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| Stanley Kubrick, 1949 |
From his early movies like The Killing, through great hits like A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange or The Shinning to the very last one – Eyes Wide Shut, all of his movies were masterpieces. One of the reasons that make his films so good is that many of them were based on great novels by very good authors like Arthur Clarke, Stephen King or Anthony Burgess. But the most important thing was paying attention to all details – it can be found in all of his movies, which were obsessively perfect in every aspect. He wanted to have control over every step of the process of film making – from script writing to castings, deciding about music or even taking care of such details as picking an appropriate lens for the camera. He was also obsessed with ideal scenes and repeated them, sometimes for over hundred times.
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| Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey |
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A Clockwork Orange’s
theatrical poster
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Of course,
directing a movie and having every detail under control takes a lot of time.
His films were produced too long, what made some studios sceptical about hiring
him. Such a situation took place when he was considered as the director of Exorcist
movie, but the studio was worried that it would take him too much time.
Kubrick
dreamed about creating a movie about Napoleon. He wanted it to be his magnum
opus and it seems that he was obsessed about this. His co-worker says that he
prepared a special wardrobe which was divided into hundreds of drawers. Each of
them contained information about a different day in Napoleon’s life. The director
was able to check e.g. what Napoleon was doing on a certain day. Another
interesting anecdot says that he engaged the Rumunian government into this
production. To get enough extras they decided to announce additional military draft.
Due to the size and cost nobody wanted to finance it and he was never able to
create this film.
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| The Shnining's theatrical poster |
- Have you seen any of Stanley Kubrick’s movies?
- Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
- Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Bibliography
https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/stanley-kubrick-the-exhibition-the-design-museum-obsession and-creativity-film-230419
Image sources
Stanley Kubrick, 1949
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick#/media/File:KubrickForLook_(cropped).jpg
Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey
https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/stanley-kubrick-the-exhibition-the-design-museum-obsession-and-creativity-film-230419
A Clockwork Orange's theatrical poster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(film)#/media/File:A_Clockwork_Orange_(1971).png
The Shinning's theatrical poster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)#/media/File:The_Shining_(1980)_U.K._release_poster_-_The_tide_of_terror_that_swept_America_IS_HERE.jpg
Stanley Kubrick, 1949
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick#/media/File:KubrickForLook_(cropped).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
Scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey
https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/stanley-kubrick-the-exhibition-the-design-museum-obsession-and-creativity-film-230419
A Clockwork Orange's theatrical poster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(film)#/media/File:A_Clockwork_Orange_(1971).png
#/media/File:A_Clockwork_Orange_(1971).png){kind=link}
The Shinning's theatrical poster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)#/media/File:The_Shining_(1980)_U.K._release_poster_-_The_tide_of_terror_that_swept_America_IS_HERE.jpg
#/media/File:The_Shining_(1980)_U.K._release_poster_-_The_tide_of_terror_that_swept_America_IS_HERE.jpg){kind=link}
Comments
2. In my opinion, perfectionism is more positive than a negative feature. Of course, such people can be slow, annoying when they put everything in order. But they can easily find things.
3. Unfortunately no, but I think any creative person is a little bit crazy about his hobbies or jobs. So such things like perfectionism may occur.
I respect the work of this director and I have already watched plenty of his pieces - all of those mentioned in the article, as well as 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying'. I wouldn't say I am a big fan of him and movies like 'Clockwork Orange', but I definitely agree that it's one of the most unique and prominent directors in the history of cinematography. BTW.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
I would say that it's rather a positive feature, but it really depends. For example when you are a director and you are working on low-budget movies like romantic comedies or sitcoms, then the perfectionism isn't important or even can cause extra expenses, but when you work as an independent game developer and you work on a tiny piece of art, then the feature might be essential. As an example, I could take games like FEZ, Super Meat Boy, Braid, Limbo which becomes a huge success.
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Probably Stanley Kubrick is the best known for this, but I would say that Quentin Tarantino, Miloš Forman and Sergio Leone put big attention to details as well.
An answer for first and third question - no. As for perfectionism, whether it is a positive or negative trait ... It's difficult to answer. It seems to be optimal somewhere in the middle.
Yes I did but I didn't know he was director of these movies. Before this article I never heard about his name.
2.Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
Positive. I try to be a perfectionism and I know that for people around it may be hard to live with but it is very helpfull for the one that has it.
3.Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Personally I do not know and I never heard about anyone.
Nope, I've never seen them.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
Depends on situation, because not everywhere we need this perfectionism, sometimes we need make fast decisions and actions to get done what is need.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Nope, I don't know.
2. I think it's positive feature in every in field. Perfection in movies leads to direct better and better films and finally your arts will be recognized as one of the best of all time. It's a special honor to director and probably everyone who makes films aim to it.
3. I love watching movies but I'm not familiar with directors and haven't gotten interested in any of their way of working.
2. I think everything has its good and bad sides. Being a perfectionist at work is a very good feature, because it pushes us to be better and better. Unfortunately, being a perfectionist in personal, private life in a relationship with another person can be very bothersome and can make us unhappy.
3. I really like to watch a good movie in my free time, but I usually read the story or watch the trailer without thinking about a particular director, so I don't know too many of them and I don't know which one was or is such a perfectionist like Kubrick.
I've seen only "Space Odyssey" which is a sci-fi classic. This move is from 1960s but even then it was way ahead of its times. The movie is visually stunning, a true piece of art. Not only visuals are great but also plot of the movie - it is dark, ambitious and maybe not for all. It is a story of a human evolution and creation of society. "Space Odyssey" definitely reflects Kubrick's perfectionism.
2.Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
It may be positive feature because it let us create great things of good quality. It makes people care about details. On the other side it also may be a negative feature because it can cause us to stuck in one place and be unable to move on until we reach perfection. It can cause frustration and make us feel hopeless. Perfectionism can eventually drive people crazy and kill creativity.
3.Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
I think that Kubrick is perhaps the most obsessed one. I also heard that Tony Kaye is said to be a perfectionist as well as David Lynch who was so unsatisfied with one of his movies that he didn't want to be mentioned as its director. Actually I don't have much time to watch movies so I'm not that familiar with the topic. I think that maybe I better like movies that are not so perfect.
Perfectionism is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is impossible to say then a thing is good enough.
Besides Kubrick, I don't know any other film director so perfectionist.
1. The only one, I can think of is the shining. Except for that I do not have much experience with his work.
2. As always, it depends. In general perfectionism is considered a good feature, however, it can be taken to that kind of extend, it becomes a enormous defect in somebody's mentality.
3. I don't know. I'm not very into the directors world. All I know is more or less who directed which movie, not how did he/she do it.
2. I don't know. Depends on the person. Some can use it as a gift and create beautiful things just like Kubrick and his films. For someone else it can be nightmare, because something will never be what he wants, he will still want to do something different and better
3. I don't know. First who comes to my mind is Quentin Tarantino. Every film which he makes his masterpiece. And also Mel Gibson, director of Hacksaw Ridge or Braveheart.
Yes, I saw the movie "The Shining" and it made a huge impression on me.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
Perfectionism is rather a desirable feature, but it can be disastrous for the person who has it. Everyone should strive for perfectionism, but it cannot become a blockade that will not allow us to do something that will not be completely perfect.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
I can't think of anyone specific, I'm not a big movie lover either.
No I have never seen any, even the Shining. Although I heard a lot about the director.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
It depends on the movie genre. In Kubricks movies it is obviously positive feature but it would not be in some silly comedies or some movies for teenagers. It would be a lost of effort there.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
From what I heard and read Quentin Tarantino is definitely the one with perfection obsession. It can be seen in his movies which I really like.
Unfortunatelly I don't know any. I'm not so into directors, and authors and so on. I just read a book or watch a movie and that's it.
Yes, I have. One of them was "The Shinning" and I have to admit that it is hard not to agree with the statement that he was a perfectionist after seeing this movie. Every frame is a masterpiece and you get this feeling that every thing is right where it is supposed to be. Nothing is there without a reason. When I realised how precisely was this movie created I found myself looking for a meaning in a order of bottles on a shelfes behind a bar in one of the scenes. It is amazing.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
In my opinion perfectionism is something that is at the same time a curse and a blessing. Being a perfectionist can lead to creating movies/paintings/literature/etc. which might become timeless. People really appreciate perfection. Of course only if such thing will eventually be released because it is not so obvious when a creator is a person who won't let people see anything that he/she doesn't consider flawless. This is the price for perfection. Lots of stress and dissapointment but when it finally is as good as it should be - the satisfaction is overwhelming.
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Many directors are considered as perfectionists but only few really are one. It takes a lot to be a perfectionist so there should be some kind of evidence to back such theory up. David Fincher for example is a perfectionist and there is a lot of evidence behind it. Around 50 pieces of evidences for each scene. Yes, Fincher's average number of takes for each scene is 50 because he thinks that actors need to get to know the set to actually express feelings as they should.
It depends. For such an artistic branch like cinematography it might be a good thing. Probably Cubric wouldn't be so respected or known if not that character feature.
I have heard that Tarantino is also obsessed with perfections in his movies. He have some vision of how the film should looks like and he stubbornly strives to this.
2.Regarding films, of course I would refer perfectionism to the positive feature because without it a good film can't be made. Now it’s hard to find something realy good among many Hollywood stampings.
3.I think that this category includes such a movie genius as Alfred Hitchcock. Also suitable for this description are James Cameron and George Lucas. They brought cinema to a new level of evolution, their films have become a whole culture.
Yes, I have seen Full Metal Jacket and really enjoyed it.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
I think that perfectionism can be both positive or negative. It really depends on a person. There are situations when perfectionists are very difficult to handle for example there was an actor (I don’t remember his name) who was so focused on the role that he was engaged into at certain time that he was becoming the character from the movie in his everyday life. This resulted in many unpleasant situations, especially between him and his closest ones. But on the other hand when you can separate your perfectionism from other aspects of life then I think it can be really blessing.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
As others mention, I heard about Tarantino but I can't cite any example.
2. Perfectionism, like many other things, have its good and bad sides. One could say that if something is made perfectly then it's simply 'perfect', but it often has drawbacks in form of time, or if it's related to a person then relations with said person may appear to be really hard. In case of movie director everyone is happy when they see ideal movie, but whole movie crew may have bad memories with making of.
3. I'm not really looking out for movie directors. I even don't pay any attention to actor names. So I'm not too familiar with their life and habits. I'm surprised people mention Tarantino so often. It's interesting to know that he's a perfectionist though. Same when it comes to Alfred Hitchcock, who I agree with Yurii that he's a movie genius. I like movies of both of those a lot.
No, I have never seen them.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
In my opinion, it's depend on situation. Sometime situation don't imply perfectionism. But in general, are we talking about healthy perfectionism?
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Unfortunately, no.
Although I am ashamed to admit, it seems to me that I have not seen any of his films, although I have heard many positive opinions of friends about his works and in the space of online media you can often find references to his films.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
I think that you should always strike a happy medium. although perfectionism seems to be a positive character trait, it can be a reason for eternal misfortune because of being unable to be perfect. On the other hand, the desire to be perfect is very good because it motivates us to continuous development.
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Unfortunately, I am not interested in the film market enough to know the character traits of any film director.
Yes, I saw Stanley Kubrick's movie 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying'.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
I think this is a positive feature. Although sometimes it can just irritate.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
I think Stanley Kubrick is best known for that.
2. In my opinion this is a positive feature. As a result, refined products appear on the market.
3. Unfortunately not. I never pay attention to the cast of the movie I watch.
1. Have you seen any of Stanley Kubrick’s movies?
Of course! As a matter of fact, our highschool headmaster organized something called “Sesja Filmowa” each year. During 3 days of this event we were watching aspiring movies such as “A Clockwork Orange” or “The Shining” and later on we were discussing them, talking about the impressions considering each movie. Even though from the perspective of time I think these shows were a bit too intense for a 16-year-old, I’m grateful we did it in such ambitious manner.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
It all depends. I’m definitely someone with a perfectionism manner myself and it can be blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand I tend to do all my projects flawlessly, I work hard and aim high. I am ambitious, so in combination with being a perfectionist I rarely do something unsatisfactory (considering my school or my job). On the other hand, it’s something that withdraws me, makes me worry more and become insecure. Every failure is considered like a lost battle, and every victory, like something obvious. But when you are aware of this kind of flaw, and you work hard to control it, perfectionism can be a trait you benefit from and achieve your goals.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
No, I don’t think I do.
2. I think that perfectionism can be both positive and negative. This is something what motivates you to keep working stay focused on your goals or even push you to your limits, but it can also destroy you very easily, because u judge your own acts and achievements very critically.
3. Im not really into film industry, I rarely watch films I prefer to read books, because they build my creativity and also let me extend my stock of words, I try to read books not only in polish, but also in English it helps me to get to know new words and phrases, and this is very useful in my daily life.
No, I haven’t seen any of Stanley Kubrick’s movies but maybe now I will try to look for one.
2. Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
It’s all depended how you react when you find imperfection that you can’t correct.
3. Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
I don’t know any other film director who is obsessed with perfection of his movies. To tell you the truth I’m not very interested in film directors
Yes, I saw The shining. I liked it very much, despite the fact that it was filmed many years ago.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
In a positive sense, just take a good look at the concept and implementation. He really is a talented man.
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
Unfortunately no, I don't watch movies often, that's why I don't know about this environment.
2. It is not an easy question. Perfectionism allowed Kubrick to deliver great movies, but on the other hand, it slowed down the process or even resolved in dropping the project. At some point, an artist has to compromise between his vision and reality to finish the project.
3. Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animated film guru, that has some tendencies to be a perfectionist. Watching his realistic animation of raindrops hitting a puddle is just unbelievable, it must have taken an incredible amount of time and research ( https://gph.is/28Lv6nV ). People have always praised him for his films, but Miyazaki himself is sceptical of the work he's done. However, he understands that it is not good to duel in the past and constantly find flows in his animations. The only way for him to move forward is to take on another project.
"Making films is all about–as soon as you're finished–continually regretting what you've done. When we look at films we've made, all we can see are the flaws; we can't even watch them in a normal way. I never feel like watching my own films again. So unless I start working on a new one, I'll never be free from the curse of the last one."
~Miyazaki
2. Perfectionism is associated with ambition. This is good, but you can't go to extremes.
3. Film director? I think I don’t. I think I've ever been interested so much
2. In my opinion perfectionism is positive feature. I always try to do things better than before. Of course there are some cases where perfectionism is something negative.
3. I heard that, Martin Scorsese is also perfectionist. I don't know it's true or only just rumors. I think it can be true if we look at his films. For me personally are perfect
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
1. It's quite intereting timing, because on Saturday I watched Kubrick's "The Shinning". I was really impressed by this, every shot of the movie was well prepared. No room for mistakes and accidents. What also really amazed me, how well that movie aged. It's near impossible, because this movie has almost 40 years! It was ahead of its time, world was not ready for this movie and it's not only my opinion. It got 2 nominations to Golden Raspberry Award, which is an award to basicly worst movie of the year. How does it look now, dear Academy?
2. I think that we all should have a sprinkle of perfectionism in whatever field we want. It definately shows others that we care, care in special way. On the other hand Kubrick's perfectionism could be easily determined as illness. Just to support this argument I will again bring example of "The Shinning". Main actress, who was playing wife of Jack Torrento, Shelley Duvall was mentally destroyed by this director. She was humiliated on movie set by him. He didn't want to her playing scared, but he wanted her to be scared and hopeless. After that movie she wasn't the same person.
3. I don't know any other directors, but I'm sure there are plenty. I think that perfectionism is one of way to be the best in something. It's maximum focus, giving the biggest priority to things which matters you the most - I think this characteristic distinguish good from the best.
1. Of course, it is hard to not see any. I have watched "The Shining", "Full metal jacket", "Space odyssey", "A clockwork orange" and "Eyes Wide Shut". The most interesting I find "The Shining" and "A Clockwork Orange". The second one I enjoyed a lot. I am kind of fan of his creation.
2. I find it rather positive than negative. I have always wanted to be perfectionist, but it is just not me. It is risky to be one, because everyone has their own limits, which perfectionist can brake.
3. Unfortunetly, I didn`t heard about anyone else, but I was never interested in biography of film directors.
Yes, I have seen "Space odyssey" and "Full metal jacket". I enjoyed both of these movies. I really liked "Full metal jacket", some scenes in this movie were amazing. Last scene featuring Private Pyle is something both scary and incredible.
Do you find perfectionism a positive or negative feature?
It depends, often when you see results of perfect work you are impressed. However, cooperating with perfectionist is usually hard and annoying. That is why I can't say whether it is a positive or a negative future in the end. It just depends.
Do you know any other film director who was so obsessed with perfection of his movies?
I am not interested in cinema that much so sadly I can't mention anyone. However, I am sure there are some other directors who pay special attention to details and repeat takes many times.