Showing posts with label stanley kubrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stanley kubrick. Show all posts

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Dr. Strangelove by Stanley Kubrick

Category: English

I am sure there's a lot been already said and written about Kubrick's war movie, in fact every great film maker or someone who has had some kind of connection with greatness and cinema needs to have attempted a war movie at some point.

The film is based on a U.S. General, during the height of the cold war decides to launch an all out nuclear aerial assault against mother Russia. Soon enough the President and all the important heads in the government begin sweating it out to possibly try and save the world from the Russian fail safe - The Doomsday Device.

While the plot is of almost no consequence since the film is a heavy and vicious attack against the Cold War and all the people associated with it. There's no point in trying to poke jokes at the names since Kubrick is very much in control of this film. There's several takes on the British, the Americans, Russians, Nazis and even the fool hardy war loving people. Most of all there's the funny rant about Coca Cola. What's crazier the Cold War or the people behind it?

Am sure there's been plenty of people who have already dissected this movie bit by bit, so all I can say is you need to watch this film when you get a chance. Peter Sellers is excellent in this film, might I add.

Recommendation level: 4/5 - Very purposefully executed. Must watch!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick

Category: English

If this movie doesn't put the "FUCK YEAH" in your lingo I don't think anything else can. Definitely one of the finest war movies I've seen till date (mind you I started early! FUCK YEAH!). The direction, setting and execution is top notch and even with a headache it didn't have me reaching for the "how many minutes are left?" button.

The movie follows the training and eventual drafting into the army of a platoon of soldiers. As in war movies there are always familiar faces embedded into your mind with repeated shots of their face, here you get to see how they earn their names, well a few of them anyway.

Am not going to go into the exact details because it's not really worth writing that. What you do need to look out for are the performances (Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Matthew Modine & Adam Baldwin). Everyone is a perfect fit even though they all can't take up screen time. This isn't a long as fuck war movie like The Thin Red Line (where the dehumanizing tries to be poetic) or The Deer Hunter (where the dehumanizing happens over a period of time). Over here it happens in your face, direct and not ultra violent too. The movie also tackles several issues related to war which you need to discover for yourself.

Recommendation level: 4/5. Tuesdays will never be the same... FUCK YEAH! Pick it up at the local Crossword/Landmark or whatever.