Over the 20 plus years, I’ve been a fan of film, and outside of Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese, I don’t think there’s ever been a better director than Stanley Kubrick. His filmography contained so many classics that even 20 years after his death, his career continues to be dissected through multiple documentaries and articles. One of my favorites is the unconventional Room 237, a conspiracy theory deep dive into one of Kubrick’s masterpieces, The Shining.
While that documentary tried something different, the Tribeca Film Festival’s 72-minute French production documentary entry, Kubrick by Kubrick, is a more traditional look at the icon’s career, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting and engaging. An audiotape of an old interview aids this more traditional look as we are taken through the journey and deconstruction of his career by the man himself.
The film touches on his much-talked-about production style. Through interviews with stars of his films and Kubrick’s own words, it is evident that while his production style was complex and his movies would consist of long shoots and multiple takes, it did lead to great films.
Kubrick by Kubrick also touches on the importance of his photography roots in understanding human motion, a major influence on his filming style. What’s compelling about the film is we spend a few minutes with some of his films, including his approach to Barry Lyndon, the moral compass of A Clockwork Orange, and the themes of his other entries, including his masterpiece 2001, A Space Odyssey. Throughout these examinations, Kubrick touches on the casting of Ryan O’Neil in Lyndon and cites his attractiveness made him a better leading man than Al Pacino or Jack Nicholson.
Kubrick by Kubrick is best appreciated as an homage to Kubrick’s investment in his art and craft. Kubrick’s determination to have his films done his way is evident as Kubrick edited at home and shot his films in London close to his house. It was Kubrick’s way or the highway, and quite frankly, his way always worked.
For fans of Stanley Kubrick, you won’t discover much new about the man. There are not talks about staging the moon landing or more profound meanings of the star child in 2001. However, Kubrick by Kubrick focuses on a master’s desire to find new and original storytelling techniques with each released film. The film’s endgame is confirmation that while Kubrick may have done many interviews, it’s his films that genuinely speak for him the best.
