The Controversial Mr. Kubrick

Inarguably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick did much more than just leave his stylistic mark on the medium. He was a fearless, social commentator and visionary as well. Stylistically, his films stand as some of the most beautiful and interesting works in all of cinema. Having worked as a photographer at a young age, Kubrick was especially aware of such things as composition, lighting, lenses, etc., and brought his demanding technical standards with him to filmmaking. All of his films are meticulously composed and shot, with attention to even the smallest details. Some in the industry considered him difficult and a harsh taskmaster, but Kubrick's refusal to accept anything but excellence are what make his films endure. He challenged both his actors and his audiences all throughout his career. He worked in a variety of genres and, more often than not, the subject matter he chose to deal with was controversial. He understood the power of film and used it to explore social issues and human psychology, oftentimes focusing on the more deviant aspects, as in the film A Clockwork Orange. In the AC article, A Look At A Clockwork Orange (1971), author ZeN describes himself as being conflicted and confused, "wondering what the point was." Although Stanley Kubrick's films may raise as many questions as they answer, they are always thought provoking and, as with A Clockwork Orange, could even portend major shifts or behavioral changes within society.

In A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick adapts the Anthony Burgess novel to the screen. The story, one of a youth subculture of "ultraviolence" (gangs essentially), and its effects on civilized society has a currency even today that seems downright prophetic. The ruthlessness of the gangmembers and their indifference to the human misery they cause, all in the name of profit and self-amusement, is frighteningly prescient in light of the widespread gang activity today.

The film goes so far as to suggest government-sponsored behavior modification on violent criminals. The idea of free will and government intervention for the public good is explored in a powerful way throughout the film. The subject matter is graphic and disturbing. Kubrick shows us the horrors experienced by both the victims and the newly conditioned victimizer and leaves it to us wrestle with these important issues. In effect, he starts a dialogue, using film as a springboard to potential social change.

This is one of the few non-pornographic films to receive an "X" rating in the United States when it was first released. Many saw it as a gratuitous exercise in violence and lewdness. However, those who were familiar with Kubrick's sensibility and open to his fascination and unabashed exploration of human nature, experienced a whole new dimension in film. As mentioned, it posed many difficult moral questions and did so in a very straightforward manner. A Clockwork Orange was controversial to the point of being banned in Great Britain and several other countries shortly after it was released.
As mentioned, Kubrick was interested in all genres of film. He explores war in films like Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, Full Metal Jacket and Spartacus. Paths of Glory stars Kirk Douglas (in a powerful performance) as a army colonel who is forced to deal with megalomaniacal officers who see soldiers as pawns to be used as an end to their own glory seeking. He must then defend innocent men who are wrongly accused of cowardice and face the firing squad. The film also explores how each man comes to terms with his pending death in the days to come.

Dr. Strangelove is a satiric take on the Cold War and the tragicomic jockeying for a position of power in the ultimate no-win situation. Making light of this situation was perceived as audacious and contemptible by many at the time but Kubrick's portrayal serves to point up the utter absurdity of The Cold War.

Full Metal Jacket is simultaneously humorous and tragic. It chronicles the admittedly funny verbal abuse recruits endured in the Vietnam era but later shows the desperation and senselessness of the whole enterprise of war.

Stanley Kubrick died in March of 1999 at the age of 70. His body of work is not as prolific as most filmmakers but , in spite of that, he has few rivals and his films stand as some of the most powerful and interesting in cinema history.