Kubrick's Books - The Adaptations of Stanley Kubrick
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
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You ever think about how most of Stanley Kubrick’s movies were adaptations? I do. In this video essay, I examine the adaptations of Stanley Kubrick, from The Killing to Eyes Wide Shut, and consider how the famed auteur reinterpreted literature for the cinema.
0:00 - Introduction
1:25 - The Killing
16:21 - Paths of Glory
28:19 - Spartacus
40:39 - Lolita
58:18 - Dr. Strangelove
1:16:42 - 2001: A Space Odyssey
1:38:45 - A Clockwork Orange
1:58:12 - Barry Lyndon
2:20:06 - The Shining
2:40:28 - Full Metal Jacket
2:56:46 - Eyes Wide Shut
3:14:00 - Conclusion
Cinematography by Jordan Richards.
Thumbnail Art Designed by Cameron Smith. Find him (at)camer0ndraws on Twitter and Instagram.
Special Thanks to Brooke, Sydney, Cam, Kelly, and The Screening Room.
Works Cited and Further Reading: docs.google.com/document/d/1R...
Filmography: letterboxd.com/eyebrowcinema/...
Music Featured: docs.google.com/document/d/1a...
Running Waters by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Sadday by bensound.
Martian Cowboy by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
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What is your favourite Stanley Kubrick movie? Bonus points if you can name a favourite novel Kubrick adapted.
Dr. Strangelove is my favorite Kubrick, but Barry Lyndon comes as a close second.
+my favorite novel of the Kubrick adaptations is A Clockwork Orange
2001 a space odyssey
Eyes Wide Shut. Not read any of the novels tho.
Dr. Strangelove, The Shining
2001, comic is better though.
A 3.5 hour video essay to which Daniel had to read thousands of pages of literature for research? Give this man a medal! Hope you finally get the recognition you deserve with this one
You knkw Reading isn’t supppsed to be a chore?
@@yourt00bzYou're right but to his defense reading takes up time and in this day and age ppl use that time on the many distractions available to them. I personally do audio books since I drive for work.
@@frankblack1014 he truly walks as god amongst men. I have done nothing since that comment
@@yourt00bzlol. Your honesty is both humorous and commendable.
@@crypticscrutiny1153 even a fortnight later, my honest regret is palpable and sadly, prescient. For since then, I remain still idle and ashamed. From this abyss I cry out to you, o, lord, a humble sinner and a wretch. My pride doth injure me and your wrath hath humbled me.
"Paths of Glory" and "Full Metal Jacket" both end with soldiers singing a song to confort themselves after all the horror they've experienced.
M.I.C.K.E.Y
M.O.U.S.E
Brilliant catch.
I used to sing this song to the biker girls in rehab. They told me I was an old soul
War is crazy and sadly is humorous if it wasn't so tragically sad.
That explains a lot, I was so confused why the ending of Paths of Glory was so familiar in this video despite never seeing it.
3 hours and 21 minutes of Dan talking about Kubrick. My body is ready.
Damn didn't expect to see you here!
I’ve always loved the quiet strength Duvall gives Wendy. It reminds me of the old adage that courage isn’t being unafraid, but being afraid and pushing on anyway. Far more empowering than King’s Wendy.
Great video as always!
Thanks for the kind words, Karl. With you all the way on Wendy.
I agree with you except for what you said about King's Wendy. Both are strong but in their own way. Kubrick's Wendy is strong because of desperation, King's Wendy is strong by finding power within herself. Both have to overcome an abusive and insane husband and a child who possess powers they don't understand.
The Shining is the Kubrick movie I've watched most the past several years. Its dark and unique examination of patriarchy, masculinity, and 'white man's burden' is chilling.
Indeed. Quiet strength tends to be far more resilient than aggressive outbursts of energy. Which is why Wendy remains resourceful and eventually
survives her ordeal, whereas Jack's troubled mind is the very reason he's easily manipulated by the forces at the hotel, which ultimately dooms him.
How? The film Wendy screams and cries and has no depth to her character. The book Wendy is enduring both her husband's fundamental problems, and the judgement of her mother that pushed her into the impulsive decision to marry him, and will destroy her if she is proven right that she should've stayed with her and shouldn't have found her own way, which is why she denies the horrible things jack did and is trying not to do anymore.
I've always loved this quote in a book about the Stanley Kubrick Archives which I'm going to summarise. He talks about how the best part of adapting books is that when you adapt you have the opportunity to experience the story for the first time and know the emotions, which you can never get from an original script. I love this idea, and I imagine it also influences a director like David Fincher
Great quote. Helps put into perspective why he gravitated to adaptations.
That's what Alex Garland did with Annihilation.
The irony considering his take on The Shining is an absolute prime example of soulless hack writing where he literally ripped every bit of depth, nuance and emotion out of it 😂
Why can't you get it from an original script?
@@DartagnanMagicsorry I should've worded it better. I meant you can't experience the emotions of the story firsthand if you're written that story. You already know where it goes, how it ends, who the characters are etc. If you're reading someone's else's work the first time you get to experience the story as a story before a script
There's no such thing as a new Eyebrow Cinema video. Your research and dedication is insane, and your passion shines through.
Thank you very much, William. You're very kind.
How does that not make this a new video?
@@zapazapI'm assuming they meant to say bad instead of new
@@sethrussell6393 Or they meant there's nothing like a new Eyebrow Cinema video?
@@Taschenschieberthis
You always put the essay in video essay, seriously.
This feels like the type of well-researched and important film analysis that you’d have to pay 1000s to get on a college campus.
Genuinely cannot say enough great things about your work, I’m barely 1/6th of the way through the video and already loving every second!
I was once a film student, and I went thru this kind of phase with not only Kubrick, but Hitchcock. Like Kubrick, Hitchcock adapted material for his films, but only for the core of the plot. He dispensed with most of the original elements in order to build up his own themes, tropes, and humor. And like Kubrick, Hitchcock usually bought the properties out of his own pocket.
I'm not a film student, but I also went through a Kubrick and Hitchcock phase, still haven't recovered from that, my favorite filmmakers, the ones that changed my perception on cinema.
@@jesustovar2549 They're mine too. What's intriguing is that Kubrick & Hitchcock were opposites - in almost every way. Hitch was the subjective eye, Kubrick the objective. Hitch liked to plan every detail, every shot all in advance, much the way an engineer does a building at the drafting table; so that most of the directing was effectively done by the time he was shooting. Kubrick was constantly experimenting as he went along, and pressing his actors to do likewise - often letting his stars like Malcolm McDowell and Jack Nicholson and Peter Sellers to go wild. Hitchcock's themes were self-exploratory, self-parodying; Kubrick's, always about human nature, in terms of its own fatality. And yet, they are my 2 top favorite film artists. (Luis Bunuel is my 3rd favorite).
For me it was Bergman, Feññini, Antonioni and that whole Euro era. Later Lindsey Anderson. Best part of too much education.
-Matt’s dad
I took a Films of Stanley Kubrick course back in 2006 at my alma mater as a summer elective for my minor in Mass Communications as an undergrad (for the record, Kubrick passed away months before I turned 14, during which up to that point I had only seen 2001 and Spartacus) and this entire video is like all days of that course rolled and compressed into just over 3 hours!!! There's so much detail here that we still missed throughout that entire course, even using the assigned textbook, Thomas Allen Nelson's brilliant KUBRICK: INSIDE A FILM ARTIST'S MAZE!!! If only we had YT videos like this back then!!!
Love how this retrospective really gets down how a film adaptation of a novel differs from its original source material. It gives an idea of what Kubrick saw in the ideas and concepts presented and using them as a launch pad to tell his own take (Spartacus and 2001 aside-though both for different). If this is the 100th Episode of Eyebrow Cinema, then a big congrats on the milestone Dan. If not, then I’m sure whatever it will be it’s going to be another certified banger.
If I’m honest, while I love Kubrick’s version of the Shining, I think King’s reflects reality more. Society doesn’t openly embrace openly abusive men. They will defend abusive men but only if they can convince themselves that the man is not actually abusive. I also think King’s version of Jack doesn’t use the ghosts and alcoholism as a scapegoat. I’d say Kubrick’s version does that more. Kubrick’s Jack is almost cartoonish-enjoyable to watch, but not accurate for most abusers. The reason why people tend to stay with abusers is that they aren’t always abusive. Sometimes they’re even loving at times. And it’s not always intentionally done to manipulate. My gf grew up with an incredibly abusive dad, but she acknowledges that there were also times he was very kind to her. And that’s almost made it worse. It led to confusing and conflicting feelings towards him.
My wife is having our baby any minute but this epic essay is screaming louder to be watched first
Glad I could make a special day even more special.
Part of the "Famous Birth Stories" documentary, featuring the hilarious section, "I missed the birth of my son/ daughter because...."
“Sorry boss I can’t come to work today, Eyebrow Cinema dropped a new 3 and a half hour long video.”
I feel like I’m about to watch an epic.
I'm sure all bosses would have a chill and cool attitude given the circumstances.
I've read three of the novels that Kubrick made into films: Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, and Traumnovelle (Dream Story). These are all great books and Kubrick's adaptations are all great films but you are so right that Eyes Wide Shut is especially faithful to Schnitzler's Dream Story. Unlike just about everyone else, Eyes Wide Shut is my favorite Kubrick film, even though I love them all. Thanks for doing this. I wish more people would read more, quite frankly. Thank you, too, for being one of the few who actually understand what Eyes Wide Shut is about. I've never seen more ridiculous criticism of a film than I have of this one by just about everybody.
I feel you. I too love Eyes Wide Shut, and understand what Kubrick meant when he said that with this film he really gave the most to cinema
Eh I think Lolita is Kubrick's weakest film. It's not...exploitative like the 97' one feels at times but the tone is all over the place and doesn't quite get the point. Though it's not a bad film either.
@@Ranixo286 It may be his weakest film but possibly also his boldest attempt. I don't know how any director could have made a movie of that subject back when he did. Translating the work to a visual medium automatically makes it exploitative, but censoring it as was (is) necessary robs it of its impact. James Mason is what saves the picture to any degree -- my God he's good.
Edit: I just reached the end of the video, and he said it better than I did - that translating Lolita for film is an exercise in futility.
The Luck of Barry Lyndon is actually a really fun read! Thackery is a total smartass; if you're expecting a slog through a boring old novel, it's not like that at all. Plus it really is fun to read something after you've seen the film adaptation. Highly recommended, Alao, Dispatches is just phenomenal
I think the casting of Cruise is what I have issues with in that film. Sure, he does a serviceable job. But it seems more like the only way Kubrick could get his financing or something was to cast him. I can't imagine he was a first choice. And by casting Cruise, of course he gets Kidman who I think is one of the finest actors there is. Imagine Fassbinder or Phoenix or Penn or any number of actors who could have injected more depth. In my opinion, Cruise's vapidity leaves us unmoored in an uncertain land where an anchor is needed. Also, the censorship didn't do the climactic ( pun intended) scene any favors. The overall effect was one of sterility. A sterility that even 2001 with all it's machinery never had. Don't get me wrong, I still find it a fascinating film. I just can't buy into Cruise. Thanks for your comment!
I can understand King’s frustration with Kubrick’s adaption of The Shining.
King wrote the source material, watched Kubrick fundamentally change it, and then have the work’s legacy by defined by that film (since more people have watched the film than read the novel).
I think without even comparing the merits of each, that’s a hard pill to swallow for any author, and I can understand the brute feeling of “You took something I made, changed it, and then got all the credit.”
I haven’t read the novel but it almost seems like you could interpret it as a different work entirely (at least if you go by themes).
It certainly doesn't help with King's displeasure that 'The Shinning' film is seen by so many as a 'flawless masterpiece' when his grievances are quite understandable and the novel has a lot of autobiographical elements [as King was struggling with a family at the time]. The many 'fan theories' also annoy him [understandably as I agree a lot are reaching for things that are not there].
Honestly, the novel is rather dull and forgettable. Since it was so cathartic for King to write, perhaps it would have been better left as an overlong diary entry?
Ok, it's not that bad or unrelatable, certainly light-years away from King's worst writing, but also near equidistant from his best.
And if it matters, I've read Lolita, 2001, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, and.... I think that's it.
The reality is that King (though a nice bloke) is a poor, limited writer, who disdains any complexity or nuance, everything has to be literal. His books are shallow populist pap. Kubrick, on the other hand, thinks deeply and brings out the subtleties and complexities of human psychology in his films; they are cerebral and artistic.
@@dylanwolfit sounds like you haven't read many of his novels; this criticism is honestly ridiculous. king can't write a screenplay, because when putting things on screen he *does* feel the need to make everything clear cut, but his novels are not the same as his screenplays. kubrick and king can both be good artists without you needlessly and wrongly lampooning king
I didnt want to see this at first as i was scared of the runtime but 20 minutes in and it was imposible for me to not finish the video, almost as an obsession to the analysis. One of your best videos certainly, loved it from start to finish
Totally fair. Glad the material won you over.
Kubrick was a genius. Using all the talent of the original writer and then adding his visual brilliance made for some incredible cinema!
While nearly all other directors were at the mercy of their source material, Kubrick always elevated it to become the greatest director of all time
Wow. This video is longer than Barry Lyndon. Well done.
I felt a small wave of terror when I realized the video was longer than any of Kubrick's movies.
Your video essays never fail to inspire me creatively. Whenever I come upon my own writing block, I put one of your essays on and the in depth analysis of whatever topic you’re discussing helps me work through my own storytelling process. This is one of your best videos yet!
For me, the key change Kubrick made in A Clockwork Orange is how Alex winds up in the Ludovico experiment. It's been a while since I read the book, but if I'm not mistaken, Alex kills a couple of guys in prison and is selected to be the test subject on that basis. In the film, Kubrick has Alex volunteer to be part of the experiment. Not only does the change fit perfectly within the theme of free will versus control, it adds a layer of mystery to Alex that didn't previously exist: why *does* Alex volunteer? Was he influenced by his companionship with the priest? Did he do it simply as a means of being released from prison sooner? Did he have any change of heart at all? Was the fleeting moment of volunteering himself evidence of a genuine desire to reform that gets completely undone by his involvement in the treatment?
I love that such a simple change allows my mind to wander and ask more questions, and I can't help but feel that Kubrick made that change in order to provoke more questions.
**Correction: in the book, Alex doesn't murder anyone in prison but is blamed for beating someone, and then is selected. In any case, I don't think this detracts too much from my point.
Very good catch, Corbin. Love the questions you raise too.
I think Alex volunteers because he thinks himself impervious to rehabilitation, so it will simply mean a shorter sentence. He exemplifies that kind of brash, arrogant, youthful invincibility throughout the novel.
Even the maligned epilogue can be read as a continuation of Alex's belief that he can do whatever he wants, and if now he wants to be a simple family man than he can just do that. He doesn't express any desire to find love or raise a child in ways to be a better man than himself. He views it as a fantasy wherein he is the perfect man. No doubt he would be an abusive and domineering husband that blames his wife/child for any lack of perfection in that image.
I think Alex volunteers like I volunteered for the Draft and ended up fighting for my life in Vietnam. The astute existentialist is only in it for what feelings he gets out of it, thinking he controls his own destiny. At the end, Alex is "cured, all right": cured of any vestiges of conscience.
Finally watched all the films, and finally watched this.
This is incredible. Such rich analysis. A behemoth, a feast of a video essay.
Thanks Marshall. Much appreciated.
It's been a long time since I read Clockwork Orange but, if I remember correctly, like "Lolita", Alex was "aged up". I believe in the novel he's 16, a child himself, which underscored the themes Burgess was going for. Obviously they were as likely to do an age-faithful Alex as they were Dolores on film, even in the "maverick-auteur" cinema era. It def changed affected my reception of both films with the knowledge if the films were faithful I'd be watching children.
Finally, The Eyebrow Cut is here
It's ironic that many of these novels are very hard to find today and practically forgotten (The Shining being the main exception and possibly 2001 and ACwO).
Barry Lyndon is a great read if you can find it (try a library).
Lolita also being an exception
as a long time King fan, I just recently discovered Kubric through the Shining. Amazing work on this double feature length analysis.
What can I say? This is probably the best essay I’ve seen on the body of Kubrick‘s work that I’ve ever seen. And I have been studying Kubrick and commentary on Kubrick since 1970.
7:45 I haven’t watched the entire video yet, but just a correction here. Jim Thompson wrote and contributed much more to the script than just dialogue. Kubrick instead just credited Thompson for dialogue, something that hurt Thompson when he saw The Killing (with his family btw), especially since he considered Kubrick a friend. I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, but I do get annoyed so many critics, filmmakers, and fans praise Kubrick as a genius when he still had a lot of help from other people and they don’t receive the credit they deserve.
This is far and away the most thoughtful and highest quality content I have ever seen on UA-cam. Thank you so much for this.
Oh wow. Time to spend 3 hrs and 21 mins in The Kubrick Zone. I love that Jack talks about Wendy being a horror movie fan at the beginning of the movie. Well, towards the end, she gets the horror movie of her life.
I think Jack just uttered that to get the job. The movies Wendy actually watches at the hotel are more coming of age type films and her books are also more so the same thing too - the camera standing still on her reading catcher in the rye (coming of age story). So that might be more of implication rather than something true otherwise kubrick would’ve shown us that, not tell it. Which is what he’s a master at.
The most informative and Probably the best video I’ve seen on YT regarding Kubrick’s filmography. Your dedication and research should be commended, and your observations appreciated. I congratulate you.
It took me a couple of days to get through the video in between some personal stuff and work in general, but I'm genuinely in awe and amazed at the level of craftsmanship and detail in every minute of this video. This must have been a long and at often times frustrating project, but the results are marvelous.
There's some Kubrick I haven't seen yet, but the commentary on my favorite of his (so far) EYES WIDE SHUT, was so good. Watching the differences between the film and its book origin was so interesting. Talk about a sense of difference and scale! Excellent job as always!
I so appreciate you taking the time to watch this, and I can certainly understand breaking it into chunks. The runtime got away from me lmao. Thank you for your kind words. The production was frustrating at points, but hearing that people liked the end result means the world.
Stanley Kubrick is one of those directors whos talent is impossible to overstate. Hes made a half dozen of the greatest and most iconic films ever made, and he always gets praised for his directing style, his use of droning music, camera work, spund design etc. But I always felt like he was an underrated screen writer. You never hear his name brought up with other Writer/Director guys like Nolan or Tarantino, and I think that is precisely because he favored adaptations so much. Which is really unfair honestly. I mean Nolan debabtably did his best work with his brother John, and Tarantino wears his sleeve(really his whole damn jacket) so I dont get why he gets knocked for that.
As a massive fan of the novel ‘Lolita, and as someone who really doesn’t like Kubrick’s adaptation of the novel, I really enjoyed hearing your differing perspective on the movie. It really helped me see the movie in a slightly different way, and though I still don’t think it is a very strong adaptation of the source material, and I think it has had some problematic ways on the way the character of Dolores is viewed in the public consciousness, I now see how it can be seen with greater merit as a film. Great video!
This is the best analysis of "The Shining" I've ever heard.
A enormous effort. A thorough comparison between the source material and the films. I would add that Kubrick took stories that had a certain appeal to him and then transformed them through his own vision until they became something so rich with meaning that they will be subject to deep analysis for years and years to come. A modern day Da Vinci.
I enjoyed every minute of this insightful overview of Kubrik's entire filmography. Outstanding work.
Watching one of your video essays is like taking a class in college, the attention to detail and the way you explore every aspect of filmmaking, from the themes to the craft, is inspiring, you are one of the best at the platform without a doubt
Your longform video essays are infinitely enjoyable. Your narration and style are great. You do a fantastic job. Thank you!
wonderful details and insights on Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, and Lolita - Kubrick's first 6 movies which I've basically ignored. you really brought out the depths of decision making and artistic development involved in these adaptations.
Thank you! I'm glad I could bring aomething new to a Kubrick fan :)
I love Spartacus, but I've never been able to put it on my "Kubrick" list, as it was entirely controlled by Kirk Douglas. It was the only time Kubrick came in as a hired hand. Even Kubrick didn't consider it one of "his" films.
This feature film deserves an award. Seriously. Excellent work.
“Full Metal Jacket” ends with nothing having been accomplished and everyone being worse off for it… I could be wrong but that to me sounds like a decent metaphor for the Vietnam War itself
Having not read Thackery, I interpreted Barry Lyndon differently. I interpreted it as Kubrick's cynical interpretation of the movie Tom Jones. Like Tom Jones, the first half of the movie (There was an intermission) pictured the adventures of a lovable rogue. It mainly emphasized his more positive traits. - His courage and ambition as well as his innocence and occasional moments of sincerity and generosity. As with Tom Jones there was a comedic bumbling aspect to this part of the story.
As soon as the second half begins, the film immediately takes a more serious, tragic tone. The adventures and fun are over as Kubrick explores some of the darker aspects of Tom Jones's and Barry Lyndon's character and how the same traits and behavior that made him successful and appealing ultimately brought him down. In the second half everything goes wrong. The spirited nature of his son that causes his son to sneak and ride his horse ends with his son's death. Lyndon's carefree, reckless attitude leads to him waste his wife's fortune. His violence and pride become directed at his stepson. Even his act of mercy in sparing his stepson in the duel ends badly for him.
Also in Tom Jones, Tom eventually discovers that he is not a bastard but nobility. In contrast, in Barry Lyndon, Barry remains a commoner and his ambitions are thwarted by his class. This interpretation echoes statements Kubrick made about Napoleon (One of his obsessions) that it was ironic that a man as gifted as Napoleon could be brought down by simple human flaws and mistakes.
A three hour Stanley Kubrick video… Boy, this is going to be The Rock eyebrow level of eyebrow cinema, I’m excited
I like the comparison.
@@EyebrowCinema I thought you might, great work on the video so far (I haven't finished yet)
You are clearly very serious about your study of cinema. I've alwasys loved film, but I never developed that love into that kind of commitment so I admire it very much.
Jesus effin' Christ, this has to be top 10 greatest video essays ever, genuely this has to be one of the best film analysis I've seen
thx for this spectacular vid
Kubrick is my favourite director and his method of applying his distinctive artistic voice to pre existing material has fascinated me for a few years
Holy shit I'm barely on Paths of Glory (my favorite Kubrick picture), but you're already making me appreciate The Killing. This is gonna be an all-timer...
Haha thanks Josh! Enjoy.
The ending of The Killing is a 'killer'! One of the greatest endings of any movie, imo. Hilarious and frustrating at the same time. You share Sterling Hayden's shock reaction completely.
Wow. Never felt like I got anything out of A Clockwork Orange, but now I've heard your interpretation. Well spoken. I understand now.
The Ludovico technique is "effective". Burgess objected to it because as a Catholic he had a fundamental belief in free-will. If it didn't work at all, it wouldn't be significant enough for him to critique in that way. And the technique is not based on "fear of punishment" (I don't know that Burgess or other Catholics would object to that), but of making the subject physically incapable of certain acts. Alex also does return to violence in the novel, which is why he gets a new gang, his later voluntary turn away from it does not negate that.
King's critique of Kubrick's Wendy is not misogynistically "blaming" her, he's blaming KUBRICK. And he's far from the only person who places blame on Kubrick regarding that character (specifically, in how he got that performance form Shelley Duvall).
I would deny that Bill is looking at the goings-on in the mansion with "horror". He's fascinated, and sticks around even after he's been warned he should leave.
Kubrick really knew how to end a movie in a way that makes you just sit there in stunned silence. Even in his less great movies like FMJ just leave you in a trance.
"Less great movies like FMJ"? Blasphemy. I'm just kidding. I totally respect your opinion. I'm just busting chops because I love that film and think it's one of ole Stanley's best. Do you mind if I ask why you look at it as less great than some of his others? I'm genuinely curious. Please don't feel any pressure to answer. I just like conversing about movies and love having multiple opinions in case there was something I missed. I hope you have q great day!
Btw: AI, which Kubrick had started developing but Spielberg had to unfortunately finish, was also an adaptation of a short story: "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" by Brian Aldiss.
I woke up to find UA-cam randomly auto played this. Listened to 2 hours of it lol. Why am I fascinated with this now….
the killing was very good especially i loved the way the dialogue was written in that movie
the insights here were fantastic, especially as probably like a lot of fans, i've overlooked his early films
I haven't seen in a long time, but wasn't the line, "You're like a bad joke...without a punchline," in there? If so, I have always remembered that line. If not, I still remember enjoying the movie.
Wow. I don't know that I've ever seen cinema commentary that was more coherent and insightful than this. I'm not used to finding this level of quality on UA-cam.
I just want to say how much I appreciate the immense amount of work that went into this! Great stuff as always!
The point made in the section on Clockwork Orange, that the failings of a system are not best demonstrated by when it fails (e.g. the lynching of an innocent man) but by showing what success looks like (e.g. Alex being reformed in such a grotesque manner), is making me rethink what good critique looks like. Exposing me to ideas like that is why I love good video essays!
This is my new favorite youtube video
Nice. Thank you.
I loved your in-depth look into Kubrick's filmography, he has been my favorite director for years and this might be my favorite video essay on him that can be found on this platform. You did an incredible job in detailing his obsessions and artistic interests, as well as his evolution as a filmmaker through each new entry in his vast and brilliant body of work. A lot of great insight into all of that and might be your best video so far, and certainly a must watch/read essay on Kubrick himself.
During the A Clockwork Orange segment I was surprised that there was so much talk of whether Kubrick is sympathetic to MacDowell's character and tries to make him the hero, and seemingly literally no talk about the actual point of the book and movie, the question of whether it is worth it to remove our free will (and all the beauty inherent in that freedom) if it means no more crime. It's not about whether he's exalted or glorified, it's about that question. I guess eventually that is gotten across here, but in a more vague way.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of The Shining, but I would like to acknowledge, the novel does also have an interesting take on the patriarchy, less how it pressures men, more how it excuses the actions of violent men. One criticism I will make of King’s writing is that he is a very literal writer, and there are very literal passages where Jack, in his own head, excuses all of his own actions, and the actions of his abusive father, inspired by the Overlook.
I think the best way to describe the book to film process of The Shining came from Brad Jones of the Cinema Snob. Kubrick’s novel isn’t so much King’s novel on screen, but more an adaptation of the fever dream you’d have after reading the novel.
Absolutely phenomenal video. Got me looking at Kubrick films I’d seen dozens of times in new ways.
You can tell if a movie is good when it's rewatchable nonstop.
This was absolutely fantastic. Really well written and put together. I genuinely think you make some of the most thoughtful and interesting videos on this platform and with this video your work has reached a whole new level of quality. You knocked it out of the park, congratulations.
wow dude, this is pretty intense and deep ... fascinating subject,,, i'm just starting the video but kudos to you for all your work! i'm a fairly hardcore kubrick fan. it's gratifying cause 'back in my day', pre-internet let's say, it was hard to find anyone talking about kubrick. so the way his work is resonating maybe now more than ever is pretty cool.
Thanks for the kind words. As a fellow Kubrick fan, I hope you enjoy :)
First off, this is fantastic commentary and analysis! I'm only going to comment on "The Shining" here because it's not only my favorite Kubrick film but it's on my list of top 5 favorite films of all time. That being said, I think it's one of those instances where the film actually surpasses the book in just about every way. I'm of the opinion that Kubrick wasn't the only one to make a better film out of a Stephen King novel. I'd say "Carrie" and "The Dead Zone" also fall into this category. That's not to dismiss King in any way mind you because that man's capacity for story creating is beyond genius. He is the absolute master of imaginative premise and he creates such riveting scenarios and stories that he deserves the utmost credit as being heralded as one of the best horror writers ever.
When it comes to "The Shining", I've only read it three times as compared to my viewing of the film (which I've lost count of but it's well over 50). In any case, I was beyond excited to read it because I loved the film so much and when it comes to books and movies, the book usually wins out in the end, right? Well, not always I suppose because Kubrick's adaptation is just so much better in my eyes. It is just such a multilayered work of genius on every single level that it succeeds in only improving on King's story by essentially minimizing the backstory and emotional attachments we have to the characters. It succeeds in making larger statements by chopping away at a lot of of what King wrote. I'm not going to ramble on about all the reasons I love Kubrick's film so much here but I'll just say: themes, music, cinematography, metaphor, acting, setting, story, attention to detail, etc. And this is not a critique of King because he came up with the premise to begin with and anyone who can have such a knack for story creation only deserves the highest praise. I think it's rather a compliment that a filmmaker finds a novel so interesting that they can reimagine the bones of a story and create a literal masterpiece from it. In addition, I can sympathize with King because the book is a very personal piece of literature and when someone changes it from being about an inherently "good" man who is essentially "possessed" by his trauma, his alcoholism and his susceptibility to evil supernatural forces as a result of these things into a story about an inherently "evil" man who starts off bad, embraces his downward spiral into darkness, alcoholism, madness and murder, you're bound to be upset by it. But I think in the end, King has come to grips with it to some extent and I think that "Doctor Sleep" had a lot to do with it. Leave it to Mike Flannigan to be the great reconciler and somehow make a film that somehow takes both King and Kubrick's visions and melds them into a deeply emotional horror film that recognizes and praises them both. Of course, Flannigan is no Kubrick and I have to be careful when I watch it to remember that this is not supposed to be "Kubrick's" sequel. It's certainly no masterpiece but it stands up on its own and it's interesting nonetheless. There are some things that can only be effective in print but there are some things that can only be portrayed in film. Either way, I'm glad that King wrote it and Kubrick read it and adapted it. We are all that much richer for having them both.
Ok, now you HAVE to do a ranking of Stanley Kubrick’s movies. The time has finally come 😆
You might be right.
What's your ranking?
I am a self-described Kubrick devotée and expert, author of more than one scholarly papers on specific topics of the man and his films -- and an (ex-) filmmaker.
Because I have duplicated the research of the ostensive provenance of all of Kubrick´s non-documentary works, I have the qualification to appreciate the magnitude of your accomplishment presented here -- Three hours plus!
It´s cogent and terse; involving and informative -- my sincere congratulations! My experience as a filmmaker makes me aware of just how hard it is to create such a work; indeed, one of quality -- A work of long-standing research and preparation, I know.
Just so you know....
My current favourite film youtuber. Great work.
Thank you for saying so!
I cannot praise you enough for this wonderful video. The length seemed daunting, but I ended up enjoying every second of it. Great job!
I want to make a case for Burgess' ending.
As I think Alex doesn't really rehabilitates, he only gets bored. There's this common argument that young people become rebels, but as they start to grow up they loose their vivacity and become jaded and tired, leaving them vulnerable to be assimilated by the system.
Alex, I believe Is assimilated by the system and settles in, he remains a sociopath, but one that works according to the system, his desire to become a family man and having a happy domestic life are mere sarcasm, as he only Is entering the stage of being part of the system, where he can take a patriarchal role, having a family submited at the will of this sociopath.
I like this read.
yes, i don't really believe in rehabilitation often - we live and change due to circumstances, and often revert again. sometimes we make a pledge of sorts as we get older, for our legacy, etc., under the prospects of our mortality. but conversions that don't come from the heart, inward, they don't stick. kubrick questions both edges of society - the brutality of pure 'freedom' and the brutality of suppression.
In Barry Lyndon, I think it's very clear why Barry throws his shot away: he *is* broken in spirit, and he knows he has lost everything, through his own actions. We see from the beginning that Barry's ambition is tied to being recognized as a true gentleman (to paraphrase Tony Montata, first you get the money, then you get the girl (and implied is also the social acceptance--but, like Tony Montana, he's never going to fit into the world he wants to be a part of). He has finally figured out that it's impossible. I think Ryan O'Neal's performance really conveys this: you can see that he identifies with his stepson, maybe for the first time, especially as the gun misfires. I think he recognizes that they're both fatherless boys, and he doesn't want to do even more damage to his soon to be ex-family.
Darn! This was an unexpected romp through parts of my life I had sort of forgotten about. Well done, and thank you for your insights and perspectives. It has allowed me to look at these movies with new eyes.
The phrase “Tour de force” gets thrown around a lot but you earned it here.
What a gorgeous labor of love. Much Appreciated! I confess to having no favorite Kubrick movie- as with Kurosawa, I simply can't pick one. But of all of the books you slogged through- and I haven't read all of them, Lolita is my favorite. An incredible book. Again, thank you so much. For once UA-cam's auto suggest at the end of a video yielded fruit!
This is over 3 hours of pure gold in the form of video analyses!
Most people give this stuff a surface treatment. You went really deep! Enjoyed it all immensely!
Outstanding overview!!! The insight and knowledge you have of Literature & Film is simply astonishing.
The significance relative to the Psychological and Social issues that usually go over my head, that you pointed out were all fascinating and loved how you broke it down.
The best part was that after spending all morning working here on a painting and hearing your voice, I imagined a person in my head.
After all that masterfully articulated explanation of the deeper nature of the primary to the adaptation, along with the metaphorical meanings , which had me riveted to my chair was to actually see the man behind the voice and your soo young and not the older Cinematique bookworm type, like I had imagined, rather a cool looking guy in a local rock band , playing on a men's softball team and having a rock collection.
Thank You, you're truly Brilliant !!!
Randy Chavez
The first one I ever saw, before I knew what a Kubrick was, is still my favourite - Paths of Glory.
What a great walk through Kubrick films - Bravo 👏
Thank you! This is a brilliant video! I love that you put a spotlight on Kubrick's humour, it's not seen by everyone! I too feel like he wasn't cold at all, he simply showed humanity in as many ways as he could. My favourite film of his is Barry Lyndon, it's very warm and quite funny, imo, while looking detached and serious on the surface.
wow - getting started - will take a few listens to get through - but i highly appreciate the idea here. looking forward to getting through this whole video
i do appreciate your willingness to criticize Kubrick's filling out of some of these stories. i dont think plot was ever his forte, and more often than we are willing to admit, a weakness
I definitely tried to be thorough.
@@abrarqadir503 that may be true, but i've never been one for plot ... give me a good subtext, or ambiguity, or layers of meaning - with that i'll normally be happy
I always took Barry's firing of his pistol into the ground as a sign that he wanted Bullingdon to just put him out of his misery.
Absolute legend work, as always!
Also, killer thumbnail.
Hello Eyebrow Cinema great video of The Adaptations of Stanley Kubrick work loved it, am huge fan of Stanley Kubrick films my personally favorite Kubrick film is A Clockwork Orange overall great video keep up awesome content.
Your essays are so well written, your points so eloquently made, and this video an opus to be proud of. Good shit! 🤘🏻
Kubrick's handling of the Shining is so transformative that it almost feels like he's adapting Borges and not King. I'm not sure what that would feel like as an author, but I imagine if a director took an obviously incredibly personal work like King's The Shining and twisted it inside out in a way that completely changed the focus and theme, I'd probably be a little upset too.
That being said, I really love the film.
This is great stuff man, I like your work. When I was younger I liked clockwork the best, but now I think it’s obvious that the Shining and 2001 are both masterpieces that stay with you long long afterwards.
31:26 ngl that’s quite possibly the best endorsement for a book that I’ve heard in a long time
This was a really good in depth video between kubrick's films and the books that was adapted by it. Thank you:)
Lolita’s dynamics and Kubricks presentation still exist today. East Asian cultures insist girls grow long hair when young. Then when older cut it, then when older grow it.
Teaching them that they are there for men
"I happen to believe in a life after this one, so I believe I will have to answer for what I've done. I think I can."
Hits so hard once We'll Meet Again starts playing.
3.5 hours later--this was great! A wide-ranging exploration with lots of fresh insights.
Dude wow what a great video I’m obsessed with Kubrick I watch everything I can find but never thought I’d get to compare all the films to the novels that you for making this really great!
Nearly 3 & 1//2 hours of smart analysis & discussion of Kubrick's films & the literary sources he adapted for the screen, with an emphasis on how a closer look at the changes made to these sources during the process of adaptation might illuminate the filmic visions of Kubrick, thus expanding and deepening our understanding of his artistic genius - all this on a Sunday morning? I'm so down. What a wonderful treat.
Thank you kindly, sir!
I'm also kind of intrigued to read "Spartacus". It sounds rather interesting and still relevant. Cheers.
This is remarkably high quality content.
oh man i really hope you do more videos like this, it was awesome!!! i've never watched any of these movies or read any of the books (they're all either not my genre or i just haven't gotten around to it) but they were all so interesting here
Something people have noticed about the ending of The Shining is that the way Jack is sitting in the photo is uncannily similar to the Devil's pose. Search up "shining devil pose" and you'll see what I mean.
Wow this is my favourite channel after this video.
This week is dedicated to watching and learning from this. Thank you
Without going into detail, my favorites are Dr. Strange Love, 2001, the Shining, and Full Metal Jacket!