1999 : STANLEY KUBRICK DIES:
On March 7, 1999, American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick dies in
Hertfordshire, England, at the age of 70. One of the most acclaimed
film directors of the 20th century, Kubrick's 13 feature films
explored the dark side of human nature.
Born in New York City in 1928, Kubrick took up photography in high
school and became a staff photographer for Look magazine at age 17. A
photo assignment on boxing inspired him to make The Day of the Fight,
a short documentary film about boxing, in 1951. The short was bought
by a news service, and he made two more documentaries before making a
short feature-length film, Fear and Desire (1953), which dealt with
war. The movie, produced independently, received little attention
outside New York, where critics praised Kubrick's directorial talents.
Kubrick's next two feature films, Killer's Kiss (1955) and The Killing
(1956), brought him to the attention of Hollywood, and in 1957 he
directed actor Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory, a story of military
injustice in the French army during World War I. Douglas later
enlisted Kubrick to take over production of Spartacus (1960), a
historical epic about the slave rebellion led by the Roman slave
Spartacus in 73 B.C. The film was a box office smash and won four
Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, which was attributed to
Russell Metty but was largely Kubrick's work. Behind the scenes, the
director's characteristic obsession with detail created some tension
with the cast and crew.
After Spartacus, he moved permanently to England, where he directed
Lolita (1962), based on the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
Two years later, Kubrick scored another major critical and commercial
hit with Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love
the Bomb. Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, Dr. Strangelove
was a dark comedy about the nuclear arms race that earned Oscar
nominations for Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and
Best Actor (Peter Sellers).
Kubrick spent four years working on his next film, 2001: A Space
Odyssey (1968), co-written with English writer Arthur C. Clarke. Now
widely regarded as the greatest science fiction film ever made, 2001:
A Space Odyssey won Kubrick a well-deserved Best Visual Effects
Academy Award. Kubrick followed up 2001 with A Clockwork Orange
(1971), a controversial social commentary set in the near future. It
was given an X rating in the United States for its extreme violence
and banned in the United Kingdom, but nonetheless received four Oscar
nominations including Best Picture.
Barry Lyndon (1975) was a picturesque movie based on the 19th-century
novel by William Thackeray. Kubrick, who had become famous for his
perfectionist tendencies, took a record 300 days just to shoot the
film. The Shining (1980), starring Jack Nicholson as the caretaker of
a mountain resort who goes insane, was hailed as a masterpiece of the
horror genre. Full Metal Jacket (1987) addressed the Vietnam War and
was another critical and commercial success. In 1997, after a 10-year
absence from filmmaking, Kubrick began work on Eyes Wide Shut (1999),
an enigmatic thriller starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The
director died soon after turning in his final cut of the film.
history.com/tdih.do
Hertfordshire, England, at the age of 70. One of the most acclaimed
film directors of the 20th century, Kubrick's 13 feature films
explored the dark side of human nature.
Born in New York City in 1928, Kubrick took up photography in high
school and became a staff photographer for Look magazine at age 17. A
photo assignment on boxing inspired him to make The Day of the Fight,
a short documentary film about boxing, in 1951. The short was bought
by a news service, and he made two more documentaries before making a
short feature-length film, Fear and Desire (1953), which dealt with
war. The movie, produced independently, received little attention
outside New York, where critics praised Kubrick's directorial talents.
Kubrick's next two feature films, Killer's Kiss (1955) and The Killing
(1956), brought him to the attention of Hollywood, and in 1957 he
directed actor Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory, a story of military
injustice in the French army during World War I. Douglas later
enlisted Kubrick to take over production of Spartacus (1960), a
historical epic about the slave rebellion led by the Roman slave
Spartacus in 73 B.C. The film was a box office smash and won four
Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, which was attributed to
Russell Metty but was largely Kubrick's work. Behind the scenes, the
director's characteristic obsession with detail created some tension
with the cast and crew.
After Spartacus, he moved permanently to England, where he directed
Lolita (1962), based on the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
Two years later, Kubrick scored another major critical and commercial
hit with Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love
the Bomb. Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, Dr. Strangelove
was a dark comedy about the nuclear arms race that earned Oscar
nominations for Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and
Best Actor (Peter Sellers).
Kubrick spent four years working on his next film, 2001: A Space
Odyssey (1968), co-written with English writer Arthur C. Clarke. Now
widely regarded as the greatest science fiction film ever made, 2001:
A Space Odyssey won Kubrick a well-deserved Best Visual Effects
Academy Award. Kubrick followed up 2001 with A Clockwork Orange
(1971), a controversial social commentary set in the near future. It
was given an X rating in the United States for its extreme violence
and banned in the United Kingdom, but nonetheless received four Oscar
nominations including Best Picture.
Barry Lyndon (1975) was a picturesque movie based on the 19th-century
novel by William Thackeray. Kubrick, who had become famous for his
perfectionist tendencies, took a record 300 days just to shoot the
film. The Shining (1980), starring Jack Nicholson as the caretaker of
a mountain resort who goes insane, was hailed as a masterpiece of the
horror genre. Full Metal Jacket (1987) addressed the Vietnam War and
was another critical and commercial success. In 1997, after a 10-year
absence from filmmaking, Kubrick began work on Eyes Wide Shut (1999),
an enigmatic thriller starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The
director died soon after turning in his final cut of the film.
history.com/tdih.do
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