Most unappreciated Stanley Kubrick Film

[Feathered Fish]

Poll question: Most unappreciated Stanley Kubrick Film

I am having a conversation with my boyfriend about Kubrick films that are disrespected. I am obviously not including the staples: A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey or Dr. Strangelove, because these are usually cited as his best works. For my money I am going to say Barry Lyndon. What do you think?

[NoSheep]

1. Lolita, Underappreciated, I would say

[henslee]

3. It is my impression that Lolita has a following. The killing always seemed

Barry Lyndon for me, gets lost in the sauce. Sophisticados might mention it but I doubt many rent it.

[NoSheep]

10. I'll get it upon your recommendation. Thanks.

[henslee]

13. I know Ken Russell digs Barry Lyndon. What I was trying to say about

the killing is that is is photographed well, especially the horseracing but it really is very conventional and lacks the attitude of his later stuff.

[henslee]

14. Not Ken Russell. I meant Robert Altman.

[Downtown Hound]

2. Eyes Wide Shut

I think the reason many people don't like this movie is that they don't understand it. They don't realize that it's all taking place in Tom Cruise's mind. Once you understand that, it's a very powerful movie.

[Feathered Fish]

5. Yeah

I get defensive about Eyes Wide Shut. So many people dump on it without any clue about what the themes are.

[KSAtheist]

16. I "dump on it" without hesitation.

If Kubrick had put as much time into the actual story as he did the themes, it might have been a decent movie.

[Schema Thing]

4. LOL, Eyes Wide Shut

I certainly didn't appreciate that piece of crap!

[imenja]

11. I didn't think much of it either

I tried to like it, but it just wasn't possible. The further the movie progressed, the more absurd it became.

[9119495]

15. Yeah, there is no Kubrick style absurdity in

Dr. Strangelove...or A Clockwerk Orange...or Full Metal Jacket...The Shining...2001: A Space Odyssey...

I can understand you not liking the absurdity, but the fact it is absurd is part of the point.

[kwassa]

22. I've never seen a less sexy film with so many beautiful naked women

at least with beautiful bodies.

The act of masking them completely dehumanized them, of course, and it was all about dehumanized sex. None of the men took off a thing, which also pointed up the sexism of this film industry.

What was the damn point? Not even the rich maskers looked like they were having any fun.

[On the Road]

6. Eyes Wide Shut Would Have Been Considered A Great Movie

had it been released in the late 60s, when sex was more controversial.

Or if the uncensored version had been released. In this case, the graphic sex was central to the movie and it was weaker for being covered up.

Or the male lead were an actor who was more troubled than Tom Cruise. As much as I like TC, he just didn't fit the mold for this part.

I think one reason people yawned was that sex has been overexamined in the last 40 years. Being something of a recluse, Kubrik might not have appreciated that.

[imenja]

12. it still would have had to be better crafted

[edbermac]

7. EWS by a mile...

The critics and public bought all the hype about Cruise and Kidman having sex on film and were turned off because it was never there in the first place and were totally oblivious to what the film was all about in the second place...

Here are some links with some good interpretations of EWS. Also check the revised book Kubrick: Inside a film artist's maze by Thomas Allen Nelson.

http://www.cinephiles.net/Eyes_Wide_Shut/Film-Synopsis.html

http://www.cgjungpage.org/content/view/536

http://www.aboutfilm.com/movies/e/eyeswideshut.htm

http://www.qnetwork.com/?page=review&id=280

[edbermac]

8. Has anyone ever SEEN Fear and Desire?

Kubrick had tried numerous times to prevent the film from showing...he thought it was awful...the only scenes I have ever seen were from the documentary Kubrick A Life In Pictures where there is a clip lasting 20 or 30 seconds...probably as bad as SK thinks...

[Feathered Fish]

9. I own 2 taped copies

The picture quality is terrible, but the film is alright.

[Malikshah]

17. Is there such a thing?

I thought there were all lauded in their day and beyond.

[Emboldened Chimp]

18. Tough call, but I'll go with The Killing

If only because it has Sterling Hayden.

[Steely_Dan]

19. Barry Lyndon - Without a Doubt!

You can take any frame from that movie and it would be suitable as a painting. The photography is just incredible.

-Paige

[silverpatronus]

20. honestly, i find kubrick overrated....

i turned the tv off prolly 1/3 way through 2001, after sitting there for 30-45 mins going 'what the fuck is this shit?'. a clockwork orange...i'm not even going to go into. eyes wide shut was a disaster. AI...i'll give a pass, because spielberg tempered MOST of kubrick's insanity, with the exception of the horrid ending.

[PunkPop]

21. Really?

I'm not a film expert by any stretch of the imagination - rock and roll is more my thing. But as a filmmaker I think Kubrick made some of the most unique and interesting pieces of work.

I had never seen Barry Lyndon but caught it when I was sick in bed a couple months ago. Loved it. Just found it really interesting and the cinematography was amazing.

If 2001 is on tv somewhere I will watch it. Doesn't matter that I've seen it 5 or 6 times. I start watching it and find it hard to turn away.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

23. Barry Lyndon; and now for a link ...

to a fascinating account of the Kubrick archive:

"Somewhere here," says Tony, "is just about every ghost book ever written, and there'll be a box containing photographs of the exteriors of maybe every mountain hotel in the world."

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1177734,00.html