Filmworker

I thought this film really shone a spotlight on the sad consequences of a career decision made by Leon Vitali and was one of the most severe indictments on Stanley Kubrick as a person.

A few years after appearing as Lord Bullingdon in Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, Vitali abandoned what we are led to believe was a promising acting career to work full-time (and then some) for Kubrick himself.

Whether Vitali did have a promising acting career ahead of him is not really the point, my own feeling is that if his performance in Barry Lyndon is anything to go by then an illustrious career in front of the camera was by no means guaranteed.

The real story here is the level of devotion that Vitali gave to his new career and the price he paid for it; neglecting his family and the detrimental effect the extreme workload had on his health. Vitali looks like a walking corpse and has done for many years.

This problem could have been easily solved if the very wealthy Kubrick had dug a little deeper into his pocket and employed another two or three assistants to share the workload but apparently this never happened. And the fact that Vitali has had to rely on financial support from his children clearly indicates that not only did Kubrick pay him a low salary he also left Vitali very little, if anything, in his will. Kubrick comes across as a modern-day Ebenezer Scrooge.

At least Dolores Claiborne was eventually rewarded for going above and beyond the call of duty, Vitali just seems to have been exploited and taken for granted by Kubrick for 20 years.

Kubrick must have had some special kind of charisma to treat Vitali this way and still have him coming back for more. Or maybe Vitali is just downright stupid.

Viewers will decide for themselves.

Stanley Kubrick is perhaps the most mysterious director in history, and this documentary sheds some light on the mystery. If you're a Kubrick fan and you want to learn more about him, this is a must see. It's certainly better than the documentary Room 237, which tries too hard to read into the mind of Kubrick. Filmworker offers a lot of reliable insight into Kubrick, told by his right hand man Leon Vitali, who is perhaps just as interesting, or at least obsessive, as Kubrick himself. Thus far, I've seen five movies this week and this is my favorite. Check it out!

An American documentary film. A story about Leon Vitali, an English TV and film actor turned personal assistant to mercurial filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. One can forgive the often gushing praise by contributants to the film of Kubrick's talents because it is a revealing and stirring celebration of one of cinema's unacknowledged heroes, a maestro's trusted confidant and expert on Kubrick's thought processes and genius. The film strikes upon an interesting theme about endurance for vicarious pleasure, when the person you work for you idolise and respect. The film also deals with the personal life of Vitali which is touching, showing his passion and dedication to safeguarding his boss's posterity.

Filmworker is a wonderful tribute and reminder of the tireless effort that goes into the process of filmmaking. Focusing on Stanley Kubrick's assistant Leon Vitali who worked with him from Barry Lyndon onwards, it reminds you how dedicated to the craft you must be in order to make it in the industry.

Looking at Vitali, you get the sense of who he is. Tired and worn out but also undeniably enthusiastic and holding great affection to the maestro of Kubrick. He is filled with wonderful stories and it's both heart-breaking and reaffirming that he dedicated so much of his life to an extraordinary but also difficult individual. I would argue that Kubrick was not only the greatest director to who have ever lived but one of the greatest artists ever, equivalent to film what Shakespeare was to theatre. However, as with all great artists, Kubrick asked for an unbelievable amount from the people surrounding him and there is no clearer example that Vitali.

Interviewing Vitali as well as many of Kubrick's collaborators, the documentary really gives a peek into the strange world of Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures gives a more definitive biography of the man but Filmworker gives a great sense of what it was like to work for him or on any film set for that matter.

Whilst I would've liked to have seen more about Vitali's and Kubrick's personal lives, it's a great account for anyone interested in the making of Kubrick's last few films as well as the undeniably important legacy that he had.

It's absolutely mind-boggling that most movie buffs don't know the story of Leon Vitali. I am grateful for this documentary and the context it provided me with. I now know that Leon should have been given much more credit than he received. If ever there was the perfect occasion for the lifetime achievement Academy Award, I'm hard-pressed if ANYBODY in Hollywood could find a better reason to hand it out than to the man who perfectly restored Kubrick's movie legacy for all to enjoy in its perfection.

Being a big fan of Kubrick, I have watched many documentaries about the virtuoso director, but it's only today, after seeing "Filmworker", that the mosaic is more complete. Therefore, while not a perfect piece of cinema, "Filmworker" still deserves all the praise because it told a story that absolutely needed to be told!