Auteur’s Signature in the Works of Stanley Kubrick

Through this essay, I will be looking at the work of Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick is known for his demanding and very detailed approach to film making and is the embodiment of an auteur. But what does it mean to be an auteur? The auteur theory, which was derived largely from Astruc’s elucidation of the concept of camera-stylo (‘camera-pen’), holds that the director, who oversees all audio and visual elements of the motion picture, is more to be considered the author of the movie than the writer of the screenplay. (Astruc, 1948)

This essentially means that to be an auteur is to be much more than just a director – it is much more personal. They need to have their own perspective, a unique point of view that imposes itself onto every film they work on. New Wave directors in the 1950’s came up with the theory that an auteur must have full command over the way a story is told, both artistically (themes, genre, symbols, and overall mise-en-scene) and technically (shots, framing and overall mise-en-shot). And most importantly, this signature they have developed must be evident in all of their work, linking every piece in a way that makes it clear to audiences that this film is entirely theirs.

An auteur’s signature involves themes, narrative and film making style. In the following paragraphs, I will be examining Kubrick’s signature in more detail with specific reference to a selection of his films.

Themes are a key aspect to any auteurs work and, of course, this includes Stanley Kubrick. Early Kubrick works such as The Killing (Kubrick, 1956) and Fear and Desire (Kubrick, 1953) seem to draw on noir-like ideas including things like existentialism. This theme is still present in some of his later films though, however, it develops alongside other tropes such as nihilism, war and detachment. We see this prominently in his film Dr Strangelove (Kubrick, 1964). Although presented as a dark comedy, the film revolves around heavy issues like the futility of war and an impending nuclear wipe out.

Rather than dealing with them in a serious way, Kubrick makes these concepts slightly easier to digest and connect with by using characters that are almost caricatures at times and have obsessions beyond reason, making them and their actions in the war room seem absurd. The film was an adaptation of the novel Red Alert (George, 1958) which is about the genuinely frightening threat of nuclear war at the time and Kubrick, through utilising his own personal film making style, managed to create what is arguably one of the best anti-war satires ever made. (Webster, 2011) We see a recurring use of anti-heroes in some of Kubrick’s films who help provide us with a more gritty, unsettling view of what mankind is capable of. We see this through Jack Torrance’s character in The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) who begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac, and also through Alex in Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972).

As previously mentioned, an auteur is a director whose creative control over a project is absolute. They must have a unique and easily recognisable style. (Petrie, 1973) This includes a narrative style. Kubrick tends to use his concept of ‘non-submersible units’ rather than sticking to a more traditional and commonly seen narrative style. These ‘units’ represent the key sections of each film and solidify their place in the narrative of their respective movie. (Sperb, 2006) This means that the rest of the film’s narrative and the action that follows is created with the sole purpose of supporting these units and the main characters development. It doesn’t matter which film we look at when examining this because no matter the genre – war, historical, science fiction, comedy or horror – he uses this narrative technique to really delve into all the facets of human nature.

For example, he examines the breakdown of the human psyche through the character of Jack in The Shining (Kubrick, 1980). (Egan, 2015) Kubrick also uses his characters to do this and in each of his films, there are moments where the protagonist slips from conventional society and is left to ponder their very existence and its meaning. We see this very clearly in Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick, 1999) through the night of adventure and sexual discovery of Dr. Bill Harford after he discovers his wife had an affair the year before. He only goes on this night of discovery because he is questioning his marriage and whether his life decisions up until this point have been for anything or worth anything.

As with any auteur, when watching Kubrick’s films, we become aware of his use of motif. One recurring thing we see in many of his films is colour. There is an array of vivid colours in many of his films, the most notable being: A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972) and The Shining (Kubrick, 1980). Bathroom scenes are also seen repeatedly in his films, however, these are not just your generic scenes in a toilet or washroom, they are in fact crucial in his films Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick, 1999), The Shining (Kubrick, 1980), and in Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987) In Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987) the bathroom scene is colloquially referred to as ‘Pyle’s greatest hour’ and we see just how impactful mental abuse has been on Private Pyle. This scene is a catalyst in which a typical military film develops into a psychological thriller. Along with things like colour and certain mise-en-scene’s, Kubrick employs a very unique way of utilising music and the soundtracks for his films. There are several examples of where he backs everything up with a sense of polish and refinement – grace. (Kagan, 2003)

This is primarily through his use of rousing classical music in the films Barry Lyndon (Kubrick,1975), Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick, 1999), 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968), and particularly in A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972). Whilst this does seem to fit certain scenes – for example, at the masked ball in Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick, 1999) - at times the use of this genre of music and the atmosphere it helps to create seems almost paradoxical. We see this in A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972) in which the main character, Alex, has an intense interest – almost obsession – with classical music and in particular, Beethoven and it is this that provides an unsettling soundtrack to accompany the ultra-violence and extreme conditioning techniques that we are privy to throughout this film.

From a technical perspective, Kubrick’s photography experience was a huge influence on his approach to cinematography, lighting and editing. (reference) ‘Barry Lyndon (Kubrick, 1975) in particular lingers on the picturesque, with some beautiful individual shots akin to oil paintings.’ (Egan, 2015) Technologically, Kubrick was also ahead of his time. Released a year before the moon landing, 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) represented technological developments that had never been seen before - not just cinematically. The Earth had never been photographed from space, but Kubrick’s special effects (which won him his only Academy Award) were undeniably accurate. So accurate that conspiracy theorists would have you believe Stanley Kubrick choreographed a staged moon landing. (Sperb, 2006)

Cinematography is also an important aspect of any auteurs work. Kubrick has a tendency to use long tracking shots and the reverse zoom in his repertoire of films. One example of this is A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972) which opens with a reverse zoom of the droogs in the milk bar. We see his use of long tracking shots which follow Colonel Dax through the trenches in Paths of Glory (Kubrick, 1957), and Danny through the hotel hallways of The Shining (Kubrick, 1980). These techniques and shots are all used in scenes that underpin Kubrick’s technical style and have, over time, become instantly recognisable to audiences. (Kagan, 2003)

To conclude, I believe that Stanley Kubrick is one of the most influential contemporary auteurs, so much so that he has been referred to as a ‘cinematic giant’. (Pezzotta, 2014) Cinema is just a way of expressing things and I think that Kubrick has found his own, unique form of expression which has been so impactful on modern film critics and film makers. As much as Stanley Kubrick has discussed the personal nature of his films in interviews, his artistic vision has impacted popular culture and multiple generations of writers and directors and I believe that this is the mark of a true auteur.

His legacy lives on through his work and particularly through some of his key scenes including: the transition shot of the bone being thrown into the air of the space station in 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968); the ultra-violence of A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick, 1972); The Shining’s (Kubrick, 1980) infamous “Heeere’s Johnny!” and the drill sergeant verbally destroying new recruits in Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987). ‘Kubrick’s legacy is truly entwined with that of world cinema’ (reference) and I believe that he is the epitome of what it means to be an auteur.