Favourite Stanley Kubrick Movie

Dr. Strangelove and Clockwork Orange by far, followed by 2001 and Full Metal Jacket. Eyes WidenShut disappointed me.

Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director. I've seen all of his films except Paths of Glory and Spartacus.
My favorite is Clockwork Orange, this film is just pure bliss. In second comes Eyes Wide Shut, and then Barry Lyndon.

There was an amateur filmaker, film analyst and Kubrick fanatic named Rob Agger who had a site, but it seemed to have been taken off the internet; on it, he analyzed every major Kubrick films, after having read every interviews and archives on Kubrick, after having read the novels from which the movies were inspired, and comparing movie & film. after having viewed them frame by frame (and noticing strange things, such as objects being moved from shelves... which at first seems random, but which was done for a reason; or zooming in on the title on the spine of books sitting on the shelves, and actually realizing that the books Kubrick had placed in the shot explained the scene; and so on...), if you ever chance upon one of these analysis, you'll be amazed to realize everything is not what is seems in Kubrick's films.

For those of you who wonder why the book 2001:A Space Odyssey didn't transcribe accurately on the screen, it is because, as for A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick had a different vision of where he wanted to take the story, and had a strong disagreement with both Arthur C. Clarke and Anthony Burgess.

My interpretation of 2001's ending is that it represents man's cycle described in Zarathustra by Nietzsche (which is also the music played at the end, Zarathustra by Richard Strauss), although I've only read it partially; if memory serves me well, man gets old and becomes a child again (I mean in the book), but of an advanced human species. I'm sure someone will correct me on this because I may be wrong...

Kubrick is a personal favorite and I like all of these movies. Personal favorite is Full Metal Jacket. The first part of the film in basic training is amazing. Close behind would be 2001 and then Clockwork Orange(3 buddies and I dressed up as The Droogs for Halloween while in collage). 

LOL at Barry Lyndon being long and boring. On the contrary, there's a whole novel stuffed there in three hours of film. If that's long and boring, I wonder how would you feel reading the novel...

I suspect that what is "lacking" from that perspective is more dramatic contrast inside and especially between scenes, but that would have gone against the story and the spirit of classical 18th century society and culture which is supposed to be portrayed there (and it is, successfully I may add).

Edited by TheClosing - May 04 2011 at 04:19

I watched Lolita last night and was very fidgety during this as it is very long, and the characters are bland. Sellers is as good as always, Mason is unwatchable, the girl who plays Lolita is funny, but Shelley Winters is as bad as it gets. I thought it was rather a misfire despite critical acclaim and so called controversey.  It gets no love here I noticed with not a single vote. There are no amazing scenes that stick out, Kubricks iconic imagery is missing - it gets about 2 out of 5 from me.

TheClosing wrote: 1. The Shining  2. A Clockwork Orange  3. 2001: A Space Odyssey   All three are essential films. And yes, Barry Lyndon is boring.

I don't think it's boring, but it is long and slow. It's less slow than 2001, though, which I also love.

1. The Shining 

THe Shining followed by Dr Strangelove

thellama73 wrote: I do think Barry Lyndon is his most technically perfect film, but I enjoy the Shining more.