Stanley Kubrick: 10 Years Later

On March 7, 1999, Stanley Kubrick died at the age of 70. 10 years later, the myth, mystique and the man who created 13 epic films in the course of 40 years lives on. My venture into the world of this perplexing visionary started when I was just starting high school. At that time, I was fascinated with the subversive literature and beat poets like Ferlinghetti and Jim Morrison, and when I heard about "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess, I read it like there was no tomorrow.

After reading the book, I rented the movie. At first, I thought it was going to be a cheesy sci-fi film; I was dead wrong. When I saw Malcolm McDowell staring at me with those Cagney eyes and drinking a glass of milk, I knew I was in for a trip like no other. 2 hours later, I was shocked and stunned as I asked myself, "Who the hell directed that?" The answer: Stanley Kubrick.

After Googling his name and reading the list of the movies he directed, I sampled each of his films one by one. At first glance, 2001 and Barry Lyndon left me lethargic. After watching these films again and again, I had nothing but full appreciation for the style, imagery, and tenacity of Kubrick and how he shot some of the greatest and unforgettable images in the history of film. Who else could have used NASA lenses to shoot the candlelit scenes in Barry Lyndon, or recreate the Vietnam War from the English countryside in "Full Metal Jacket"?

From a film critic's perspective, Kubrick made me look beyond the face value of the film. The different camera shots, regal (yet surreal) interior shots, music, all of that made me look at film with a more observant eye for detail and to embrace his obsessive compulsive style, rather than be turned off by it. There are so many words to describe him and the body of work that still remains as intoxicating and unflinching since it first appeared on the silver screen. Just saying his name amounts to the plethora of adjectives used to personify who he was and what his work meant to anyone who has dared to watch his films.