Stanley Kubrick - Ein Leben für den Film

Stanley Kubrick is a cinematic god, up there with Orson Welles and Akira Kurosawa as one of the greatest directors to have ever walked the planet. Made by his brother-in-law shortly after his sudden death at age 70, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) could have been quite sugary and light, with nothing but praise for the late filmmaker.

While there is a lot of praise on display, the documentary does portray a more even-handed view of Kubrick. The man could be difficult to work with, a trait most acutely displayed in his appalling treatment of Shelley Duvall during the making of The Shining (1980). However, he could also be warm and generous. He was, in short, perfectly human. I did wish some of his other collaborators could have been interviewed, but I'm perfectly happy with who did appear. Kubrick's career is covered in great detail, with the film itself clocking in at almost two and a half hours. Kubrick fans will definitely be interested.

Because of his reclusive nature, Stanley Kubrick was never the best choice of subject for a documentary, in life as well as in death. Then again, that depends on who's behind the camera - in this case, the late director's brother-in-law and collaborator Jan Harlan, who also appears as one of the interviewees.

Harlan's choice is very simple: skip any attempt to understand the man and just focus on what we have, namely the pictures (hence the film's title). Not just the movies, but also the photos he took in his youth, before discovering cinema. This aspect is covered through comments by friends and family members. Fans, however, are probably more interested in what people have to say about the films, and so we've got some of the key cast and crew of almost all of his movies (one notable exception is Dr. Strangelove, given Peter Sellers and George C. Scott died a long time before Harlan shot the documentary) describing their experiences. In addition, other filmmakers express their sincere admiration for Kubrick, with heaps of praise coming from Scorsese, Spielberg (who directed the Kubrick-inspired A.I.) and Woody Allen (the original choice for Sydney Pollack's role in Eyes Wide Shut).

All possible anecdotes surrounding the man and his methods are recounted with joy, and the effect his films had on culture and society are explored in detail. Hearing Allen's first impressions of 2001 is refreshing (he didn't like it at first), whilst Scorsese's reaction to Paths of Glory is a perfect tribute to that picture's power ("It was so honest, it was shocking!"). The most famous controversy remains that surrounding A Clockwork Orange, and it's almost touching when Kubrick's widow recalls his decision to withdraw it from theaters in England until his death. We don't learn anything new about the great director, but hearing it from those people completely justifies Harlan's effort.

That said, there is one little problem in the film, and that's the fact that everyone is completely incapable of saying anything bad about Kubrick. Okay, maybe his death has something to do with it, but after dozens of occasions during which both Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall berated him for how he treated them on the set of The Shining, hearing them say it was generally a positive experience is surprising to say the least. The closest anyone comes to a bit of criticism is when Malcolm McDowell, always the ultimate Kubrickian icon, describes their relationship like this: "I loved him one moment and wanted to kill him the next!".

Overall A Life in Pictures doesn't add much to what we knew about one of the world's best filmmakers, nor does it take anything away. But remembering him through his work and the people who appeared in his movies is the most appropriate way to make a chronicle of his eventful life.

The documentary is fun and intriguing. There are dozens of interviews -- all quite new, i.e. filmed after Kubrick's death -- including comments from the rarely-heard-from Ligeti, Ustinov, Duvall, Frewin, etc. -- and of course Kubrick's own family. We hear many funny (and sad, and strange) stories about Kubrick never mentioned in any biography; we see home movies never before seen by the public; we see excerpts from a 1968 documentary showing behind-the-scenes work on 2001, and countless photos and film clips taken during the shooting of Kubrick's other films; commentary on his films by a number of directors; dozens of images of Kubrick as a kid; the list is almost literally endless. "There wasn't really anything 'new' in the movie?" Sure.

This was a very well made documentary focusing on the life and the films of the late and masterful, Stanley Kubrick. Everyone from Woody Allen and Nicole Kidman to family members are interviewed throughout this piece, showing how the director was seen by those most involved in his life. The documentary seemed to go chronologically through the more famous works of Kubrick, and stopped to tell tales of Kubrick's perfectionism, his conflict, personal struggles for both the actors and the director, and even unique technological achivements Kubrick made along the way. This documentary taught me quite a bit of things I never knew about Kubrick, one the greatest directors that has ever lived, and stays entertaining while being interesting and informative. If you loved movies like "Eyes Wide Shut," "Full Metal Jacket," "Dr. Strangelove," or "A Clockwork Orange," you're sure to appreciate the behind the scenes looks at not only the set and filming, but at the directors' rollercoaster of a private life as well.

Great documentary on a great film-maker. Not perfect: you're expected to know instinctively who the interviewees are - there are no captions. Tom Cruise's voice didn't have the gravitas necessary for the narration. Some of the interviews mostly consist of platitudes, but not much detail.

However, the detail is amazing. Whether you are familiar with Kubrick's history, or not, the information is very interesting. Despite the platitudes, the overall insight provided by the interviews and the observations of the narrator give you an excellent understanding of what made Stanley Kubrick a genius.