Stanley Kubrick

Director Stanley Kubrick’s creations were often enigmatic, shocking, labyrinthine and otherworldly as demonstrated in films such as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining.

Starting in high school Kubrick worked as a freelance photographer for Look magazine, and later became an employee. He began to hone his visual storytelling skills by creating stories that were told in series of still images. Soon, he moved into documentary filmmaking, tackling diverse subjects such as boxers, sailors, and priests. His first feature film, a war story titled Fear and Desire (1953), had only two crew—Kubrick and his wife Toba Metz. Seven years later he directed Spartacus (1960).  With the apocalyptic satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Kubrick adapted a serious novel about nuclear destruction into a comedy—to controversial effect.

His next project, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), changed science fiction film forever. Based on Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s short story The Sentinel and written in collaboration with him, the film is an ambitious portrayal of humanity's evolution as assisted by extraterrestrials. It features bold special effects and a highly realistic portrayal of spaceflight. Many directors cite 2001 as a key influence, and the film set the stage for the coming era of the science fiction blockbuster.

Kubrick went on to write and direct A Clockwork Orange (1971), based on Anthony Burgess’ novel about a sociopathic teen brainwashed into docility. He also worked for many years on an adaptation of Brian Aldiss’ short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, but died before he could realize the film. Steven Spielberg took over the project, which became A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).