Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Jan Harlan, a producer for the films of Stanley Kubrick since 1975's BARRY LYNDON, has put together an amazing documentary on the masterful filmmaker. The film covers Kubricks entire career, giving ample time to discuss each of his films as well as any controversy or production issues surrounding them. Narrated by Tom Cruise (star of Kubrick's final film, EYES WIDE SHUT), the nearly 2.5 hour documentary is an in-depth discussion that brings together those who worked closely with Kubrick throughout the years, including Harlan himself, Jack Nicholson, Malcolm McDowell, and Sir Arthur C. Clarke. The behind-the-scenes information in regards to how Kubrick sought to achieve his masterful visions or bring out the best in his actors is nothing new if you've watch the supplemental material available on the DVDs for Kubrick's film, but the best of the film comes in the form of Kubrick's personal life. The documentary includes rare footage of Kubrick at home with his wife and children and we are given the chance to see him in a different light: that of a caring husband and occasionally strict father. The material can become a bit dry and it's a bit longer than necessary, but there's a lot of information to cover and it's sure to satisfy fans of one of the world's most masterful filmmakers.

If you're a Stanley Kubrick fan like me, you're gonna love to see this. it starts with his first film and moves on to his last. Sure, it's more of a documentary about his films than the person himself, but his films were his life, so they work very well together. What more can I say, it shows his as a genius in film and as a loving father and husband, it simply summarises his life in a very simple and informative way.now to complain, there was a few things I didn't quite understand. They had censored it. Okay, removing the nudity from some of his film i can except, but to bleep the swears? And the funny thing is, they only bleeped one recording of Kubrick yelling at Sjelly Duvall (they had a few arguments, but relax it was nothing sinister), yet all the swears that were featured from "Full Metal Jacket" and "eyes Wide Shut" were not bleeped. And this is not really a complaint, but as mentioned before it is a very simple documentary. I never really felt that they mentioned what made Kubrick such a great director. they treated the matter more like a mystery instead of analysing why. But then again, it's about the man himself, not what he did in detail.My verdict for this bio-documentary is 9/10.

Because of his reclusive nature, Stanley Kubrick was never the best choice of subject for a documentary, in life as well as in death. Then again, that depends on who's behind the camera - in this case, the late director's brother-in-law and collaborator Jan Harlan, who also appears as one of the interviewees.Harlan's choice is very simple: skip any attempt to understand the man and just focus on what we have, namely the pictures (hence the film's title). Not just the movies, but also the photos he took in his youth, before discovering cinema. This aspect is covered through comments by friends and family members. Fans, however, are probably more interested in what people have to say about the films, and so we've got some of the key cast and crew of almost all of his movies (one notable exception is Dr. Strangelove, given Peter Sellers and George C. Scott died a long time before Harlan shot the documentary) describing their experiences. In addition, other filmmakers express their sincere admiration for Kubrick, with heaps of praise coming from Scorsese, Spielberg (who directed the Kubrick-inspired A.I.) and Woody Allen (the original choice for Sydney Pollack's role in Eyes Wide Shut).All possible anecdotes surrounding the man and his methods are recounted with joy, and the effect his films had on culture and society are explored in detail. Hearing Allen's first impressions of 2001 is refreshing (he didn't like it at first), whilst Scorsese's reaction to Paths of Glory is a perfect tribute to that picture's power ("It was so honest, it was shocking!"). The most famous controversy remains that surrounding A Clockwork Orange, and it's almost touching when Kubrick's widow recalls his decision to withdraw it from theaters in England until his death. We don't learn anything new about the great director, but hearing it from those people completely justifies Harlan's effort.That said, there is one little problem in the film, and that's the fact that everyone is completely incapable of saying anything bad about Kubrick. Okay, maybe his death has something to do with it, but after dozens of occasions during which both Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall berated him for how he treated them on the set of The Shining, hearing them say it was generally a positive experience is surprising to say the least. The closest anyone comes to a bit of criticism is when Malcolm McDowell, always the ultimate Kubrickian icon, describes their relationship like this: "I loved him one moment and wanted to kill him the next!".Overall A Life in Pictures doesn't add much to what we knew about one of the world's best filmmakers, nor does it take anything away. But remembering him through his work and the people who appeared in his movies is the most appropriate way to make a chronicle of his eventful life.

This film brings me to tears every time I watch it. Jan Harlan's fantastic documentary about the great Stanley Kubrick is a true masterpiece. By giving insight into his past, films, family, and unfinished projects, Jan Harlan gives Kubrick fans a new look at a man who's greatness will never be equaled. The pacing of this documentary is wonderful, and ever second of it is informative and entertaining. Tom Cruise does a fabulous job of narrating it, as well. Jack Nicholson is the one who says it all; "Everyone pretty much acknowledges he's the man, and uh, I still think that underrates him." STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES is one of the greatest films ever made.