Sunday, July 26, 2020

July 26 - Stanley Kubrick

          

Happy Birthday, Stanley Kubrick! Born today in 1928, this American screenwriter, producer and film director is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in cinematic history. 

 
The films of Kubrick, which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres, and are noted for their realism, dark humor, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music.


In 1989, the United States Library of Congress included 'Dr. Strangelove' as one of the first twenty-five films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


In 1991, '2001: A Space Odyssey' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.  


In 1992, 'Paths of Glory' was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.  

 
In 1996, Kubrick received and accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 46th Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA). 


In his speech, he said: "Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film knows that, although it can be like trying to write War and Peace in a bumper car at an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." 

 

Three years later, Kubrick passed in his sleep due to suffering from a heart attack at his home estate at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom. This occurred on March 7, 1999. Kubrick was 70. 


On AFI's 100 Years... 100 Quotes list, "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" ranked in at #64. The line "Here's Johnny!" ranked in at #68.


In 2017, 'Spartacus' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."


In 2018, 'The Shining' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


In 2020, 'A Clockwork Orange' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".     


As one of the most universally acclaimed and influential directors of the postwar era, Kubrick enjoyed a reputation and a standing unique among the filmmakers of his day.  

 
A perennial outsider, he worked far beyond the confines of Hollywood, maintaining complete artistic control and making features according to the whims and time constraints of no one but himself, but with the rare advantage of studio financial support regarding all of his endeavors.  

 
Working in a vast range of styles and genres spanning from black comedy to horror to crime drama, Kubrick was an enigma, living and creating in almost total seclusion, far away from the watchful eye of the media. 

 
His films are characterized by his dramatic visual style, meticulous attention to detail, and a detached, often ironic or pessimistic perspective. 

 
An expatriate, Kubrick was nearly as well known for his reclusive lifestyle in the English countryside as for his painstaking approach to researching, writing, photographing, and editing his infrequent but always much-debated films. 

 
Cited by many filmmakers from Steven Spielberg to Woody Allen as being a source of inspiration, Kubrick remained a unique artist capable of a wide diversity. He had laid claim to a distinctive style of cinema often imitated, but never duplicated. 

 
Kubrick was one of the most consistently fascinating filmmakers in the latter half of the 20th century.  

 
Just as his singularly brilliant visual style won him great acclaim, his unconventional sense of narrative and seeming lack of overt emotionalism often elicited critical puzzlement. 

 
The films of Kubrick were a reflection of his obsessive nature; perfectionist masterpieces of which remain among the most provocative and visionary motion pictures in cinematic history. 

 
Kubrick had been active from 1951–1999. 

 
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