Five reasons why Stanley Kubrick films hold up so well

Stanley Kubrick is one of top five favorite directors, which should probably come as a surprise to no one since he directed my favorite film -- The Shining. He's remarkable filmography is not too large, which makes it easier to digest the breadth of his work, especially his output from 1964 until the end of his life, where he made nothing but masterpieces (although i'd argue he'd also made a handful before).

Say what you will about Kubrick's work -- it's had staying power -- arguably far more than some of his contemporaries'. The reasons why may be obvious as i'm about to outline them here...

Still, there is something to be said for the fact that nearly every Kubrick movie is incredibly divisive when they first come out and then eventually they're embraced for being the great works they always were.

I will never forget the reception Eyes Wide Shut received back in 1999. I loved it when I first saw it in theaters and was dumbfounded when so many critics and filmgoers deemed it a misfire. Somehow, it's hung around and now it stands out as one of the very best, if not the best, film in a very strong year for cinema.

I've been revisiting a lot of Kubrick lately as I pour through Taschen's stellar Stanley Kubrick Archives book, which somehow made me realize the man was even more brilliant than I had previously thought. Here are five reasons why..

1) Kubrick movies are never boring. Even if you don't like A Clockwork Orange or Full Metal Jacket or Barry Lyndon -- they are very entertaining movies with lots of indelible imagery, costumes, movement and sound. There's something interesting happening in every frame of a Kubrick film. I'd argue only David Lynch and Wes Anderson rival him for the quality of the details they can use to fill a frame. And there's so much happening in a Kubrick movie, you almost have to see them more than once.

2) Kubrick movies are largely not dated. The occasional costume choice and hairstyle aside, Kubrick movies don't tend to look or feel old. 2001 in particular -- the effects in that film STILL rival many modern sci fi movies -- which is incredible since all of its effects were more or less practically achieved. There are next to no topical references and jokes (with Nicholson's Heeeeere's Johnny in The Shining being a glaring exception to the rule). And since there aren't these kinds of distractions, you can focus instead of what the film is about, which leads me to...

3) Kubrick films always focus on fascinating subject matter. Especially later in his career, Kubrick would take a very long, historically unprecedented (unless you count Terrence Malick's 20 year hiatus after Days of Heaven) between projects, he claimed, because he was searching for a story that excited him. For much of his career he largely adapted pre-existing material, which he put his own unique stamp on (suck it Stephen King). All of his films, even the genre ones, are rich with ambitious themes about the nature of man, the nature of relationships, the toll of war -- I could go and on. Part of the reason why The Shining has grown in stature after all these years is that it can be almost anything you want it to mean.

4) Every Kubrick movie contains a remarkable performance. In pretty much every Kubrick movie you have an actor or actress giving the performance of their career (think Ryan O'Neal or Malcolm McDowell) or a virtuoso at the peak of their powers (think Jack Nicholson and Peter Sellers). For a director who is often caricatured as cold and cruel to actors, he always got intense, committed performances from them. There is no such thing as a lazy performance in a Kubrick film. He simply wouldn't allow the banal to seep through.

5. Every Kubrick movie is visually stunning. This may be the most obvious one -- since, after all, film is a visual medium. But the fact is that a beautiful-looking movie will linger in your mind in a way that no generic-looking one will. It's striking how different all his films look and somehow they can be linked together rather seamlessly:


Most of his films -- especially the latter ones -- are instantly recognizable to cinephiles as Kubrick movie, and that is more of a compliment than anything else. And yet he put so much passion and thought into making each project sing and ultimately survive.

I have long maintained that Scorsese is my personal favorite filmmaker. And right now he is. I've only disliked two or three movies he's made -- ever -- and he's made 25! But Kubrick gives him a run for his money.