Kubrick's point?

[JustaFied]

I've seen all of Kubrick's films, I believe, except for "The Killing" (is that correct?) and "Spartacus". While I find them all to be interesting (and sometimes fascinating), as well as very well done, I'm also at times turned off my his consistent pessimistic voice.

Kubrick, to me, seems to have made it his point in life to try to break down any illusions we have as humans beings and to point out how meaningless and feable our lives really are. While I would agree that it's important for society to challenge its views and the traditions that those views foster, I also think we should move beyond that point and still try to find something positive to believe in. Kubrick, in my opinion, stopped after taking that first step. His films seemed aimed at breaking us down as human beings, bursting our bubbles of illusion, while offering nothing positive to take the place of what we previously believed.

Anyone disagree with me on this point? Can anyone find any silver lining in Kubrick's dark clouds?

[tabuno]

Eyes Wide Shut and 2001 both seemed to end with a positive message for mankind.

[stevetseitz]

It's one of my favorite "Kubricks" because it's kind of a hard-boiled noir complete with narration by Sterling Hayden. It is presented quite well on a LD that comes as a double feature with "Killer's Kiss" which has gorgeous black & white cinemtography.

[jacobic216]

I am an avid movie goer and Kubrick is, in my opinion, the master of the arts. While he is methodical and extremely thorough in his filmmaking, he has a good point to make in each of them. I have seen all of his films except for Fear and Desire. Here is a list of what I think the good message to mankind is in each of his films:

Killer's Kiss - Love may be blind sometimes but when it is, it has the keenest sense of hearing
The Killing - There's nothing that can't be done
Paths of Glory - War is inhumaine
Spartacus - Everyone can be a hero, sometimes
Lolita - Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
Dr. Strangelove (my personal favorite film) - Even the terror of nuclear war in a time when it is hard to talk about can be funny
2001: A Space Odyssey - In the end, man will always triumph over machines
A Clockwork Orange - Nothing we do is a perfect science
Barry Lyndon - What goes around comes around
The Shining - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy so have some fun every day
Full Metal Jacket - Comradery and brotherhood can be crucial to survival
Eyes Wide Shut - Fantasies may cross our minds but true love will prevail


I hope this in some ways helps you to see the lighter side of Stanley Kubrick.

[Russ]

Perhaps Kubrick did not have a point. Perhaps (in the words of Simpson,H.) it's 'just a bunch of stuff that happenned.'

And yeah, 2001 and Eyes Wide Shut were pretty upbeat at the end.