Agreed, its the greatest "Love" movie I have ever seen. A perfect film to show the dark realities of relationships and desire. It also has occult symbolism that adds a greater depth to the film.
That final scene where the French soldiers stop mocking the German singer and start to listen and return to their humanity.....one of the great endings. I think it was his wife BTW but I could be wrong.
At 12 years old I was naive and not even slightly worldly, and a complete Philistine, but when I saw *2001: A Space Odyssey* I was so amazed I went back the next day and saw it again, and dragged my father with me.
By far and away my favorite Kubrick film, and one of the most beautiful movies ever made. The novel, "The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq." by William Makepeace Thackeray is a fine read as well. The pace of the film is much the same as the pace of the book; and illustrates the pace of life for nineteenth century British citizens.
Eighteenth century. Recall the scene where Barry is presented to King George III, having proposed to send reinforcements to fight for the Empire in the American Revolution. 😉
@@filmranker6092 I understand. I just know many people who hate it but they just dont understand it. I do think it's. Just a young Kubrick movie and it will take more time for more people to see it for it to be appreciated.
I saw The Shining in the theater when I was 11 years old and absolutely loved it. It scared the hell out of me! It has always been my favorite horror movie since. As I grew into an adult, I became a big fan of Kubrik. The funny thing is, now that I'm in my fifties, I actually now find 2001 A Space Odyssey scarier than The Shining. And, BTW, Strangelove is one of the funniest movies ever made!
I saw it when it came out as well. I thought the film was overlit and not very frightening. I am still, to this day, astonished by the number of people who found it scary. Not in my books, nor in the books of the people I saw it with. I think it's Kubrick's most overrated film, but, I know that is my opinion.
I saw The Shining when it first came out, as well. I had already read, and loved, the Stephen King novel. This was one of those rare movies based upon a good book that was even better than the novel it was based upon. IMO, The Shining ranks right up there with The Exorcist as one of the best horror movies ever made.
@@johnnolan5579 I think a lot of people found it scary because it had so much tension throughout, and touched on many fears a number of people have, such as being stranded in an unfamiliar place, a person who is supposed to be your protector now trying to harm you, and the past coming back to haunt you and ruining what you are trying to accomplish in the present. These themes are likely to touch on a lot of people's anxieties (including mine), so I think that might be partially why it is so liked. Plus, I think Kubrick did a masterful job of building up tension.
From worst to best: 13 - Fear and Desire 12 - Killer's Kiss 11 - Spartacus 10 - The Killing 9 - Lolita 8 - Paths of Glory 7 - Eyes Wide Shut 6 - Dr. Strangelove 5 - Full Metal Jacket 4 - The Shining 3 - Barry Lyndon 2 - 2001: A Space Odyssey 1 - A Clockwork Orange
@@eamonnstokes8366 funny you should mention that because my opinion has since changed on paths of glory and dr strangelove, I would rank them both higher but still behind the first 3 I put there
I saw "2001: A Space Odyssey" several times in 70mm/Cinerama on a huge curved screen in the late 60s (I was approx. 12 yrs old). I cannot begin to convey the impact the film made on me. I've seen it since (35mm only sadly), watched it on TV many times (in both "pan&scan" and "letterbox") and have owned copies on VHS, twice on DVD, and now Blu-ray. It has been my number one film since I first watched it, spellbound and speechless, all those decades ago.
Same here. I saw it in what was. at the time, a newly constructed Cinerama theater that had a circular auditorium and the biggest indoor screen I have ever seen (sadly, demolished since then). An amazing visual spectacle! I've seen it a number of times in theaters over the years and, although great on the big screen always, it just isn't the came experience of seeing it that first time in Cinerama.
13. Fear and Desire (5/10) 12. Killer’s Kiss (6/10) 11. Spartacus (7/10) 10. Lolita (8/10) 9. The Killing (8/10) 8. Full Metal Jacket (9/10) 7. Eyes Wide Shut (9/10) 6. Paths of Glory (9/10) 5. Dr Strangelove (9/10) 4. 2001 (9/10) 3. Barry Lyndon (10/10) 2. A Clockwork Orange (10/10) 1. The Shining (10/10)
Randy White 2001 is damn close but I’d have to rewatch it. If the scenes in the fighter plane were better in Strangelove it probs would be a 10 for me. Paths is phenomenal but not on the same level as Clockwork, Shining or Lyndon. Eyes I’ll need to rewatch to be sure but I thought the ending was slightly underwhelming (also that pool room scene with Sydney pollack that just explains the entire movie was kinda dumb and lazy)
2001 is a milestone in film history and there will be never a movie made again like it that’s why it deserves the number one spot. There is sci-fi before 2001 with monsters and flying saucers and then 2001 came and changed the whole ball game of making a sci-fi movie. It’s influence is unmatched until today.
I took the train to Philadelphia with my best friend and her parents to see 2001 on the big 70MM screen. I was ten years old. This movie made me a Science Fiction fan for life. we were in awe. I remember when the movie ended a woman in our row offered anyone $50 who could explain the movie. I am afraid at 10 years old I had to read the book to get a better understanding. back in the early aughts, might have even been the year 2001, Seattle's Cinerama played 2001 and it was a wonderful experience again. I last watched it in 2020 during Covid and was stunned that after all these years it still stood up. I think in spite of certain 60's things, it still works because Kubrick and Clark used real science and solid film making. Love this film. the only other one that comes close is Tarkovsky's Solaris from '72. But this stand up for very different reasons.. Though still the outstanding film making.
I saw it on 70mm in 2018 for the 50th anniversary of the movie. It was one of the highlights of my life and gave me a whole new perspective seeing one of my favorite films in a whole new way.
Wow! My parents took me to 2001 at the Cinerama in Seattle in 1968. My mom and sister fell asleep, and dad and I were "Eyes Wide Open"! I think "Ice Station Zebra" was showing there at the same time. This movie inspired our STEM careers! Still looks good this many years later!
I would highly recommend you look up Bob Ager and Collative Learning on UA-cam. Not only has he done phenomenal analysis of 2001 (and The Shining), but somewhere on YT there's a podcast clip of Ager talking about the two different versions or meanings of this movie and the history behind it. The book is the "official" Arthur C. Clarke versiom/interpretation, but according to Ager (and I'm inclined to agree with him), the visual story being told by Kubrick is almost completely different and telling almost completely different messages. One reason 2001 is so mysterious is partially because it almost feels at odds with itself. On the one hand, it appears to have a very transhumanist vision of the future (Clarke), whereas it also contains ideas about the triumph of the human spirit over such things (Kubrick). I recently learned of an opportunity to see it in the biggest screen in my area, and I wasn't able to see it. This will forever be one of those movies I must see at least once in the theater for the full cinematic experience.
Spartacus is a great enjoyable movie but some of us hate Kurbricking bricks. The full Kurbricking would mean prolonging sequences and slowing down the rhythm of the film. A big mistake. A pompous director.
@@oppothumbs1 As much as I worship Kubrick, you might very well be correct. He might have slowed the pace down or eliminated aspects that work for the film. Still, I wouldn't mind getting a gander at his version. Maybe in heavon you can say, Hey let me see The full Kubrick Sparticus. And they would say, you would never finish it. After all, you're only here for eternity.
Kubrick was brought in to replace Anthony Mann by producer Kirk Douglas. Kubrick considered himself the highest paid member of the crew and nothing more. Douglas constantly vetoed Kubrick's decisions.
Eyes Wide Shut is severely underrated in my opinion. While it'll never be considered Kubricks best film, it's my personal favorite of his. I love the 'Alice In Wonderland' feel to it, it's an adventure movie, but not in the traditional sense. It's dark, surreal, and very mysterious; everything I want in a film.
Top 5: 5. Full metal Jacket - (Very interesting and impressive. I see this film as 3 parts as opposed to the usual two, the 1st and 3rd parts being some of the most perfect filmmaking I've ever seen). 4. Dr Strangelove - (Extremely funny and smart, and still scarily relevant). 3. Barry Lyndon - (The fact that this film isn't more widely known puzzles me, beautiful). 2. A Clockwork Orange - (No film has made me question myself/my belief's as much as this, just so memorable. Also quite funny, something that isn't really mentioned a lot). 1. 2001: a Space Odyssey - (Truly epic, speaks to the entire human race, my favourite film). (The Shining does come close to beating FMJ, on a different day it may).
@@dakneezbeez8844 Maybe it's just me. Nothing was funny (the real-life sergeant was supposed to be as he picked on D'nofrio), Just my opinion but was bored by most of it. I guess someone should watch the trailer and if they like it, that's a much better guide than my opinion.
13: Fear and Desire - His first movie is terrible, but even that, I can already see his eye for cinematography. 12: Killers Kiss - It’s pretty good. Big improvement over Fear and Desire. 11: The Killing - Also pretty good, especially in the cinematography. Nothing too special tho. 10: Lolita - It’s funny and also plays on petophilia really well. A theme Kubrick occasionally utilizes. 9: Spartacus - Stanley’s first big movie. Shows to the world that Stanley is able to create larger pictures. 8: Full Metal Jacket - Powerful Vietnam war movie. Love the first half, things become weaker in the second but still pretty good. 7: Paths of Glory - Stanley’s ultimate war movie. Love the visuals, Kirk Douglas is great. Powerful stuff. 6: Dr. Strangelove - One of the greatest and most clever comedy’s out there. Love the metaphors and acting. 5: A Clockwork Orange - Good political commentary. Very unique and stylistic vision of the future. 4: Barry Lyndon - Underrated as heck. Gorgeous movie both in the plot and especially in the cinematography. 3: The Shining - One of the smartest horror out there. Timeless. Acting is perfection. 2: Eyes Wide Shut - Underrated. My all time favourite movie but it’s only #2 because #1 is the ultimate Kubrick movie. 1: 2001: a Space Odyssey - Best Sci-Fi ever. In top 5 films of all time for sure.
So far, the only Kubrick movies I've watched from beginning to end are Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Fear And Desire. I need to get around to watching the rest of them but from those 3 alone, I can see how much Kubrick developed and improved as an artist. The difference in quality between his first movie and his later ones is huge. I'm no cinematographer but even I noticed several shots in Fear And Desire that broke the 180 degree rule, particularly when shooting closeups. It was rather disorienting and not in the calculated and purposeful way that Kubrick used in his later movies.
Great ranking! Here’s mine 12. Killers kiss 11. Lolita 10. Spartacus 9. The killing 8. Eyes wide shut 7. Full metal jacket 6. A clockwork orange 5. Dr strangelove 4. The shining 3. Barry Lyndon 2. 2001 a space odyssey 1. Paths of glory
Yes, the movie would probably be pretty dull without Ermey. Whatever you think of the second half, the first half was dominated by him in a good way. And i think the script for his part was mostly of his own invention
Thank you for pointing out Shelley Duvall's all too often underrated performance in The Shining. Many either forget or aren't aware that Kubrick decided to write Wendy's character quite differently from King's novel. Also, from the many documentaries I've seen, Kubrick's on set treatment of Duvall ranged from harsh to quite cruel. People foolishly critique Duvall's performance with comments based on her looks rather than her performance, which is on par with Nicholson's throughout.
Yet she flounders in Nicholson's wake in terms of superficial beauty? Ha ha! For me, Ms. Duvall distinguishes herself in just about anything I've seen her in. Fine figure of a woman, too.
I agree! Even though the character in the movie is fundamentally different than the book, Duvall is who I picture when I read the book; even though they behave differently. I could see her performing King's Wendy really well.
That's pretty well my take on Kubrick's films too. I might have a discussion with you on the order of the films but only subtly. Apart from that, Kubrick, to me, is the best director that there has ever been - and by a long margin. Antinioni's "Blow up" is my most watched film but Antonioni only ever made ONE film I loved. Scorsese, Hitchcock, De Palma, Cohen Brothers, Spielberg, Luc Bresson (and the list goes on) have done some magnificent films but as far as versatility, leaps in techniques, visual ideas and number of masterpieces are concerned, Kubrick is the best, IMO.
Well reasoned. For me, Truffaut wins the Cup (Fahrenheit 451) and Hitch wins the league (body of work). Although you give me food for thought with 'most watched'. The Wicker Man, Psycho and J. Lee Thompson's Cape Fear could give F451 a run for its money on that criteria.
Totally agree on 2001. Saw it in Hollywood on its debut at the Cinerama. My pals and I were blown away. I would, however, put The Shining at #2 with Strangelove at #3. I wish Kubrick was still alive to tackle a screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian". Only Kubrick could do it. James Franco toyed with doing it a few years ago but seriously, only Kubrick could do it. Maybe Tarantino, maybe, but Kubrick would have done it with such class.
Updated: 13: Fear and Desire 12: Killer’s Kiss 11: Spartacus 10: The Killing 9: Full Metal Jacket 8: Lolita 7: Eyes Wide Shut 6: A Clockwork Orange 5: Barry Lyndon 4: Dr. Strangelove 3: Paths of Glory 2: The Shining 1: 2001: A Space Odyssey
1: 2001 2: Barry Lyndon 3: Clockwork Orange 4: Paths of Glory 5:Dr. Strangelove 6: The Shining 7: Eyes Wide Shut 8: The Killing 9: Lolita 10:Full Metal Jacket 11: Sparatacus 12: Killer's Kiss 13: Fear and Desire
Solid list. Unfortunately, I haven't seen all of his films quite yet, but of the majority that I have, this is currently how I'd rank them: 8. The Killing 7. Paths of Glory 6. A Clockwork Orange 5. Full Metal Jacket 4. Eyes Wide Shut 3. The Shining 2. Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Bomb 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey And of course, I guarantee something will change the next time I think about it. Tbh, I could've easily put any one of the films from my top 3 into the top spot, and I love each of them. Although I haven't seen everything he has made, what I have seen are almost all among my favorite movies I've ever seen, and this is why Stanley Kubrick is easily in the running for my absolute favorite director. It may be cliche among movie lovers, but Kubrick is a common favorite for a dang good reason. The high regard to which he is held is completely deserved.
My ranking: 13. Killer’s Kiss 12. Fear & Desire 11. Spartacus 10. Lolita 9. The Killing 8. Eyes Wide Shut 7. A Clockwork Orange 6. Dr. Strangelove 5. The Shining 4. Paths of Glory 3. Barry Lyndon 2. Full Metal Jacket 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
My prediction 13. Fear and Desire 12. Killers Kiss 11. Spartacus 10. The Killing 9. Eyes Wide Shut 8. Paths of Glory 7. Lolita 6. Barry Lyndon 5. Full Metal Jacket 4. A Clockwork Orange 3. Dr. Strangelove 2. The Shining 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Paths of Glory is my favourite Kubrick's movie. It's certainly best Kubrick's story and keeps viewers emotions unlike other his works which seem to be very cold and calculated.
Barry Lyndon is probably my favourite Kubrick film, it isn’t the best, but it is an incredible costume drama, you can sometimes see the acting and script falter especially compared to how effective it is in nearly the whole movie making it all the more jarring. But, it is so minor as the movie is visually perfect, and quintessential Kubrick, his flaws and all.
Many people don't realize Kubrick directed a film under a directorial pseudonym. The movie was called "The Alien Factor," and it's credited to Don Dohler, but show biz insiders know that Kubrick was the REAL director. It's probably his best work, and I'm shocked he wanted to do it anonymously.
Barry Lyndon is one of the most surprising loves for me... I describe it as 3 hours of incredibly slow meandering and yet I rank it as one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. I was enthralled the whole time i felt like i should have been bored off my ass.
My favorite. I have seen 12 of the 13 and agree that many/most are among the top films of all time. But as I loved Watteau, Delacroix, Constable and Turner portraits, landscapes and still lifes, "Lyndon" is a well-executed, albeit predictable, story displayed via a work of art.
@@yuckyool The story was slow and a bit of a soap opera, but the filming was absolutely gorgeous, and the selection of music for the score can only be described as perfect!
I’ve seen 8 so far 8. Fear and Desire (6/10) 7. Killer’s Kiss (6/10) 6. The Killing (7/10) 5. Barry Lyndon (10/10) 4. Full Metal Jacket (10/10) 3. A Clockwork Orange (10/10) 2. The Shining (10/10) 1. 2001 A Space Odyssey (10/10)
12. Fear and Desire 11. Killer's Kiss 10. Dr. Strangelove 9. Spartacus 8. The Killing 7. Lolita 6. Paths of Glory 5. Barry Lyndon 4. 2001: A Space Odyssey 3. Full Metal Jacket 2. The Shining 1. A Clockwork Orange Haven't seen Eyes Wide Shut yet, it's at the top of my watch list
Perfect. I think your rating is spot-on. One thing though. In recent years it has come to light (pun intended) that "Barry Lyndon" was not all shot with natural light. It appears that way, which is part of the genius of Kubrick, but many of these scenes with windows do have lights on the outside, just with gels so it looks natural. Although the highlight of the cinematography is the use of the super-fast 50mm lenses Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 developed for NASA!
"Best multiple-character performance in history." Not any longer. That designation has to go to Tatiana Maslany for her 16 distinct roles in "Orphan Black."
Nice list and commentary. I would rate Paths of Glory higher and Eyes Wide Shut lower. About Dr. Strangelove: Kubrick usually made very dramatic movies, but in the cold war years the threat of a nuclear catastrophe was so overwhelming that he decided to make a comedy out of it. Pure, unpredictable, genius.
I definitely agree with your top two. I find it sad that today’s younger generation hasn’t really embraced 2001, but that’s because it NEEDS to be seen on a big screen. It’s an absolute masterpiece of cinema and is one of my three favorite films of all time (the other two being City Lights and Les Enfants du Paradis.) And Strangelove is the perfect comedy/satire/cry for help about nuclear apocalypse; all you can do is laugh. After that we diverge. My number 3 pick is Paths of Glory, one of the greatest war movies ever made. Truffaut famously said that you can’t make a serious anti-war film because any depiction of war can’t help but glamorize it. Kubrick disproved that with both this and Full Metal Jacket, but Paths is the greater film. I have to admit I haven’t completely warmed to Kubrick’s post-2001 career. I do think that he missed the point Burgess was making in A Clockwork Orange and made a movie that does indeed glamorize violence; Kubrick himself ultimately decided that the film should be withdrawn after it inspired copycat crimes. And I also agree with Stephen King that he missed the point of his book. (I guess I should stop reading the books before I see their adaptations). I also have a theory that both Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut would have been greatly improved had the former been made in the 90s with Tom Cruise and the latter had been made in the 70s with Ryan O’Neal (in fact it was the movie he originally intended to make when commercial considerations led him to make Clockwork Orange instead after his Napoleon project fell through.) Eyes Wide Shut would have been helped by the seediness of early 70s New York; he tried to pretend that late 90s New York was the kind of place with secret sex societies and as someone who lived there then it really wasn’t. Whereas Barry Lyndon would have been helped by the advances in film technology by the late 90s - as well as a generally higher level of actors versed in making a period piece seem both authentic to its setting and vibrant for a contemporary audience. However, one book that Kubrick did understand was Lolita. In this case the fact that the movie was far tamer than the book is part of the meta commentary on the book and its fans who came out to see the adaptation. Kubrick got that the book is a satire of American culture, the delusions of middle aged men, and the academic culture that praised Lolita for all the wrong reasons. It’s a severely underrated film. As is The Killing, which did for noir what 2001 did for science fiction. Spartacus is squarely in the middle: an entertaining, well-made film that might not be 100% Kubrick but was elevated and deepened by him. When I saw Todd Fields’ Tár, I was reminded of what I felt like seeing Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut: I was never swept away into forgetting that I was in a theater watching a movie, painfully aware of every minute and feeling a bit bored and irritated; but the movies nevertheless haunted me for weeks afterward with complete recall of every scene. Even in his weakest films, Kubrick changed what it meant to watch a movie. What an amazing genius.
How many times does UA-cam shove a video that you tell it you don't want back in your queue? They've done it 7 times with this video. Their record, for as long as I've been counting, is 10. What's funny is that I'm no fan of Stanley Kubrick.
13: Fear And Desire (7/10) 12: Killer's Kiss (7/10) 11: Lolita (8/10) 10: The Killing (8/10) 9: Spartacus (8.5/10) 8: Eyes Wide Shut (8.5/10) 7: Barry Lyndon (9.5/10) 6: Full Metal Jacket (9.5/10) 5: Paths Of Glory (9.5/10) 4: The Shining (10/10) 3: Dr. Strangelove (10/10) 2: A Clockwork Orange (10/10) 1: 2001: A Space Odyssey (10/10)
My irrelevant preferences: 1. 2001 2. Full Metal Jacket 3. Eyes Wide Shut 4. Dr. Strangelove 5. A Clockwork Orange 6. The Shining 7. Barry Lyndon 8. Paths of Glory 9. Lolita 10. Spartacus 11. Killer's Kiss 12. The Killing 13. Fear and Desire
"The Shining remains the best adaptation of the writer's work". Hm, ... Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Carrie, Misery, The Green Mile, Hearts In Atlantis, Secret Window, The Mist ...
13. Fear and Desire 12. Killer's Kiss 11. Lolita 10. Spartacus 9. Full Metal Jacket 8. The Shining 7. The Killing 6. Paths of Glory 5. A Clockwork Orange 4. Dr. Strangelove 3. Barry Lyndon 2. Eyes Wide Shut 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
1. Barry Lyndon 2. Dr Strangelove 3. A Clockwork Orange 4. 2001 5. Full Metal Jacket 6. The Shining 7. Paths of Glory 8. Eyes Wide Shut 9. Lolita 10. The Killing 11. Killers Kiss 12. Spartacus 13. Fear and Desire
The only one I haven't seen is Day of the Fight. That aside, I agree with your list. I would have placed some of them differently, but with Kubrick movies, they are all damn good masterpieces of different genres, so they are indeed hard to compare and measure against each other. Almost any ranking order would have worked as there are good arguments for each entry. Best director ever!
1. The Shining 2. 2001 A Space Odyssey 3. A Clockwork Orange 4. Full Metal Jacket 5. Paths of Glory 6. Spartacus 7. Dr. Strangelove 8. The Killing 9. Eyes Wide Shut 10. Lolita 11. Barry Lyndon 12. Killers Kiss 13. Fear and Desire
I saw most of these films when they came out & a few on t.v.! I loved many of them, but didn't understand some! However, it shows that even a director like Kubrick had some 'growing pains; , e.g. his first, "Fear & Desire", looked like a kid's project, with an 8mm Brownie camera! Even the uniforms & insignias were wrong! However, "Dr. Strangelove" & "2001" were superb masterpieces!( p.s. My "bunkmate" in Army basic training, in 1964, was controversial, movie dir. Terry Gilliam)
10 BEST: 1. 2001 2. BARRY LYNDON 3. THE SHINING 4. DR. STRANGELOVE 5. PATHS OF GLORY 6. THE KILLING 7. FMJ 8. CLOCKWORK 9. EYES WIDE SHUT 10. SPARTACUS Haven't seen Lolita and Fear and Desire yet. 3 FAVORITES 1. DR. STRANGELOVE 2. 2001 3. BARRY LYNDON
@@filmranker6092 thanks, I have a clear distinction between the two. There Will Be Blood is my favorite movie ever, but I consider Space Odyssey to be the best movie ever.
I don't know which one I like most, but Eyes Wide Shut is the only Kubrick movie I really loved the first time I saw it. I love the others now, but I needed to see them a few times before I got to that stage.
13.. Fear and Desire 12. Killer’s Kiss 11. Spartacus 10. Full Metal Jacket 9. Lolita 8 A Clockwork Orange 7. The Killing 6. Eyes Wide Shut 5. Paths of Glory 4. The Shining 3. Barry Lyndon 2. Dr. Strangelove (etc.) 1. 2001
This is the best Kubrick ranking I seen. Obviously 2001 at number 1 predictable. The only video to acknowledge Peter Sellers in Lolita. People are to quick to skip over Kubrick’s last movie A.I.
Actually Spartacus' wife (name unknown) was a prophetess and had an important role in driving the movement forward, but the screenwriters completely downplayed this in favor of their anti-blacklist message.
Thank you for an excellent break down of Kubrick's films. I might argue that calling 2001's HAL a villain is a bit of an oversimplification of the character. But then, virtually all Kubrick's characters are multi-layered and difficult to summarize in a single word or concept.
My Ranking of the 8 I've Seen 8. Full Metal Jacket (LOVED the first half, couldn't really get into the second half, may be due a re-watch) 7. Eyes Wide Shut (Feels incomplete, I'm sure it would be up there if the final cut was released) 6. Lolita (Again, incredible but could be much better if made later in his career) 5. Dr Strangelove (I need to re-watch I don't remember much) 4. Barry Lyndon (Everything from here upwards is in my top 50 at least, this is my least favourite of the 4 but that's not saying much at all) 3. The Shining 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey 1. A Clockwork Orange (My favourite film of all time)
Full Metal Jacket is an excellent movie, the first half better, I'd agree, but the 2nd half is an interesting perspective on war and vietnam. I thought it's problem was coming out after Platoon had changed the rules for war movies and Kubrick, perhaps for the first time, wasn't way ahead of the game, but playing catch-up. Gave us Vincent also. And the crazy drill instructor. Liked Modine since Married to the Mob.
Two opinions: 1. "Paths of Glory" should be rated much higher. 2. The first half of "Full Metal Jacket" is a masterpiece - the second half is a slightly above average war film.
Tom Cruise was just as good as Nicole Kidman. Completely different from the action heroes that he usually plays. In any other movie, he'd just be Tom Cruise playing slightly different variations of Tom Cruise, but Kubrick directed him to portray a confused and somewhat dimwitted man, despite being a licensed doctor, who seems like he wouldn't hurt a fly. Because of that, Bill Harford was completely out of his depth, a stark contrast to the badass bravado Cruise shows in his other roles.
The general arc of your ranking is pretty sound; no problem there. I would, however, put Dr. Strangelove in the number 1 position and 2001 A space Odyssey in the the number 2. For me, Dr. Strangelove is a perfect film, probably the best film ever made. Thanks for this enjoyable video.
I love tons of Stanley Kubrick films. Even when he altered "The Shining," the changes he made still told a good story to the viewer who has not read the book. I love that movie and I love that book! I thought "Eyes Wide Shut" was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I just couldn't stand either of the main characters. I know there are a lot of fans out there... sorry. Does anyone agree with me or am I out there all alone?
I remember when my father, after seeing Paths Of Glory, became very furious. His father (my grandfather) was a World War I veteran who had spent four years in the trenches while the generals drank their sherry and sent thousands to their deaths as cannon fodder... In other words ... Kubrick nailed it!
Out of the five I’ve seen 5. Eyes wide shut 7/10 4. A clockwork orange 8/10 3. Full metal jacket 9/10 2. The shining 9/10 1. 2001 a space odyssey 10/10
Can't pick just one. Everyone of his films is so unique and absolutely perfect, there is no bad Kubrick film. Even his "worst" barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut. are excellent visual spectacles and cerebrally complex. Best. A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.). . Paths of Glory. The Shining.
@Randy White i can't say that you're wrong, although they aren't my favorite Kubrick films. But as I said before, Kubrick hasn't made a bad movie that I've seen. When I was young Barry Lyndon was considered his big flop. It took me a decade to finally get around to seeing the whole thing from beginning to end. The pieces I'd accidently come across didn't look promising, and my first viewing wasn't amazing. But knowing what I was in for the 2nd time and prepared for how depressingly (and realisticly) the movie recreated its era- I was far more involved and actually enjoyed it, especially the long, drawn out moments with nothing happening but the spectacular scenery and production design. I wont argue it's not a good or even a great movie now. One of my favorite movies is My Dinner with Andre. Not on everybody's best List.. But a conversation in many ways similar to some that I've had through the years with the more interesting people I've met here and there.
I think all his movies are pretty meh except Spartacus, Strangelove, Clockwork & 2001. All four are brilliant, with Spartacus the weakest link in this bunch. I found Full Metal Jacket to be a brilliant half movie - the first half was fantastic, and the second half only so-so. Barry Lyndon is waaay too long, Lolita far too censored from the original material, and The Shining just too uneven. The others are completely forgettable and not worth watching. Just my opinion, so please don’t scream at me. After all, everyone else’s opinions are just as valid.
@@emmalancaster2013 I disagree with second half of FMJ being so-so. Its much different than first half which may kinda make your experience of it worse, but watching it alone (by skipping first half) makes you realise how brilliant it really is. Its a nice contrast to first half as it portrays actual warfare, you see loss of innocence of soldiers like Joker, the cinematography in second half is definitely superior, and it also has some great scenes like crazy guy in chopper hunning down farmers, first scene with Animal Mother and corpse of Vietnam soldier, hooker scene, The scene where film crew interviews soldiers etc. Its as good as first half, its just different - which like I said kinda ruins the experience
@@PolishGod1234 It’s been a long time since I saw that film - I was just a young girl when it was released. So I should probably give it another whirl as you make some excellent points!
Being a longtime Kubrick-fan, its interesting to see different films from him switching places in the spotlight every few years. Right now, Eyes Wide Shut and Barry Lyndon are very much reappreciated while former favs Clockwork Orange and 2001 are still highly rated but have much less coverage. Interestingly, almost all of his movies are based on books that he treats very much as a general outline for his own ideas. Sometimes that works to great effect (A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove) but sometimes he cannot catch up to the masterful source material (Lolita, Traumnovelle) Here is my ranking: 13. Fear and Desire 12. Killers Kiss 11. The Killing 10. Lolita 09. Spartacus 08. Eyes Wide Shut 07. Barry Lyndon 06. Paths of Glory 05. Full Metal Jacket 04. Dr. Strangelove 03. The Shining 02. 2001 01. A Clockwork Orange
As I grew into adulthood and disencumbered the social interaction excesses of youth, I found raisin d'etre in reacquainting with certain films and television fondly remembered through the pixelated prism of childhood. I'm not talking Parsley the Lion or Basil Brush here, fine fellows though they were - I'm talking b-movies, Truffaut and whatnot. Films I knew I loved when I first saw them but had scarcely a clue why. One in particular eluded me for years and years. Something about a sniper picking off random victims at a sporting event and detectives urgently working on the case in real time. Eu-bleedin'-reka. I practically stumbled across it just a couple of years ago: Kubrick's 'The Killing'. I've not seen the majority of these but I'll proffer just one insight on 'A Clockwork Orange': it's Rossini, over and above Beethoven, who makes that soundtrack swing for me.
None of his films from The Killing forward are under my radar except Lolita. For some reason I've just never seemed to have an opportunity to watch it.
Paths of Glory should easily be above Lolita, which like the book loses its way halfway through. And I know people will hate me for this, but I’ve seen The Shining several times, and still find it completely unscary.
The thing about Dr. Strangelove is it wasn't supposed to be a comedy. The studio realized it had two serious drama films scheduled for production at the same time with the same premise of a nuclear bomber attack on Russia. They were Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove. So they canceled Dr. Strangelove but Kubrick convinced the studio to allow him to rewrite it as a comedy. Kubrick's rewrites were brilliant as see in in The Shinning making one wonder what masterpieces of novels he could have authored had he chosen to.
For me 1) Dr Strangelove 2) 2001 3) The Shining 4) A Clockwork Orange 5) Full Metal Jacket these are 5 of my favorite movies, not just favorite Stanley Kubrick movies.
part of opening scene 2001 made it to a MONTY PYTHON skit : cartoon ape throws tosses slow-motion bone up, bone transforms to spaceship, ship falters, then falls back on ape crushing it .... CLASSIC
With recent talk of AI destroying the human race, I cannot but think of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and how HAL tried to kill both astronauts in space, but then the surviving human killed HAL instead. How prescient! And this was 50 plus years ago!
Eyes wide shut deserves top 3 as it is exploring something fundamental in human society.
Agreed, its the greatest "Love" movie I have ever seen. A perfect film to show the dark realities of relationships and desire. It also has occult symbolism that adds a greater depth to the film.
I was in the Air Force as a B52 pilot when I first saw Dr. Strangelove. It blew me away.
That's awesome. I love watching B-52s take off.
Paths of Glory needs to be seen more, great movie.
That final scene where the French soldiers stop mocking the German singer and start to listen and return to their humanity.....one of the great endings. I think it was his wife BTW but I could be wrong.
@@EricShugaar The woman who played the German girl would end becoming Kubrick's wife.
Might be my favorite Kubrick movie, and that is no small bar to clear.
At 12 years old I was naive and not even slightly worldly, and a complete Philistine, but when I saw *2001: A Space Odyssey* I was so amazed I went back the next day and saw it again, and dragged my father with me.
For me, 2001 is the best movie ever made and possibly ever will be.
I don't know if I would go quite that far but I would certainly say 2001 is the best *sci-fi* movie ever made and possibly ever will be.
Absolutely.
hands down
I didn't get it
@@rockets4kids terminator
Barry Lyndon's "whimper" ending is one of the great endings of all time!!
By far and away my favorite Kubrick film, and one of the most beautiful movies ever made. The novel, "The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq." by William Makepeace Thackeray is a fine read as well. The pace of the film is much the same as the pace of the book; and illustrates the pace of life for nineteenth century British citizens.
Eighteenth century. Recall the scene where Barry is presented to King George III, having proposed to send reinforcements to fight for the Empire in the American Revolution. 😉
Agree. Kubrick's greatest film.
Eyes wide shut is so underrated. It will take so long for it to catch up and make people realize it brilliance
Honestly, I hated having it so low. It's more about how much I love the other 8 on the list, than not liking Eyes Wide Shut.
@@filmranker6092 I understand. I just know many people who hate it but they just dont understand it. I do think it's. Just a young Kubrick movie and it will take more time for more people to see it for it to be appreciated.
Disagree. Tom Cruise was horrible. Ruined the film itself and tarnished Kubrick's oeuvre.
And a clockwork orange is extremely overrated
@@priyanshugupta3505In what way?
I saw The Shining in the theater when I was 11 years old and absolutely loved it. It scared the hell out of me! It has always been my favorite horror movie since. As I grew into an adult, I became a big fan of Kubrik. The funny thing is, now that I'm in my fifties, I actually now find 2001 A Space Odyssey scarier than The Shining. And, BTW, Strangelove is one of the funniest movies ever made!
I saw it when it came out. I saw it recently and realised theirs a lot more to it. Fascinating movie. ( The shinning)
I saw it when it came out as well. I thought the film was overlit and not very frightening. I am still, to this day, astonished by the number of people who found it scary. Not in my books, nor in the books of the people I saw it with. I think it's Kubrick's most overrated film, but, I know that is my opinion.
I saw The Shining when it first came out, as well. I had already read, and loved, the Stephen King novel. This was one of those rare movies based upon a good book that was even better than the novel it was based upon. IMO, The Shining ranks right up there with The Exorcist as one of the best horror movies ever made.
@@johnnolan5579 I think a lot of people found it scary because it had so much tension throughout, and touched on many fears a number of people have, such as being stranded in an unfamiliar place, a person who is supposed to be your protector now trying to harm you, and the past coming back to haunt you and ruining what you are trying to accomplish in the present. These themes are likely to touch on a lot of people's anxieties (including mine), so I think that might be partially why it is so liked. Plus, I think Kubrick did a masterful job of building up tension.
From worst to best:
13 - Fear and Desire
12 - Killer's Kiss
11 - Spartacus
10 - The Killing
9 - Lolita
8 - Paths of Glory
7 - Eyes Wide Shut
6 - Dr. Strangelove
5 - Full Metal Jacket
4 - The Shining
3 - Barry Lyndon
2 - 2001: A Space Odyssey
1 - A Clockwork Orange
We are in the same ballpark on these. Good list.
don’t do paths of glory like that, easily in his top 3
@@eamonnstokes8366 funny you should mention that because my opinion has since changed on paths of glory and dr strangelove, I would rank them both higher but still behind the first 3 I put there
Experience
I saw "2001: A Space Odyssey" several times in 70mm/Cinerama on a huge curved screen in the late 60s (I was approx. 12 yrs old).
I cannot begin to convey the impact the film made on me.
I've seen it since (35mm only sadly), watched it on TV many times (in both "pan&scan" and "letterbox") and have owned copies on VHS, twice on DVD, and now Blu-ray.
It has been my number one film since I first watched it, spellbound and speechless, all those decades ago.
I wasn't born until the 70s, but I wish I could have seen 2001 in context of its time in the theatres in 1968. Still a fantastic film though.
yeah, it was a religious experience
Same here. I saw it in what was. at the time, a newly constructed Cinerama theater that had a circular auditorium and the biggest indoor screen I have ever seen (sadly, demolished since then). An amazing visual spectacle!
I've seen it a number of times in theaters over the years and, although great on the big screen always, it just isn't the came experience of seeing it that first time in Cinerama.
13. Fear and Desire (5/10)
12. Killer’s Kiss (6/10)
11. Spartacus (7/10)
10. Lolita (8/10)
9. The Killing (8/10)
8. Full Metal Jacket (9/10)
7. Eyes Wide Shut (9/10)
6. Paths of Glory (9/10)
5. Dr Strangelove (9/10)
4. 2001 (9/10)
3. Barry Lyndon (10/10)
2. A Clockwork Orange (10/10)
1. The Shining (10/10)
Randy White 2001 is damn close but I’d have to rewatch it. If the scenes in the fighter plane were better in Strangelove it probs would be a 10 for me. Paths is phenomenal but not on the same level as Clockwork, Shining or Lyndon. Eyes I’ll need to rewatch to be sure but I thought the ending was slightly underwhelming (also that pool room scene with Sydney pollack that just explains the entire movie was kinda dumb and lazy)
Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to George Harrison?
@Randy White Me thinks you overvalue this nut job perverts movies. The Killing is his only great film.
2001 is a milestone in film history and there will be never a movie made again like it that’s why it deserves the number one spot. There is sci-fi before 2001 with monsters and flying saucers and then 2001 came and changed the whole ball game of making a sci-fi movie. It’s influence is unmatched until today.
@@kriserauw5970 Its dumb as hell. We understand his Atheistic jargon, but its dumb. Not enthralling a all, the guy was a pervert man, lol.
Eyes wide shut is truly a masterpiece
It's phenomenal, so underrated bro!
I agree. It’s absolutely amazing. My second favorite of his movies.
Honestly they all are.
Maybe of Tom Cruise's career, sure. But is that where we're setting the bar?
Patton was sexier than Eyes Wide Shut. Unwatchable.
I took the train to Philadelphia with my best friend and her parents to see 2001 on the big 70MM screen. I was ten years old. This movie made me a Science Fiction fan for life. we were in awe. I remember when the movie ended a woman in our row offered anyone $50 who could explain the movie. I am afraid at 10 years old I had to read the book to get a better understanding.
back in the early aughts, might have even been the year 2001, Seattle's Cinerama played 2001 and it was a wonderful experience again. I last watched it in 2020 during Covid and was stunned that after all these years it still stood up. I think in spite of certain 60's things, it still works because Kubrick and Clark used real science and solid film making. Love this film. the only other one that comes close is Tarkovsky's Solaris from '72. But this stand up for very different reasons.. Though still the outstanding film making.
I saw it on 70mm in 2018 for the 50th anniversary of the movie. It was one of the highlights of my life and gave me a whole new perspective seeing one of my favorite films in a whole new way.
Wow! My parents took me to 2001 at the Cinerama in Seattle in 1968. My mom and sister fell asleep, and dad and I were "Eyes Wide Open"! I think "Ice Station Zebra" was showing there at the same time. This movie inspired our STEM careers! Still looks good this many years later!
I would highly recommend you look up Bob Ager and Collative Learning on UA-cam. Not only has he done phenomenal analysis of 2001 (and The Shining), but somewhere on YT there's a podcast clip of Ager talking about the two different versions or meanings of this movie and the history behind it. The book is the "official" Arthur C. Clarke versiom/interpretation, but according to Ager (and I'm inclined to agree with him), the visual story being told by Kubrick is almost completely different and telling almost completely different messages. One reason 2001 is so mysterious is partially because it almost feels at odds with itself. On the one hand, it appears to have a very transhumanist vision of the future (Clarke), whereas it also contains ideas about the triumph of the human spirit over such things (Kubrick).
I recently learned of an opportunity to see it in the biggest screen in my area, and I wasn't able to see it. This will forever be one of those movies I must see at least once in the theater for the full cinematic experience.
Sparticus is the most underrated movie of all time. And to think, how good it could have been with full Kubrickian Kubrick Kurbricking.
Spartacus is a great enjoyable movie but some of us hate Kurbricking bricks. The full Kurbricking would mean prolonging sequences and slowing down the rhythm of the film. A big mistake. A pompous director.
@@oppothumbs1 As much as I worship Kubrick, you might very well be correct. He might have slowed the pace down or eliminated aspects that work for the film. Still, I wouldn't mind getting a gander at his version. Maybe in heavon you can say, Hey let me see The full Kubrick Sparticus. And they would say, you would never finish it. After all, you're only here for eternity.
I'm not Spartacus. I'm kubrickian Kubrick kurbricking.
Kubrick was brought in to replace Anthony Mann by producer Kirk Douglas. Kubrick considered himself the highest paid member of the crew and nothing more. Douglas constantly vetoed Kubrick's decisions.
Eyes Wide Shut is severely underrated in my opinion. While it'll never be considered Kubricks best film, it's my personal favorite of his. I love the 'Alice In Wonderland' feel to it, it's an adventure movie, but not in the traditional sense. It's dark, surreal, and very mysterious; everything I want in a film.
Top 5:
5. Full metal Jacket - (Very interesting and impressive. I see this film as 3 parts as opposed to the usual two, the 1st and 3rd parts being some of the most perfect filmmaking I've ever seen).
4. Dr Strangelove - (Extremely funny and smart, and still scarily relevant).
3. Barry Lyndon - (The fact that this film isn't more widely known puzzles me, beautiful).
2. A Clockwork Orange - (No film has made me question myself/my belief's as much as this, just so memorable. Also quite funny, something that isn't really mentioned a lot).
1. 2001: a Space Odyssey - (Truly epic, speaks to the entire human race, my favourite film).
(The Shining does come close to beating FMJ, on a different day it may).
@alan lake how
@@dakneezbeez8844 Maybe it's just me. Nothing was funny (the real-life sergeant was supposed to be as he picked on D'nofrio), Just my opinion but was bored by most of it. I guess someone should watch the trailer and if they like it, that's a much better guide than my opinion.
13: Fear and Desire - His first movie is terrible, but even that, I can already see his eye for cinematography.
12: Killers Kiss - It’s pretty good. Big improvement over Fear and Desire.
11: The Killing - Also pretty good, especially in the cinematography. Nothing too special tho.
10: Lolita - It’s funny and also plays on petophilia really well. A theme Kubrick occasionally utilizes.
9: Spartacus - Stanley’s first big movie. Shows to the world that Stanley is able to create larger pictures.
8: Full Metal Jacket - Powerful Vietnam war movie. Love the first half, things become weaker in the second but still pretty good.
7: Paths of Glory - Stanley’s ultimate war movie. Love the visuals, Kirk Douglas is great. Powerful stuff.
6: Dr. Strangelove - One of the greatest and most clever comedy’s out there. Love the metaphors and acting.
5: A Clockwork Orange - Good political commentary. Very unique and stylistic vision of the future.
4: Barry Lyndon - Underrated as heck. Gorgeous movie both in the plot and especially in the cinematography.
3: The Shining - One of the smartest horror out there. Timeless. Acting is perfection.
2: Eyes Wide Shut - Underrated. My all time favourite movie but it’s only #2 because #1 is the ultimate Kubrick movie.
1: 2001: a Space Odyssey - Best Sci-Fi ever. In top 5 films of all time for sure.
Great write up. Even if we differ on order, I agree with your points.
So far, the only Kubrick movies I've watched from beginning to end are Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Fear And Desire. I need to get around to watching the rest of them but from those 3 alone, I can see how much Kubrick developed and improved as an artist. The difference in quality between his first movie and his later ones is huge.
I'm no cinematographer but even I noticed several shots in Fear And Desire that broke the 180 degree rule, particularly when shooting closeups. It was rather disorienting and not in the calculated and purposeful way that Kubrick used in his later movies.
Barry Lyndon looks amazing but plot wise the movie is ambling and drawn out.
Eyes Wide Shut ahead of The Shining and A Clockwork Orange? You must really think it's underrated, putting it at #2 is way overrated to me.
Great ranking! Here’s mine
12. Killers kiss
11. Lolita
10. Spartacus
9. The killing
8. Eyes wide shut
7. Full metal jacket
6. A clockwork orange
5. Dr strangelove
4. The shining
3. Barry Lyndon
2. 2001 a space odyssey
1. Paths of glory
Full Metal Jacket is definitely the most rewatchable and quotable of Kubrick's movies but that has more to do with R. Lee Ermey than Kubrick's script.
Imo its between Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange when it comes to being most quotable. The weird Russian-English slang is so memorable
Yes, the movie would probably be pretty dull without Ermey. Whatever you think of the second half, the first half was dominated by him in a good way. And i think the script for his part was mostly of his own invention
Thank you for pointing out Shelley Duvall's all too often underrated performance in The Shining. Many either forget or aren't aware that Kubrick decided to write Wendy's character quite differently from King's novel. Also, from the many documentaries I've seen, Kubrick's on set treatment of Duvall ranged from harsh to quite cruel. People foolishly critique Duvall's performance with comments based on her looks rather than her performance, which is on par with Nicholson's throughout.
Yet she flounders in Nicholson's wake in terms of superficial beauty? Ha ha!
For me, Ms. Duvall distinguishes herself in just about anything I've seen her in. Fine figure of a woman, too.
I agree! Even though the character in the movie is fundamentally different than the book, Duvall is who I picture when I read the book; even though they behave differently. I could see her performing King's Wendy really well.
That's pretty well my take on Kubrick's films too. I might have a discussion with you on the order of the films but only subtly.
Apart from that, Kubrick, to me, is the best director that there has ever been - and by a long margin.
Antinioni's "Blow up" is my most watched film but Antonioni only ever made ONE film I loved. Scorsese, Hitchcock, De Palma, Cohen Brothers, Spielberg, Luc Bresson (and the list goes on) have done some magnificent films but as far as versatility, leaps in techniques, visual ideas and number of masterpieces are concerned, Kubrick is the best, IMO.
Well reasoned. For me, Truffaut wins the Cup (Fahrenheit 451) and Hitch wins the league (body of work). Although you give me food for thought with 'most watched'. The Wicker Man, Psycho and J. Lee Thompson's Cape Fear could give F451 a run for its money on that criteria.
@@herbert9241 Keep it up. I like your style.
Swap 1 and 2 and I'm happy. Dr Strangelove is a work of genius and one of the greatest films ever made. So is 2001 by the way.
Thank you, I've always loved his films. There's No one like him.
Totally agree on 2001. Saw it in Hollywood on its debut at the Cinerama. My pals and I were blown away. I would, however, put The Shining at #2 with Strangelove at #3. I wish Kubrick was still alive to tackle a screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian". Only Kubrick could do it. James Franco toyed with doing it a few years ago but seriously, only Kubrick could do it. Maybe Tarantino, maybe, but Kubrick would have done it with such class.
Updated:
13: Fear and Desire
12: Killer’s Kiss
11: Spartacus
10: The Killing
9: Full Metal Jacket
8: Lolita
7: Eyes Wide Shut
6: A Clockwork Orange
5: Barry Lyndon
4: Dr. Strangelove
3: Paths of Glory
2: The Shining
1: 2001: A Space Odyssey
I love "The Killing" and it will always be his most underrated film.
It could conceivably garner a resurgence in rating some time in the future.
Sterling Hayden is amazing in The Killing!
1: 2001
2: Barry Lyndon
3: Clockwork Orange
4: Paths of Glory
5:Dr. Strangelove
6: The Shining
7: Eyes Wide Shut
8: The Killing
9: Lolita
10:Full Metal Jacket
11: Sparatacus
12: Killer's Kiss
13: Fear and Desire
A lot of love for Paths of Glory. It really is an excellent film, especially for so early in his career.
Solid list. Unfortunately, I haven't seen all of his films quite yet, but of the majority that I have, this is currently how I'd rank them:
8. The Killing
7. Paths of Glory
6. A Clockwork Orange
5. Full Metal Jacket
4. Eyes Wide Shut
3. The Shining
2. Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Bomb
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
And of course, I guarantee something will change the next time I think about it. Tbh, I could've easily put any one of the films from my top 3 into the top spot, and I love each of them. Although I haven't seen everything he has made, what I have seen are almost all among my favorite movies I've ever seen, and this is why Stanley Kubrick is easily in the running for my absolute favorite director. It may be cliche among movie lovers, but Kubrick is a common favorite for a dang good reason. The high regard to which he is held is completely deserved.
My ranking:
13. Killer’s Kiss
12. Fear & Desire
11. Spartacus
10. Lolita
9. The Killing
8. Eyes Wide Shut
7. A Clockwork Orange
6. Dr. Strangelove
5. The Shining
4. Paths of Glory
3. Barry Lyndon
2. Full Metal Jacket
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
13. Fear and Desire (1953)- 5/10
12. Killer's Kiss (1955)- 6/10
11. Spartacus (1960)- 7/10
10. Lolita (1962)- 7/10
9. Full Metal Jacket (1987)- 8/10
8. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)-- 9/10
7. The Shining (1980)- 9/10
6. The Killing (1956)- 9/10
5. Barry Lyndon (1975)- 9/10
4. Paths of Glory (1957)- 9/10
3. A Clockwork Orange (1971)- 10/10
2. Dr. Strangelove (1964)- 10/10
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)- 10/10
I definitely agree with the high number of 9's and 10's
My prediction
13. Fear and Desire
12. Killers Kiss
11. Spartacus
10. The Killing
9. Eyes Wide Shut
8. Paths of Glory
7. Lolita
6. Barry Lyndon
5. Full Metal Jacket
4. A Clockwork Orange
3. Dr. Strangelove
2. The Shining
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Paths of Glory is my favourite Kubrick's movie. It's certainly best Kubrick's story and keeps viewers emotions unlike other his works which seem to be very cold and calculated.
It provokes and angers you, pathos - the movie plays your emotions like a fiddle.
That or Strangelove for me. I can narrow it down to those two.
That said, I'm a huge fan of many of his other movies.
Good choices. Can't complain about the list. 2001 (which I saw at age 16) is tops and Dr. Strangelove a noble second. Kubrick was a genius for sure.
Clockwork Orange is my fav, but his work as a whole is amazing
Wonderful. I so agree with your Top 4. Confirms the talent and genius of the man. One of the all time greats.
You forgot the biggest film of all time!............THE MOON LANDINGS!!
Barry Lyndon is probably my favourite Kubrick film, it isn’t the best, but it is an incredible costume drama, you can sometimes see the acting and script falter especially compared to how effective it is in nearly the whole movie making it all the more jarring. But, it is so minor as the movie is visually perfect, and quintessential Kubrick, his flaws and all.
Many people don't realize Kubrick directed a film under a directorial pseudonym. The movie was called "The Alien Factor," and it's credited to Don Dohler, but show biz insiders know that Kubrick was the REAL director. It's probably his best work, and I'm shocked he wanted to do it anonymously.
Never realized Kubrick worked with both Darth Vader actors prowse n jones
I didn't care for this list at first. I actually stole a pack of matches and tried to burn it down. But Film Ranker "corrected" me, sir.
My God! Don't burn the internet down!!!!
Perhaps the Internet needs a good talking to, if you don't mind my saying so. Perhaps even a bit more.
Barry Lyndon is one of the most surprising loves for me... I describe it as 3 hours of incredibly slow meandering and yet I rank it as one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. I was enthralled the whole time i felt like i should have been bored off my ass.
My favorite. I have seen 12 of the 13 and agree that many/most are among the top films of all time.
But as I loved Watteau, Delacroix, Constable and Turner portraits, landscapes and still lifes,
"Lyndon" is a well-executed, albeit predictable, story displayed via a work of art.
@@yuckyool The story was slow and a bit of a soap opera, but the filming was absolutely gorgeous, and the selection of music for the score can only be described as perfect!
Agreed. I put it higher on the list, maybe #3 or higher.
I’ve seen 8 so far
8. Fear and Desire (6/10)
7. Killer’s Kiss (6/10)
6. The Killing (7/10)
5. Barry Lyndon (10/10)
4. Full Metal Jacket (10/10)
3. A Clockwork Orange (10/10)
2. The Shining (10/10)
1. 2001 A Space Odyssey (10/10)
You need to watch Eyes Wide Shut
12. Fear and Desire
11. Killer's Kiss
10. Dr. Strangelove
9. Spartacus
8. The Killing
7. Lolita
6. Paths of Glory
5. Barry Lyndon
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Full Metal Jacket
2. The Shining
1. A Clockwork Orange
Haven't seen Eyes Wide Shut yet, it's at the top of my watch list
Did ya watch it? It's in my top 3 of his.
@@yurtthesilentgod1225 Finally got around to it, I definitely enjoyed it but it's at number 9 between The Killing and Spartacus in my ranking
@@milesdorst7120 thanks for the reply! Glad you enjoyed it.
Perfect. I think your rating is spot-on. One thing though. In recent years it has come to light (pun intended) that "Barry Lyndon" was not all shot with natural light. It appears that way, which is part of the genius of Kubrick, but many of these scenes with windows do have lights on the outside, just with gels so it looks natural. Although the highlight of the cinematography is the use of the super-fast 50mm lenses Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 developed for NASA!
Barry Lyndon: “bogged down” is an understatement.
top 5-
5. Eyes Wide Shut
4. Full Metal
3. 2001
2. The Shining
1. Clockwork
In my opinion A Clockwork Orange is the best movie of all time
"Best multiple-character performance in history." Not any longer. That designation has to go to Tatiana Maslany for her 16 distinct roles in "Orphan Black."
Nice list and commentary. I would rate Paths of Glory higher and Eyes Wide Shut lower.
About Dr. Strangelove: Kubrick usually made very dramatic movies, but in the cold war years the threat of a nuclear catastrophe was so overwhelming that he decided to make a comedy out of it. Pure, unpredictable, genius.
To me, Kubricks best movie. I never get tired of watching it. GREAT CAST.
I definitely agree with your top two. I find it sad that today’s younger generation hasn’t really embraced 2001, but that’s because it NEEDS to be seen on a big screen. It’s an absolute masterpiece of cinema and is one of my three favorite films of all time (the other two being City Lights and Les Enfants du Paradis.) And Strangelove is the perfect comedy/satire/cry for help about nuclear apocalypse; all you can do is laugh.
After that we diverge. My number 3 pick is Paths of Glory, one of the greatest war movies ever made. Truffaut famously said that you can’t make a serious anti-war film because any depiction of war can’t help but glamorize it. Kubrick disproved that with both this and Full Metal Jacket, but Paths is the greater film.
I have to admit I haven’t completely warmed to Kubrick’s post-2001 career. I do think that he missed the point Burgess was making in A Clockwork Orange and made a movie that does indeed glamorize violence; Kubrick himself ultimately decided that the film should be withdrawn after it inspired copycat crimes. And I also agree with Stephen King that he missed the point of his book. (I guess I should stop reading the books before I see their adaptations).
I also have a theory that both Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut would have been greatly improved had the former been made in the 90s with Tom Cruise and the latter had been made in the 70s with Ryan O’Neal (in fact it was the movie he originally intended to make when commercial considerations led him to make Clockwork Orange instead after his Napoleon project fell through.) Eyes Wide Shut would have been helped by the seediness of early 70s New York; he tried to pretend that late 90s New York was the kind of place with secret sex societies and as someone who lived there then it really wasn’t. Whereas Barry Lyndon would have been helped by the advances in film technology by the late 90s - as well as a generally higher level of actors versed in making a period piece seem both authentic to its setting and vibrant for a contemporary audience.
However, one book that Kubrick did understand was Lolita. In this case the fact that the movie was far tamer than the book is part of the meta commentary on the book and its fans who came out to see the adaptation. Kubrick got that the book is a satire of American culture, the delusions of middle aged men, and the academic culture that praised Lolita for all the wrong reasons. It’s a severely underrated film.
As is The Killing, which did for noir what 2001 did for science fiction.
Spartacus is squarely in the middle: an entertaining, well-made film that might not be 100% Kubrick but was elevated and deepened by him.
When I saw Todd Fields’ Tár, I was reminded of what I felt like seeing Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut: I was never swept away into forgetting that I was in a theater watching a movie, painfully aware of every minute and feeling a bit bored and irritated; but the movies nevertheless haunted me for weeks afterward with complete recall of every scene. Even in his weakest films, Kubrick changed what it meant to watch a movie. What an amazing genius.
THE 2001 scene made it into South Park ( reentering ship to turn off HAL )
also SPARTACUS mispronounced in film, CLUELESS
Paths of Glory - brilliant - I agree, no: 3
When people thought you directed the Moon landing, you know you've achieved something special!
Paul Thomas Anderson Ranked pls
You're the second one to ask. Maybe I should move him up the list.
How many times does UA-cam shove a video that you tell it you don't want back in your queue? They've done it 7 times with this video. Their record, for as long as I've been counting, is 10. What's funny is that I'm no fan of Stanley Kubrick.
13: Fear And Desire (7/10)
12: Killer's Kiss (7/10)
11: Lolita (8/10)
10: The Killing (8/10)
9: Spartacus (8.5/10)
8: Eyes Wide Shut (8.5/10)
7: Barry Lyndon (9.5/10)
6: Full Metal Jacket (9.5/10)
5: Paths Of Glory (9.5/10)
4: The Shining (10/10)
3: Dr. Strangelove (10/10)
2: A Clockwork Orange (10/10)
1: 2001: A Space Odyssey (10/10)
My irrelevant preferences:
1. 2001
2. Full Metal Jacket
3. Eyes Wide Shut
4. Dr. Strangelove
5. A Clockwork Orange
6. The Shining
7. Barry Lyndon
8. Paths of Glory
9. Lolita
10. Spartacus
11. Killer's Kiss
12. The Killing
13. Fear and Desire
Out of the five I’ve seen...
5. Dr. Strangelove
4. The Shining
3. Full Metal Jacket
2. A Clockwork Orange
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Those are the classic five, but the others are all worth tracking down.
"The Shining remains the best adaptation of the writer's work". Hm, ... Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Carrie, Misery, The Green Mile, Hearts In Atlantis, Secret Window, The Mist ...
13. Fear and Desire
12. Killer's Kiss
11. Lolita
10. Spartacus
9. Full Metal Jacket
8. The Shining
7. The Killing
6. Paths of Glory
5. A Clockwork Orange
4. Dr. Strangelove
3. Barry Lyndon
2. Eyes Wide Shut
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
My personal favorite is Full Metal Jacket. It's a top 5 movie of all time in my book.
Indeed !
1. Barry Lyndon
2. Dr Strangelove
3. A Clockwork Orange
4. 2001
5. Full Metal Jacket
6. The Shining
7. Paths of Glory
8. Eyes Wide Shut
9. Lolita
10. The Killing
11. Killers Kiss
12. Spartacus
13. Fear and Desire
There are a lot more Barry Lyndon fans than I expected. Which is fair, it is a brilliantly shot film.
I must say you have a solid lineup hard to argue. So many Sophie's Choices
The only one I haven't seen is Day of the Fight. That aside, I agree with your list. I would have placed some of them differently, but with Kubrick movies, they are all damn good masterpieces of different genres, so they are indeed hard to compare and measure against each other. Almost any ranking order would have worked as there are good arguments for each entry. Best director ever!
1. The Shining
2. 2001 A Space Odyssey
3. A Clockwork Orange
4. Full Metal Jacket
5. Paths of Glory
6. Spartacus
7. Dr. Strangelove
8. The Killing
9. Eyes Wide Shut
10. Lolita
11. Barry Lyndon
12. Killers Kiss
13. Fear and Desire
I saw most of these films when they came out & a few on t.v.! I loved many of them, but didn't understand some!
However, it shows that even a director like Kubrick had some 'growing pains; , e.g. his first, "Fear & Desire", looked like
a kid's project, with an 8mm Brownie camera! Even the uniforms & insignias were wrong! However, "Dr. Strangelove" &
"2001" were superb masterpieces!( p.s. My "bunkmate" in Army basic training, in 1964, was controversial, movie dir. Terry Gilliam)
10 BEST:
1. 2001
2. BARRY LYNDON
3. THE SHINING
4. DR. STRANGELOVE
5. PATHS OF GLORY
6. THE KILLING
7. FMJ
8. CLOCKWORK
9. EYES WIDE SHUT
10. SPARTACUS
Haven't seen Lolita and Fear and Desire yet.
3 FAVORITES
1. DR. STRANGELOVE
2. 2001
3. BARRY LYNDON
I like the separation of best and favourite. We agree on both!
@@filmranker6092 thanks, I have a clear distinction between the two. There Will Be Blood is my favorite movie ever, but I consider Space Odyssey to be the best movie ever.
I don't know which one I like most, but Eyes Wide Shut is the only Kubrick movie I really loved the first time I saw it. I love the others now, but I needed to see them a few times before I got to that stage.
13.. Fear and Desire
12. Killer’s Kiss
11. Spartacus
10. Full Metal Jacket
9. Lolita
8 A Clockwork Orange
7. The Killing
6. Eyes Wide Shut
5. Paths of Glory
4. The Shining
3. Barry Lyndon
2. Dr. Strangelove (etc.)
1. 2001
I personally think Paths of Glory is number 1, it was the only movie that made me cry
You nailed #1..Space Odyssey was incredible...
This is the best Kubrick ranking I seen. Obviously 2001 at number 1 predictable. The only video to acknowledge Peter Sellers in Lolita. People are to quick to skip over Kubrick’s last movie A.I.
Well, hybrid Kubrick
5 - The Shining
4 - Clockwork Orange
3 - Paths of Glory
2 - Full Metal Jacket
1 - 2001
Thank you, I agree 100% with this list.
The table scene with S.Pollack on EWS is the key to understanding the entire movie.Any analysis that doesn't include it isn't worth listening to
Actually Spartacus' wife (name unknown) was a prophetess and had an important role in driving the movement forward, but the screenwriters completely downplayed this in favor of their anti-blacklist message.
Thank you for an excellent break down of Kubrick's films. I might argue that calling 2001's HAL a villain is a bit of an oversimplification of the character. But then, virtually all Kubrick's characters are multi-layered and difficult to summarize in a single word or concept.
2001 left me cold. I can't understand why it's always chosen as a great film.
Really, you could just randomly shuffle the top ten films, and the order would still be good. That’s how great Kubrick was!
My Ranking of the 8 I've Seen
8. Full Metal Jacket (LOVED the first half, couldn't really get into the second half, may be due a re-watch)
7. Eyes Wide Shut (Feels incomplete, I'm sure it would be up there if the final cut was released)
6. Lolita (Again, incredible but could be much better if made later in his career)
5. Dr Strangelove (I need to re-watch I don't remember much)
4. Barry Lyndon (Everything from here upwards is in my top 50 at least, this is my least favourite of the 4 but that's not saying much at all)
3. The Shining
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
1. A Clockwork Orange (My favourite film of all time)
Full Metal Jacket is an excellent movie, the first half better, I'd agree, but the 2nd half is an interesting perspective on war and vietnam. I thought it's problem was coming out after Platoon had changed the rules for war movies and Kubrick, perhaps for the first time, wasn't way ahead of the game, but playing catch-up. Gave us Vincent also. And the crazy drill instructor.
Liked Modine since Married to the Mob.
Holy shit. Are you Tommy Green from Letterboxd? I’m alcoholic peppa pig. I’ve seen two of my followers on UA-cam now lmao
Paul Logan Oh shit yeah I am, hi
Two opinions: 1. "Paths of Glory" should be rated much higher. 2. The first half of "Full Metal Jacket" is a masterpiece - the second half is a slightly above average war film.
Tom Cruise was just as good as Nicole Kidman. Completely different from the action heroes that he usually plays. In any other movie, he'd just be Tom Cruise playing slightly different variations of Tom Cruise, but Kubrick directed him to portray a confused and somewhat dimwitted man, despite being a licensed doctor, who seems like he wouldn't hurt a fly. Because of that, Bill Harford was completely out of his depth, a stark contrast to the badass bravado Cruise shows in his other roles.
2001: A Space Odyssey was my special subject on the Mastermind semi final I was on - great film!
The general arc of your ranking is pretty sound; no problem there. I would, however, put Dr. Strangelove in the number 1 position and 2001 A space Odyssey in the the number 2. For me, Dr. Strangelove is a perfect film, probably the best film ever made. Thanks for this enjoyable video.
I love tons of Stanley Kubrick films. Even when he altered "The Shining," the changes he made still told a good story to the viewer who has not read the book. I love that movie and I love that book! I thought "Eyes Wide Shut" was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I just couldn't stand either of the main characters. I know there are a lot of fans out there... sorry. Does anyone agree with me or am I out there all alone?
Paths of glory is a brilliant movie, as is the first half of Lolita and The Shining. The first half of A clockwork orange is also really good.
I remember when my father, after seeing Paths Of Glory, became very furious. His father (my grandfather) was a World War I veteran who had spent four years in the trenches while the generals drank their sherry and sent thousands to their deaths as cannon fodder...
In other words ... Kubrick nailed it!
Out of the five I’ve seen
5. Eyes wide shut 7/10
4. A clockwork orange 8/10
3. Full metal jacket 9/10
2. The shining 9/10
1. 2001 a space odyssey 10/10
Can't pick just one. Everyone of his films is so unique and absolutely perfect, there is no bad Kubrick film. Even his "worst" barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut. are excellent visual spectacles and cerebrally complex. Best. A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.). . Paths of Glory. The Shining.
@Randy White i can't say that you're wrong, although they aren't my favorite Kubrick films. But as I said before, Kubrick hasn't made a bad movie that I've seen. When I was young Barry Lyndon was considered his big flop. It took me a decade to finally get around to seeing the whole thing from beginning to end. The pieces I'd accidently come across didn't look promising, and my first viewing wasn't amazing. But knowing what I was in for the 2nd time and prepared for how depressingly (and realisticly) the movie recreated its era- I was far more involved and actually enjoyed it, especially the long, drawn out moments with nothing happening but the spectacular scenery and production design.
I wont argue it's not a good or even a great movie now.
One of my favorite movies is My Dinner with Andre. Not on everybody's best List..
But a conversation in many ways similar to some that I've had through the years with the more interesting people I've met here and there.
I think all his movies are pretty meh except Spartacus, Strangelove, Clockwork & 2001. All four are brilliant, with Spartacus the weakest link in this bunch. I found Full Metal Jacket to be a brilliant half movie - the first half was fantastic, and the second half only so-so. Barry Lyndon is waaay too long, Lolita far too censored from the original material, and The Shining just too uneven. The others are completely forgettable and not worth watching. Just my opinion, so please don’t scream at me. After all, everyone else’s opinions are just as valid.
@@emmalancaster2013 I disagree with second half of FMJ being so-so. Its much different than first half which may kinda make your experience of it worse, but watching it alone (by skipping first half) makes you realise how brilliant it really is. Its a nice contrast to first half as it portrays actual warfare, you see loss of innocence of soldiers like Joker, the cinematography in second half is definitely superior, and it also has some great scenes like crazy guy in chopper hunning down farmers, first scene with Animal Mother and corpse of Vietnam soldier, hooker scene, The scene where film crew interviews soldiers etc.
Its as good as first half, its just different - which like I said kinda ruins the experience
@@PolishGod1234 It’s been a long time since I saw that film - I was just a young girl when it was released. So I should probably give it another whirl as you make some excellent points!
Barry Lyndon is my favorite Kubrick of all time.
4 The Killing
3 Paths to Glory
2 Dr Strangelove
1 A Clockwork Orange
You can keep the rest...
Being a longtime Kubrick-fan, its interesting to see different films from him switching places in the spotlight every few years. Right now, Eyes Wide Shut and Barry Lyndon are very much reappreciated while former favs Clockwork Orange and 2001 are still highly rated but have much less coverage. Interestingly, almost all of his movies are based on books that he treats very much as a general outline for his own ideas. Sometimes that works to great effect (A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove) but sometimes he cannot catch up to the masterful source material (Lolita, Traumnovelle) Here is my ranking:
13. Fear and Desire
12. Killers Kiss
11. The Killing
10. Lolita
09. Spartacus
08. Eyes Wide Shut
07. Barry Lyndon
06. Paths of Glory
05. Full Metal Jacket
04. Dr. Strangelove
03. The Shining
02. 2001
01. A Clockwork Orange
I would say Shawshank Redemption is the best adaptation of a Stephen King story, with Shining at #2. Great video tho. Stan was the man.
Shining number 4?! The best king adaptation?! The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption? What?
As I grew into adulthood and disencumbered the social interaction excesses of youth, I found raisin d'etre in reacquainting with certain films and television fondly remembered through the pixelated prism of childhood. I'm not talking Parsley the Lion or Basil Brush here, fine fellows though they were - I'm talking b-movies, Truffaut and whatnot. Films I knew I loved when I first saw them but had scarcely a clue why.
One in particular eluded me for years and years. Something about a sniper picking off random victims at a sporting event and detectives urgently working on the case in real time. Eu-bleedin'-reka. I practically stumbled across it just a couple of years ago: Kubrick's 'The Killing'.
I've not seen the majority of these but I'll proffer just one insight on 'A Clockwork Orange': it's Rossini, over and above Beethoven, who makes that soundtrack swing for me.
None of his films from The Killing forward are under my radar except Lolita. For some reason I've just never seemed to have an opportunity to watch it.
Paths of Glory should easily be above Lolita, which like the book loses its way halfway through. And I know people will hate me for this, but I’ve seen The Shining several times, and still find it completely unscary.
“The movie your parents walked out of.” Well….somewhat true. My mum walked out but my dad decided to name me after the main character.
I think Barry Lyndon is his most underrated. It’s perhaps my favorite of his next to 2001.
It really is a beautifully shot film.
My favorite 💖
I haven't seen all of Kubrick's films (Lolita and Barry Lyndon for example) but I would certainly put Spartacus higher! Anyway nice video!
Barry Lyndon is his most underrated film. A lot of fans put it top 3 even. Definitely worth a watch.
@@filmranker6092 I will definitely watch Barry Lyndon when I get a chance!
The thing about Dr. Strangelove is it wasn't supposed to be a comedy. The studio realized it had two serious drama films scheduled for production at the same time with the same premise of a nuclear bomber attack on Russia. They were Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove. So they canceled Dr. Strangelove but Kubrick convinced the studio to allow him to rewrite it as a comedy.
Kubrick's rewrites were brilliant as see in in The Shinning making one wonder what masterpieces of novels he could have authored had he chosen to.
For me 1) Dr Strangelove 2) 2001 3) The Shining 4) A Clockwork Orange 5) Full Metal Jacket these are 5 of my favorite movies, not just favorite Stanley Kubrick movies.
part of opening scene 2001 made it to a MONTY PYTHON skit : cartoon ape throws tosses slow-motion bone up, bone transforms to spaceship, ship falters, then falls back on ape crushing it .... CLASSIC
With recent talk of AI destroying the human race, I cannot but think of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and how HAL tried to kill both astronauts in space, but then the surviving human killed HAL instead. How prescient! And this was 50 plus years ago!