Stanley Kubrick And His Obsession With Perfect Shot

Stanley Kubrick is seemingly labelled a perfectionist when it comes to his craft. However, the deeper we dig, the more we realize there needs to be a word for his methods and perfectionism is not quite it.

Kubrick introduced a style of innovation in his use of cinematography and special effects, juxtaposed against deep and complex themes, creating unforgettable cinematic experiences.



“A Clockwork Orange” is a great example of how Kubrick rarely knew exactly what he needed but refused to stop at anything until he saw it. Kubrick made actor Malcolm McDowell do over 100 takes of the scene where he was singing "Singing in the Rain" while acting out a violent assault. Shot over 5 days, it was entirely unscripted, arriving at its finale through trials and an unwavering trust in the process.



The relentless pursuit of this ‘vision’- not his own but that of the film has become a characteristic of his work. His devotion to authenticity, the lengths he was willing to go to discover it and then harmonize different elements, including actors, to translate that authenticity on screen is the closest one can come to describing (and maybe even justifying) the ‘method’ behind the ‘madness’ that gave birth to classics such as "2001: A Space Odyssey, "The Shining," "Full Metal Jacket," etc.

In "The Shining", in another instance, actor Jack Nicholson was smashing through a door with an axe. He later shared that the scene took three days to film, and they had to use a different axe for each take as the axes kept breaking. An ‘exhausted’ Nicholson ended up doing 127 takes before the scene was finalized.



Not only are these multiple takes exercises in learning how to truly direct an actor, but they also create a space for the ethos of the scene to unravel. The patience and curiosity to find not what you want from a scene, but what the scene already is, is the secret, and it seems it applies to a life well lived just the same!

 Also read about Stanley Kubrick's Audiophile Setup

What Makes Interstellar The Greatest Sci-Fi Movie Ever?

We have created descriptive guides on Stereos/amplifiers for you -> The Revolver Club Guide