Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures

Buy This Item Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures by Warner Home Video  Available from Amazon  $17.99  on 10-4-2008     The moviemaker’s career comes into sharp focus in this compelling documentary narrated by Tom Cruise. Fascinating footage glimpses Kubrick in his early years, at work on film sets and at home, augmented by candid commentary from collaborators, colleagues and family. Reader Reviews This is an absolutely fascinating documentary, not only for Kubrick afficinados, but for fans of art, cinema, and life itself. It's a very well made, entertaining, informative, and surprising film. The press/critics were fond of painting Kubrick with a massive brush, saying he was a nutcase/recluse who was afraid of germs and flies. It simply was never true. Kubrick just never liked talking to the press. That means he's quite sane and would rather concentrate on his filmmaking and his family. There's some wonderful home movies of him with his three daughters (especially charming is some footage of them banging away at the piano and instructing their father about life and things), and with his third wife who remained with him until he died, Christianne (a wonderful painter and the actress who sings the beautiful song at the end of Paths of Glory). There are many, many interviews with actors, technicians, assistants, and even composers. The most fascinating interview, at least to me, was the modern composer Gyorgy Ligeti, whose music was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut (the piano music in that film was composed by him). The film, directed by Stanley's brother in law, Jan Harlan (and executive producer on many of his films), really opens the door to show a great artist and a family guy, not some madman screaming at the walls like Howard Hughes (Kubrick was often compared to Hughes by many critics). I always say the more I read about artists, the more I like them, and this film really is quite wonderful. I'm also glad that Warner Brothers released this on its own. Before, it was only available in one of their Kubrick box sets. For any fan of cinema, you really need to see this one.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures Available from Amazon Price: $17.99 Updated on 10-4-2008.

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