The Films of Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s films are technically dazzling and intellectually stimulating, and they always involve serious investigations into the nature of films. In this course we will examine the complexities of meaning generated by Kubrick's films, paying particular attention to questions of narrative and style. The course will explore how the films' thematic investigations relate to and evolve out of their stylistic and formal operations. We will study most of Kubrick's major works, including: Killer’s Kiss (1955); The Killing (1956); Paths of Glory (1957); Lolita (1962); Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1963); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); A Clockwork Orange (1971); Barry Lyndon (1975); The Shining (1980); Full Metal Jacket (1987); and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Through a combination of lectures, close analysis, discussion, student presentations and readings, we will thoroughly examine the work of one of the great filmmakers of the 20th Century.