Top Ten Thursdays: The Films of Stanley Kubrick

An autuer if ever one existed, Kubrick is well-known for his brilliantly bizarre genre pieces that defy logic and fascinate viewers.  Not only are Kubrick's works continually debated by film scholars and cinephiles the world over, but he also serves as an example of how one should approach film making: with unwavering passion for the message at hand.  I offer a humble, and debatable, list of my top ten films by the late master of cinema.

10.) Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Probably one of Kubrick's more accessible films, Full Metal Jacket is a brutal and often problematic view of a soldier's evolution from a soulful person to a killing machine lacking a cohesive identity.

9.) Barry Lyndon (1975)

Barry Lyndon is on part cinema and two parts movie art, and is as equally satirical as the Thackeray novel on which its based.

8.) The Shining (1980)

Easily one of the scariest movies ever made, and the film involves little to direct acts of violence and gore, but instead uses one mans fall into madness as its form medium for horror.

7.) The Killing (1956)

I also placed this hidden gem on my top ten film noir movies, and will mention yet again how well-made the film is, and how indicative it is of the spectacular filmmaker that Kubrick would later become.

6.) Paths of Glory (1957)

More scathing than Platoon and more cinematic than All Quiet on the Western Front, Paths of Glory is the quintessential anti-war film.

5.) Lolita (1962)

James Mason is lecherous as Humbert Humbert, and in making Lolita, Kubrick manages to craft one of the most true literary adaptations ever.

4.) Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Critics often cite this as Kubrick's worst film, but I often argue that it will prove to be one of his most well-respected films twenty years in the future, it was simply ahead of its time.

3.) A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The cult classic in Kubrick's oeuvre, A Clockwork Orange manages to display aesthetic harmony in a world of depravity. 

2.) Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)

"Gentlemen.  You Can't Fight In Here.  This is The War Room!"

1.) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

One of the trippiest films ever made, Kubrick's 2001 is one of a handful of flawless films and an unsolvable enigma to film scholars.






Honorable Mention

Killer's Kiss (1955)
Spartacus (1960) [This is HM by default, but I would strongly suggest avoiding this film as it was the only one that Kubrick did not possess complete control over.