American cinema's least Hollywood-like director never quite emerges
from the shadows in this biography, but many useful career details
do. LoBrutto (a film editor who teaches at the School of Visual
Arts) freely admits to being "totally obsessed" with his reclusive
subject, and his obsession shows as he traces Kubrick from Bronx
child to Look photographer to London-based filmmaker famed for the
vision and perfectionism of movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, A
Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket. Along the way, every
available fact is thrown in: not only Kubrick's school report cards
(he was deemed "unsatisfactory in social areas"), but a handwriting
analysis that unsurprisingly reveals him as a "perfectionist." Fans
of the "master" (as he is sometimes adoringly called here) will
enjoy the wealth of detail, some based on new interviews, some on
exhaustive canvassing of previous research. But the Holy Grail - an
original interview with the director - is not here, nor are answers
to such personal questions as what went wrong with his first and
second marriages. Most of the people interviewed know Kubrick only
superficially, and are unable to offer intimate insight. In place
of that, LoBrutto provides ample behind-the-scenes coverage of each
Kubrick film from conception to exhibition, exploring such matters
as his early low-budget "guerrilla filmmaking," troubles with Kirk
Douglas on Spartacus, and the use of the Steadicam in The Shining.
The prose is occasionally purple or obscure (what does it mean to
say "Wartime Lies is a penultimate Stanley Kubrick project"?), and
some passages are repetitive, particularly when discussing
Kubrick's penchant for many takes of the same shot. But on the
whole, the book is readable and informative, both for devoted fans
and casual admirers. A brave, and often successful, attempt to
chronicle the life of a filmmaker famous for his noncooperation
with chroniclers. (Kirkus Reviews)
Stanley Kubrick, director of the acclaimed films Paths of Glory,
Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A
Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket, is arguably
the greatest American filmmaker alive. Yet, despite being hailed as
"a giant" by Orson Welles, little is known about this reclusive
director. Stanley Kubrick -- the first full-length study of his
life -- is based on assiduous archival research as well as new
interviews with friends, family, and colleagues.
Film scholar Vincent LoBrutto provides a comprehensive portrait
of the director, from his high school days in the Bronx and his
stint as a photographer for Look magazine, through the creation of
his wide-ranging movies, including the long-awaited Eyes Wide Shut.
The author provides behind-the-scenes details about the writing,
filming, financing, and reception of the director's entire output,
paying close attention to the technical innovations and to his
often contentious relationships with actors. This fascinating
biography exposes the enigma that is Stanley Kubrick while placing
him in the context of film history.
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