Stanley Kubrick Essay - 1863 Words

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most influential and daring filmmakers to ever put his mark on the silver screen. He has created a large body of very influential works spanning several decades and many genres. Throughout his whole collection there are many elements which are repeatedly used to enhance the viewers experience. There are also many recurring themes in Kubricks works that are commented on both by the context in which they are brought forth and the techniques used to expound upon those themes. In this paper I will be specifically discussing five of my favorite Kubrick films to demonstrate various aspects of Kubrick as an auteur: Dr. Strangelove, the cult classic dark comedy about nuclear warfare, 2001: A Space Odyssey, a†¦show more content†¦The first section is the famous pre-man sequence set 4 million years in the past, followed by Dr. Floyds trip to the moon. Then the viewer is told it is 18 months later, and now we are about Discovery One on a voyage to Satu rn. Bowman then goes though the pillar thing to begin the Star Gate sequence, a psychedelic trip to the end of time with metaphysical undertones. I believe that Kubrick divided 2001 intentionally into four parts to make it stand out from the rest of his films. It seems to me that 2001 is an allegory for the progress of mankind as a species. It seems to be a visual representation of the metaphysical wanderings of Carl Jung, who discussed humanity as having three stages of evolution. The theory (as I understand it) is that sometime in the past we had 44 chromosomes and we were more animalistic. We somehow acquired 2 new chromosomes and moved onto the existence we have now, at a higher level of consciousness than our 44 chromosome ancestors. At some point in the future we will supposedly garner 2 new chromosomes and advance to an even higher level of consciousness. This seems to fit the sequences in 2001 if we allow that both the trip to the moon and the trip to Jupiter are 46 chromosome humans, the pre-man is obviously our 44 chromosome ancestor, and the Star Baby that bowman is transformed into at the end is the 46 2 chr omosome higher level of consciousness (which seems reasonable considering how appraising the baby seems to beShow MoreRelated Stanley Kubrick Essays1577 Words   |  7 Pagesof quarreling with your interpretation nor offering any other, as I have found it always the best policy to allow the film to speak for itself.quot; As one of the most widely acclaimed and influential directors of the postwar era, Stanley Kubrick enjoyed a reputation and a standing unique among the filmmakers of his day. He had a brilliant career with relatively few films. 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The film is set in the near future at a time when the moon is colonised and space travel, at least around the planetary system, is quite usual. Kubrick said â€Å"2001 aspired not to the condition of a science fiction novel but to that of music† ( Baxter,1997 :215) Kubrick gave this description