Stanley Kubrick

The genius of Kubrick derives in large part from his perfectionism. Kubrick would simply refuse to accept anything other than the perfect take. To achieve these takes, Kubrick mastered the technical and expressive aspects of filmmaking. In Barry Lyndon, Kubrick utilized a Mitchell BNC camera, fitted with a Zeiss Corporation lens, to shoot his scenes with candlelight only. The result is a period piece that nearly 30 years later remains a standard in cinematography. In the Shining, Kubrick, working with Garrett Brown, pioneered the use of the Steadicam to a chilling effect. With the actors and actresses, Kubrick was relentless in pursuing the exact line delivery and performance that would satisfy his curiousity in each scene. He demonstrated his abilities across a wide range of genres, in a career spanning five decades. Nearly all of his films have made my 100 Great Movies list, excluding only Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss and Lolita. more...