Kubrick, Stanley

Description

Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1928 99) was a master who took the art of filmmaking further than any other contemporary director, a creative perfectionist whose work now fascinates new generations. He started out as a photographer before moving into film noir aged barely 25, after which the power and originality of his work soon brought him box-office success. In the 1960s he lived and worked in London, away from the scandal caused by his adaptation of Lolita (1962) and from the major studios, from which, uniquely, he was able to wrest total control of his films. He made only a dozen features in 50 years, each of which displays an extraordinary degree of technical and aesthetic invention. From the sci-fi 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) onwards, each of his masterpieces explores new genres and controversial topics, such as Vietnam (Full Metal Jacket, 1987), violence (A Clockwork Orange, 1971), horror (The Shining, 1980) and sexuality (Eyes Wide Shut, 1999).

Bill Krohn, internationally respected as one of the world's best cinema critics, is the Los Angeles correspondent for Cahiers du cinema. He is also the author of Hitchcock at Work, which has been translated into numerous languages.

On the Masters of Cinema Series "Modern directors are briefly and brilliantly profiled in sharp prose and smart pictures in these movie master-classes for film buffs and beginners."-Saga "Short, beautifully illustrated essays on great directors."-The Times "Exceptional value... Lively and accessible... Indispensable."-Obessed With Film "Bargain price. Does an already saturated market need yet more auteur guides? On this evidence, yes... Briskly paced, scalpel-sharp primers... The collective quality is high, the tone scholarly but not intimidating... A triumph of layout as much as content, each book glows with gorgeous on- and off-screen archive photography... Magnifique."-Total Film