bale, Tim Roth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Farrell, or Ben Mendesohn (too much of a stretch?) could kill it.

Every frame was like a painting. I'll never forget seeing it in 70mm HUGE SCREEN , with perfect sound, when it first came out. I've never seen anything like it, before or since.

ELEVEN, forever

[Fabricus]

Sorry, should be a vid but wont upload.

Here's something I watched a while back. I though it was very good. It's a British TV production; it a hoax, too, and extremely well done.

Edited interviews with Donald Rumsfeld, Henry Kissinger and Buzz Aldrin create a wonderful sense of authenticity.

[Fabricus]

what I was looking for in Kubrick's 1960 Spartacus was the scene where the defeated Roman General has to answer as to how he was defeated and answered (almost): But -- they were slaves.

I know the scene you're referring to.

Marcus Licinius Crassus appointed the guy, but I didn't realize he'd been given the rank of general.

When he returned after having been defeated by Spartacus, he was questioned in the senate.

Crassus: So did you reinforce your camp with fire and water?

The General: Well ....... no. But, they were only slaves.

Crassus then announced his resignation from the senate and his decision to retire to private life.

[Fabricus]

Kubrick's masterpiece (in my opinion) was "Barry Lyndon", a commercial bomb which was savaged by the critics of its day. The most obvious flaw was the casting of Ryan O'Neal as the rake and rambling lad, Redmond Barry/Barry Lyndon. He wasn't exactly terrible in the role, but somehow it just didn't work. It would have been so much better with a seasoned UK actor in the role. Albert Finney comes immediately to mind, but perhaps it was too soon after Tom Jones. If the film were made today, someone like Christian Bale, Tim Roth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Farrell, or Ben Mendesohn (too much of a stretch?) could kill it.

Every frame was like a painting. I'll never forget seeing it in 70mm HUGE SCREEN , with perfect sound, when it first came out. I've never seen anything like it, before or since.

ELEVEN, forever

Good post. Thanks for sharing. I first heard about Barry Lyndon when I was 15 or 16. It was only quite recently (30 years later) that I finally watched it. I'd read about the "oil painting" scenes, but figured I had seen enough (and was cynical enough) not to be overly impressed by them.

IMO, there are two or three scenes in the second part of the film that go off the radar. When I watched these scenes I figured I had a problem with my TV. I assumed the movie had got stuck. The scenes froze.

Then I worked it out. I realized that Kubrick's "gimmick" was to use real oil paintings in place of cinematography.

But then .... the scenes came to life! They were real: they weren't oil paintings and the movie had been running normally for the last 4 or 5 seconds.

I've never seen anything like this (or as good as this) in any other movie.

===

Below is one of the "oil painting" scenes that appear to freeze. It comes just before Lord Bullingdon demands satisfaction.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Fabricus

[Fabricus]

Sorry, should be a vid but wont upload.

Here's something I watched a while back. I though it was very good. It's a British TV production; it a hoax, too, and extremely well done.

Edited interviews with Donald Rumsfeld, Henry Kissinger and Buzz Aldrin create a wonderful sense of authenticity.

I'm watching this again right now.

WARNING: SUPERB HOAX ALERT

Watch the video from 34 minutes. See what happens @35 mins & 10 seconds.

[MAJIC]

Is it true he gave an interview shortly before his death where he alleged the moon landing was a con filmed by him?

There's a lot of interesting conspiracy stuff about this on Youtube.

I think the story about him filming the landings was inspired by the great work he and Arthur C. Clarke did on 2001. I'll try to dig out a video which explores this.

Conspiracy theories about the moon landings have been around for decades. Never once, however, did the Russians claim the landings were faked.

Exactly, the big hole in the conspiriters argument. And wouldn't the Russians love to say they have evidence to prove the moon landing was faked by the Americans! who landed men on the moon before they did!

[TuskegeeBen]

Hopefully, I rise to the occasion of belonging to your second category. A film genius, Kubrick undoubtedly was. However, "Eyes Wide Shut" was the final film production, that served to become Kubrick's Achilles heel.

Edited December 17, 2015 by TuskegeeBen