Thursday, July 26, 2012

Top 5 Stanley Kubrick Films

Stanley Kubrick is by far my favorite director.  His films are incredible.  It's a real shame that his only Oscar came for visual effects.  This is probably one of the harder top 5's so far.

#5-Paths of Glory
This is one of Kubrick's earlier films.  It tells the story of 3 WW1 soldiers being put to death for refusing to take part in a suicidal mission in the war.  This film helped Kubrick become of the best directors, not only of his time, but in history.

#4-The Shining
Jack Nicholson gives one of the most haunting performances in cinema as a hotel caretaker who is corrupted by spirits and goes on a violent rampage against his own family.  The film has some of the scariest scenes and characters with some very memorable dialogue.

#3-Spartacus
Kirk Douglas gives another excellent, Kubrick directed performance as a Roman slave who leads a revolt over their owners.  The technical aspects of this film are brilliant including the sets, costumes and effects, but the acting is the stand out with a strong cast.

#2-A Clockwork Orange
Malcolm McDowell will never make a better film, and this is probably the best dystopian film to date.  McDowell plays a violent man named Alex DeLarge who becomes a government experiment in an effort to rid the city of its crime problem.  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

#1-Full Metal Jacket
Most people will disagree with me, but this is my favorite Kubrick film.  Kubrick dives into the controversial Vietnam War as he takes us on a ride from boot camp to the war's Tet offensive.  R. Lee Ermey's brutal performance as the drill instructor is enough to get you to watch this film.

Honorable Mentions
2001: A Space Odyssey-Not my favorite film, but it is very well done and brilliantly shot.
Dr. Strangelove-Kubrick's funniest film dives into the controversial atomic bomb.

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