Striving for greatness is a dream all directors (and most artists) aspire to achieve, but Stanley Kubrick is one of a few filmmakers who has reached a level of immortality in cinema history. What Kubrick has done throughout his entire filmography will stand the test of time, creating a diverse catalog of masterpieces that hold up to this day. Though it is a rather small filmography over the course of nearly half a century, and his time with us is unfortunately no more, Kubrick showed perhaps one of the widest ranges of storytelling a director can have. He was a perfectionist who had a unique ability to pick an intriguing story and completely transform it to fit his own vision. The Kubrick style is one that many film students have and will be taught, and has inspired many filmmakers of today. Mike Flanagan achieved this and more by paying homage to Kubrick and his style while being honorable to the source material in his 2019 film Doctor Sleep.
Stanley Kubrick’s array of prestigious motion pictures are nearly impossible to pin up against one another. Since they are all vastly different in subject, they can nearly all stand on their own pedestal of perfection. However, since Kubrick’s films are so complex and distinctly unique that numerous books have been written about them (and him), there is at least one film for everyone. From science fiction to historical fiction, Kubrick allowed just about anyone to find one motion picture that could potentially speak to them. Here are seven that spoke the loudest.
7 Eyes Wide Shut
While the plot is rather strange, Eyes Wide Shut is a powerful closer to Kubrick’s catalog. The psychosexual thrills and mystery it delivers causes anxiety and tension not seen in most dramas about love, and make no mistake, it is a love story at the heart of the film. But Kubrick sprinkles on layer after layer of complexity that leaves the audience exhausted and speechless by its conclusion. This film also contains one of the best performances from Tom Cruise as a wanderer of the subconscious, reeling after the news that his wife had considered an affair. We experience this mystery through his eyes, and feel every bit of the threat that seems to close around him.
6 Barry Lyndon
Clocking in at just over three hours, Barry Lyndon could be considered a historical epic and one of Stanley Kubrick's more accessible movies. If this film were to be released today, it would probably be as a miniseries, though Kubrick probably would've detested the thought of splicing his story. Nevertheless, we are left with a beautiful masterpiece that takes us through a generation of events. Barry Lyndon’s trials and tribulations are investing and thought-provoking, his rise and fall chronicled with such sophisticated technical application; the film has some of the most gorgeous cinematography in history, and uses natural lighting and candlelight masterfully. We cannot help but applaud Kubrick’s ability to seamlessly guide us through an 18th century voyage.
5 The Shining
Practically every genre Stanley Kubrick touched turned to pure cinematic gold. The Shining is perhaps the most infamous Stephen King adaptation in terms of King’s detachment from the film itself, and is legendary, as the production’s backstories are well known to horror fans. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duval have such an intensity to their performances because of it, which is only heightened by Kubrick’s pristine direction. Regardless of what went on during production, the motion picture is a staple of horror that lives from generation to generation, with an incredible attention to detail and meticulous use of every cinematic trick in the book. Kubrick's use of tracking shots allow the tension to slowly build as the viewer is forced to wait and see what’s around every corner. The film is a slow burn, but the pay-off is an explosion of blood, fear and psychology. With a rather ambiguous ending, the film begs for continued conversation and interpretation to this very day.
4 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Kubrick’s take on dark comedy is not the most conventional; he utilized dark themes of nuclear destruction and made it… rather hilarious. The humor is in the absurdity of over-the-top characters (including the titular Doctor Stranglove a bizarre comedic relief Nazi) and the brilliant but subtle dialogue. The heart of the film shows us how both paranoia and the nationalist superiority complex can drive people in power to madness. Kubrick seamlessly blends a mixture of emotions and tones with utter artistry-- should we be afraid, or should we be laughing? All in all, we can agree that Peter Sellers is a powerhouse as multiple characters and the direction is, of course, spot on.
3 2001: A Space Odyssey
A radical science fiction landmark from 1968 and a gift to cinema enthusiasts, 2001: A Space Odyssey is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, and rightfully so. Combining sci-fi imagery with a classical score, Kubrick shows the grandiose nature of space and the mystery of the cosmos. While the world of this film is slow moving, Kubrick makes every shot a present for the eyes. Its visual effects are revolutionary and hold up decades later, and its plot is still relatable as humanity strives forward with advancements in technology, all the while questioning what really defines the human subject.
2 Full Metal Jacket
This bifurcated movie is essentially two films in one. The first half of Full Metal Jacket is perhaps one the most famous training sequences ever put to film. These scenes fully belong to R. Lee Ermey as Sergeant Hartman, who maintains such control over the recruits, and both his acting and Kubrick's direction detail the horrors of boot camp. Every scene is beautifully constructed and brutally real in its depiction of average military life and the process of being broken by commanding officers in order to become natural killers. However, we start to see a downward spiral of the psyche, and after the infamous bathroom scene, we are thrown onto the battlefield itself, where Kubrick turns the film into a total war drama. We are on the front lines and the film’s scale explodes, following each of these recruits as they mature from training into battle. It’s as real as it could get. With grand set pieces, practical effects, and a powerfully haunting ending sequence featuring the theme to The Mickey Mouse Club, this is one of the best war movies ever made.
1 A Clockwork Orange
A character-driven psychological thriller and a masterpiece that will forever reside as one of the best films ever made, A Clockwork Orange is perhaps Kubrick’s most ambitious film. It is completely wild and violent, but for legitimate reasons; the film is about violence itself, as told through the perspective of Alex, brilliantly played by Malcolm McDowell. The character study has gathered a cult following because of its extreme nature of the subject, and its innovative combination of sci-fi, comedy, horror, and bonkers art film. We follow Alex on his journey to understand his craving for ultra-violence-- his droogs become his adversaries, his family becomes estranged, the government becomes invasive, and his world turns upside down. The music is powerful and hypnotic as well. Conveying with the tone of the film, the score beautifully combines with the dystopian insanity. Aside from all of this, A Clockwork Orange has one of the best closing lines in modern cinema, a perfect end to a disturbing, unforgettable experience.