Comments on: The Essentials: The Best Stanley Kubrick Film Ranked

By: Count Lippy

Count Lippy — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:50:00 +0000

In reply to AA. Agreed, and for me Eyes Wide Shut improves with time and I would switch Its ranking with The Shining which I appear to be in a he minority in thinking it's overrated. Tom Cruises best performance and one of his few that I like.

By: chucker1

chucker1 — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 01:33:00 +0000

Good god…. This man’s films are unrankable…..

By: Noah Redfield

Noah Redfield — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 17:11:00 +0000

“Furthermore, it displays an ambivalent stance on morality, indicting society at large, then pivoting to examine the idea of psychological conditioning, even on incontrovertible bad seeds such as Alex.”

With all due respect, I couldn’t disagree more. A Clockwork Orange isn’t morally ambivalent at all. The morality at the center of the film is clear: redemption only comes from within — a view seriously put forth by the Prison Chaplain, ironically the one authority figure who isn’t constantly treated with ridicule — and both of Alex’s redemptions are ultimately phony because neither one is earned. One is the result of brainwashing while the other is the result of political exploitation. In the end, nothing changes. The government’s morality is infinitely flexible as always, scoring political points by spinning Alex as the victim, while Alex goes back to being the charming sociopath he always was. A cynical film, yes, but confused about its morality? Only if you take an absolutely literal-minded approach to it. It’s OUR confusion over our sympathy for Alex that makes us feel queasy. Kubrick is turning the gaze back on us as willing spectators of Alex’s debauchery.

It’s a shame that Clockwork is yet again being written off as a “problematic” film these days (I’ve seen it elsewhere.) I thought we were over arguing the film’s obvious moral center.

By: ZIL

ZIL — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 05:02:00 +0000

13) Spartacus
12) Fear and Desire
11) Killer’s Kiss
10) Lolita
9) Full Metal Jacket
8) Dr. Strangelove
7) Paths Of Glory
6) A Clockwork Orange
5) The Killing
4) Barry Lyndon
3) 2001: A Space Oddysey
2) Eyes Wide Shut
1) The Shining

By: Mike Patterson

Mike Patterson — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 02:08:00 +0000

I stopped reading after seeing Lolita at #11!

By: AA

AA — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:36:00 +0000

Sad to see that Eyes Wide Shut is still so underrated. It’s Kubrick’s most sophisticated work. Even he referred to it as his best film shortly before passing away.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 17:56:00 +0000

I would currently rank them*:

12) Killer’s Kiss
11) Spartacus
10) The Killing
9) Eyes Wide Shut
8) Lolita
7) Full Metal Jacket
6) Paths Of Glory
5) Barry Lyndon
4) 2001: A Space Oddysey
3) Dr. Strangelove
2) The Shining
1) A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is too low on your list, It is a hilariously fun film with more ballsy ideas in one scene then most films nowadays have in tota. Viddy Well Brothers!

*I’ve not seen Fear and Desire