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Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker
An engrossing biography of one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history"A cool, cerebral book about a cool, cerebral talent. . . . A brisk study of [Kubrick's] films, with enough of the life tucked in to add context as well as brightness and bite.”—Dwight Garner, New York Times"An engaging and well-researched primer to the work of a cinematic legend."—Library Journal Kubrick grew up in the Bronx, a doctor’s son. From a young age he was consumed by photography, chess, and, above all else, movies. He was a self†‘taught filmmaker and self†‘proclaimed outsider, and his films exist in a unique world of their own outside the Hollywood mainstream. Kubrick’s Jewishness played a crucial role in his idea of himself as an outsider. Obsessed with rebellion against authority, war, and male violence, Kubrick was himself a calm, coolly masterful creator and a talkative, ever†‘curious polymath immersed in friends and family. Drawing on interviews and new archival material, David Mikics for the first time explores the personal side of Kubrick’s films.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 21, 2020
2.5 Stars!
“Everyone earned their pay with Stanley…but nobody earned their pay the way Stanley earned his pay.”
First and foremost if, like me, you are a fan of Kubrick but you haven’t watched his oeuvre, then beware as this book is an outright spoiler fest! I think the biggest problem with this is that it dawdles and strays and doesn’t seem to have a clear purpose. It’s not really an academic analysis of Kubrick’s work as such and it’s not really a true biography of his life, but instead it seems to be a woolly and half-hearted attempt at both, but never really succeeds at any, and as a result I was often left a little puzzled?...
We learn some memorable things in here, like his love for his cats and dogs?...his penchant for cooking for people, as well as his notorious obsession (making actors do more than 100 takes!), his perfectionism and his stubborn determination, all traits which led to some deeply heated encounters and fall outs as well as some of the greatest films ever committed to celluloid.
There is some interesting trivia scattered throughout here like how Matthew Modine had a friend from acting school, Vincent D’Onfrio who was working as a bouncer, and was a newcomer and he eventually became Private Pyle in “Full Metal Jacket” or that “Eyes Wide Shut” which cost $64 million to make and brought in $22.7 million on its opening weekend, “At sixteen months, the shoot was the longest in film history.”
As I have found with some other titles from Ivy League presses there is a dry and lifeless feel to the prose, which can come across as lethargic and uncommitted, but this does have some really worthwhile moments here and there, but just not enough of them and overall I didn’t find enough conviction or purpose to this and the shape just didn’t feel right.
February 13, 2022
Less a biography and more a fascinating analysis of the films with some interesting insights into films like The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut - though he seems to have some difficulty finding much to say about that last film.
September 28, 2025
Excellent film analysis of one of our greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick. David Mikics spends Chapters 1 and 2 on Kubrick's early films, such as The Killing, Paths of Glory, Lolita, and Spartacus, then devotes one chapter each to his films beginning with Dr Strangelove and ending with Eyes Wide Shut. Mikics talks about the director's need for control and obsessiveness for multiple takes and badgering his actors to the point of emotional breakdown, which is on purpose to make them go even further in their performance. Mikics also talks of some of his abandoned projects that he spent months or years on, only to have them not come to fruition, such as his Napoleon and his Holocaust film The Ayrian Papers, as well as the abandoned A.I. Artificial Intelligence which he handed over to Steven Spielberg. Kubrick was inspired by many things, only to turn them into his unique vision, sometimes radically different than the source material. Nice deep analysis of the man and his films.
September 4, 2020
A book about Stanley Kubrick’s films. It looks at them all pretty throughly. I listened to the audiobook book version which to me was probably less satisfying than reading the book and being able to look at photographs of his films, etc.
July 22, 2021
Rarely do I find myself with the main critique that a book was too short, but here we are.
David Mikics is a capable film critic, but his prose style is not suited to a svelte book (250 pages or 8 listening hours as I consumed it) about such a prolific and accomplished auteur. Mikics attempts to construct a robust biography and critical analysis of Kubrick by combining personal anecdotes, production history, and critical analysis. This is a monumental task when it comes to Kubrick who made 13 feature films in addition to the two famous aborted projects (Napoleon and A.I) for which he left behind such a large body of material. In fact, there is a massive coffee table book that just contains the materials and detritus left behind from Kubrick's Napoleon. Ultimately, an average of 20 pages or so per film is not enough to achieve what Mikics sets out to do.
The results feel incomplete. There are personal stories that feel one-sided and underexplored. There are critical analyses that feel generous at best and incomplete at worst. There are technical achievements that are hand-waved and bold aesthetic claims for which only the surface is scratched.
Mikics is a good writer and a thoughtful critic but his prose style further hampers his efforts. His writing style is a little flowery and he is given to finding references in particular shots or designs that lead to small tangents on films that might actually not be as big an inspiration on Kubrick's work as he supposes. But even so, there is a lot to like about this book. If you are interested in Kubrick's films, you will learn fascinating things about Kubrick's process and Mikics will challenge your critical perceptions of his work.
I just wish that Mikics either had a more limited scope or more pages to explore his ideas. His passion for Kubrick is clear and probably worthy of a more Kubrickian page count.
David Mikics is a capable film critic, but his prose style is not suited to a svelte book (250 pages or 8 listening hours as I consumed it) about such a prolific and accomplished auteur. Mikics attempts to construct a robust biography and critical analysis of Kubrick by combining personal anecdotes, production history, and critical analysis. This is a monumental task when it comes to Kubrick who made 13 feature films in addition to the two famous aborted projects (Napoleon and A.I) for which he left behind such a large body of material. In fact, there is a massive coffee table book that just contains the materials and detritus left behind from Kubrick's Napoleon. Ultimately, an average of 20 pages or so per film is not enough to achieve what Mikics sets out to do.
The results feel incomplete. There are personal stories that feel one-sided and underexplored. There are critical analyses that feel generous at best and incomplete at worst. There are technical achievements that are hand-waved and bold aesthetic claims for which only the surface is scratched.
Mikics is a good writer and a thoughtful critic but his prose style further hampers his efforts. His writing style is a little flowery and he is given to finding references in particular shots or designs that lead to small tangents on films that might actually not be as big an inspiration on Kubrick's work as he supposes. But even so, there is a lot to like about this book. If you are interested in Kubrick's films, you will learn fascinating things about Kubrick's process and Mikics will challenge your critical perceptions of his work.
I just wish that Mikics either had a more limited scope or more pages to explore his ideas. His passion for Kubrick is clear and probably worthy of a more Kubrickian page count.
July 3, 2021
An adequate account of Kubrick's life with some interesting behind-the-scenes details but light on analysis (beyond the fairly obvious) and marred by sloppiness on details. Mikics' descriptions of scenes from the films include mistakes that should have been easy to avoid, and while this is a relatively minor criticism, a lack of care in these areas must necessarily raise questions about the credibility of his research in other respects.
As a brief introduction or a 'good enough' book for someone with a very casual curiosity, Mikics will do, but those having a more serious interest in Kubrick should look elsewhere.
As a brief introduction or a 'good enough' book for someone with a very casual curiosity, Mikics will do, but those having a more serious interest in Kubrick should look elsewhere.
March 11, 2024
Halfway to Excellence
Kubrick was an obsessional, private man with a hell of a hobby: filmmaking. He opted out of school early on, became a photographer at 17 for Look for 4 years, then with huge chutzpah (SK was yet another New York Jew), pursued his career in film. David Mikics, critic and fellow Red Sea pedestrian, chronicles his subject and his works.
Admiration with Kubrick is apparent early on, but Mikics' judgement is sometimes squiffy, sometimes insightful. For instance, he downplays the near perfect Paths of Glory (Kirk Douglas and liberal messaging), while declaring 2001 his masterpiece. He likes Barry Lyndon and Lolita (not I) and dwells for pages on The Shining (memorable horror) and Full Metal Jacket (mediocre and late). Of course, there is a great deal of decent coverage of Alex and his Droogs, a film I like enormously. He relates Kubrick's films to his personal story and character, but this is a hit and miss affair. Stanley stayed in England so he could be alone on his estate, but constantly calling Americans, watching American Football and making American dinners for family and friends. His last film, which he apparently meant to film years earlier, Eyes Wide Shot, get loads of attention and his analysis, painful at times, is well off the mark (hint - it's all a dream, not reality). I did enjoy his observations about Kubrick's circle, his friends and his featured players. He does analyse Strangelove well, and points to the importance of Ken Adam (another Jew with a Christian name), George C. Scott and the strange man that was Sterling Hayden (both perfect).
Stanley Kubrick was an eccentric genius, probably on the spectrum, who made his own way in life and his own kind of films. He is one of the most important creative people of the 20th Century and his films will last forever. His eye was unmatched as a photographer making films and his alienation from everyday life aided his original approach to his subject matter.
Kubrick was an obsessional, private man with a hell of a hobby: filmmaking. He opted out of school early on, became a photographer at 17 for Look for 4 years, then with huge chutzpah (SK was yet another New York Jew), pursued his career in film. David Mikics, critic and fellow Red Sea pedestrian, chronicles his subject and his works.
Admiration with Kubrick is apparent early on, but Mikics' judgement is sometimes squiffy, sometimes insightful. For instance, he downplays the near perfect Paths of Glory (Kirk Douglas and liberal messaging), while declaring 2001 his masterpiece. He likes Barry Lyndon and Lolita (not I) and dwells for pages on The Shining (memorable horror) and Full Metal Jacket (mediocre and late). Of course, there is a great deal of decent coverage of Alex and his Droogs, a film I like enormously. He relates Kubrick's films to his personal story and character, but this is a hit and miss affair. Stanley stayed in England so he could be alone on his estate, but constantly calling Americans, watching American Football and making American dinners for family and friends. His last film, which he apparently meant to film years earlier, Eyes Wide Shot, get loads of attention and his analysis, painful at times, is well off the mark (hint - it's all a dream, not reality). I did enjoy his observations about Kubrick's circle, his friends and his featured players. He does analyse Strangelove well, and points to the importance of Ken Adam (another Jew with a Christian name), George C. Scott and the strange man that was Sterling Hayden (both perfect).
Stanley Kubrick was an eccentric genius, probably on the spectrum, who made his own way in life and his own kind of films. He is one of the most important creative people of the 20th Century and his films will last forever. His eye was unmatched as a photographer making films and his alienation from everyday life aided his original approach to his subject matter.
March 3, 2023
The book was more a history of Kubrick's movies. There was some information about Kubrick, but it was not the emphasis of the book. The stories about the making of the movies and I thought the writing was clear and easy-to-read. I enjoyed reading about Kubrick's early movies.
Cable channel TCM has played some of Kubrick's early movies, "A Killer's Kiss" and "The Killing." Kubrick filmed these two movies on a shoe string budget and I think they aged well, especially A Killer's Kiss, which is a gritty movie about New York. I find that these two movies were quite sophisticated for a young man just starting as a film maker. I think Kubrick was in his mid-20s when they made them. Killer’s Kiss was filmed in locations in New York. One place where they filmed was the old Pen Station, which was demolished about 1962-63. It was a shame because it was a beautiful building.
Overall, this book is best for film lovers who want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes. One detail that the author mentioned that I thought was very interesting is that Kubrick would visit cinemas that were showing his movies and check if the projectors had the proper lenses to make sure the movie was as sharp as possible. He was a stickler for details!
Cable channel TCM has played some of Kubrick's early movies, "A Killer's Kiss" and "The Killing." Kubrick filmed these two movies on a shoe string budget and I think they aged well, especially A Killer's Kiss, which is a gritty movie about New York. I find that these two movies were quite sophisticated for a young man just starting as a film maker. I think Kubrick was in his mid-20s when they made them. Killer’s Kiss was filmed in locations in New York. One place where they filmed was the old Pen Station, which was demolished about 1962-63. It was a shame because it was a beautiful building.
Overall, this book is best for film lovers who want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes. One detail that the author mentioned that I thought was very interesting is that Kubrick would visit cinemas that were showing his movies and check if the projectors had the proper lenses to make sure the movie was as sharp as possible. He was a stickler for details!
April 7, 2024
As a Kubrick fan, this is a nice read that gives a bit more insight into who Kubrick was. Mikics displays interesting analyses on Kubrick’s style and overall thematic ideas and interests. Each chapter is built around a particular film, or films, Kubrick was working on at a certain time, simultaneously introducing us to his way of working and his overall life.
David Mikics most certainly did his best with what was available, writing this biography many years after Kubrick’s passing, and creating a totality by generally available facts and interviews, with some previously unknown information too, collected by doing research and interviewing people from Kubrick’s life still alive and available.
All in all, the book is a pretty light read, but the way the filmmaking process, personal relationships and the films themselves are tied together creates a nice overall experience. Kubrick never feels really present between the pages, but we do get a somewhat insightful picture of who he was, what drove him and how he worked.
David Mikics most certainly did his best with what was available, writing this biography many years after Kubrick’s passing, and creating a totality by generally available facts and interviews, with some previously unknown information too, collected by doing research and interviewing people from Kubrick’s life still alive and available.
All in all, the book is a pretty light read, but the way the filmmaking process, personal relationships and the films themselves are tied together creates a nice overall experience. Kubrick never feels really present between the pages, but we do get a somewhat insightful picture of who he was, what drove him and how he worked.
December 20, 2020
Wonderfully written bio of Kubrick, with details and analysis of each of his films.
Funny Kubrick quote: Marriage is like a long dinner with desert severed at the beginning.
Also found Kubrick's favorite passage from Robert Ardrey's "African Genesis": “But we were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at? Our murders and massacres and missiles, and our irreconcilable regiments? Or our treaties whatever they may be worth; our symphonies however seldom they may be played; our peaceful acres, however frequently they may be converted into battlefields; our dreams however rarely they may be accomplished. The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses.”
Time to stop reading and start re-watching some classic films...
Funny Kubrick quote: Marriage is like a long dinner with desert severed at the beginning.
Also found Kubrick's favorite passage from Robert Ardrey's "African Genesis": “But we were born of risen apes, not fallen angels, and the apes were armed killers besides. And so what shall we wonder at? Our murders and massacres and missiles, and our irreconcilable regiments? Or our treaties whatever they may be worth; our symphonies however seldom they may be played; our peaceful acres, however frequently they may be converted into battlefields; our dreams however rarely they may be accomplished. The miracle of man is not how far he has sunk but how magnificently he has risen. We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses.”
Time to stop reading and start re-watching some classic films...
August 30, 2020
Though workmanlike in scope and execution, this Kubrick biography manages to bring in enough detail on both the life and work to be very worthwhile. The films are covered in chronological order and though each film here could have received its own biography, it manages to give a very good sense of the man including his many quirks. One highlight is the discussion of the films that Kubrick wasn’t able to make (the Napoleon biopic sounds epic), and though the author is quite happy with Eyes Wide Shut, a treatment of the Shoah by Kubrick would have been a sight to behold. Instead we have the film Kubrick thought would be its competition: Schindler’s List – ugh.
August 24, 2020
Interesting and fast paced Kubrick biography.
A good option to get a quick reading on Kubrick, conveniently ordered to follow his films.
Adds some information to the large volume of books and documentaries available.
Recommended to get a general overview of Kubrick and his films.
A good option to get a quick reading on Kubrick, conveniently ordered to follow his films.
Adds some information to the large volume of books and documentaries available.
Recommended to get a general overview of Kubrick and his films.
September 16, 2020
I enjoyed the book although would have liked more about him as a person... the book dissects each of his important films analyzing different views, psychological implications, and is chronologically arranged per movie. Too short with over 20 pages of notes... would have loved more of the actual book. It is well written .
November 7, 2020
I received a copy of this book free from Goodreads Giveaways and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I expected this to be more of a biography of Kubrick, but it’s more of a filmography with some insights on how his life influences his films. It’s interesting, regardless, but you never get a sense of Kubrick the person. Just Kubrick the slightly obsessive perfectionist as a worker.
I expected this to be more of a biography of Kubrick, but it’s more of a filmography with some insights on how his life influences his films. It’s interesting, regardless, but you never get a sense of Kubrick the person. Just Kubrick the slightly obsessive perfectionist as a worker.
September 29, 2023
Quizá el título me hizo pensar que se trataba de una pieza de biografía histórica del genio Kubrick, pero en realidad se trata de una serie de ensayos sobre la obra de Kubrick entrelazados con algunos datos biográficos del cineasta.
Cómo tal, no es un mal libro, pero se queda corto en darnos más sobre la vida personal de Stanley Kubrick.
Cómo tal, no es un mal libro, pero se queda corto en darnos más sobre la vida personal de Stanley Kubrick.
February 1, 2024
Stanly Kubrick has long been one of my favorite directors, and I enjoyed this short exploration of the man and his works. David Mikics tries to get into the mind of the man who made classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Full Metal Jacket, and though I'm wasn't always convinced by Mikics, I enjoyed exploring Kubrick through his point of view.
July 17, 2024
Although I disagree with many of Mikics's assessments (such as, "We can't help but root for dildonosed, codpieced Alex over the snobbish cat lady [whom he beats and rapes]" - my biggest wtf moment of the book), he does support his views with many precise details from the work and life of Kubrick. The book is at least thorough and deliberate.
January 6, 2021
An interesting, albeit brief, look into Kubrick’s life and some broad analyses of his films. Parallels between film and life were sometimes intriguing but nothing wildly new or surprising. Fun, easy read. Good writing. Okay coverage of the content.
May 4, 2021
A couple of new revelations but most of this I seemed to have come across years ago when I was deep in Kubrickworld. More organized presentations of the films wouldn't have gone amiss. Hey, but this finally got me to watch Spartacus, which was just as 'Hollywood' as I thought it would be!
June 28, 2021
I've always been fascinated by Kubrick's work, so this book was a very interesting read. I enjoyed reading about his directing style, especially concerning "The Shinning", which is one of my favorite Kubrick films.
August 12, 2023
This is a book about the mind and movies of Stanley Kubrick. It is short but well researched and full of insight, especially on the films themselves, and particularly the later ones. The parallels drawn between Eyes Wide Shut and Full Metal Jacket are especially interesting
May 8, 2024
The author digs deep into each movie in Kubrick’s catalogue. Each chapter focuses on a movie and both interviews and archival material inform the writing. Well-written and concise look into a master’s career.
June 2, 2025
Good, but it doesn't mention that A Clockwork Orange film misses out the last chapter as Kubrick read the American version of the book which didn't have the chapter.
He also misses that the US version of The Shining is longer than the European version by 24 minutes.
He also misses that the US version of The Shining is longer than the European version by 24 minutes.
November 11, 2020
A fascinating look into the movies and life of Stanley Kubrick.
November 21, 2020
Really nice bit of Kubrick analysis. Lighter on the biography than I was expecting. Great notes on the films though.
January 9, 2021
This book doesn’t go too deep into any film or even Kubrick’s life, but it does make you find the things you want to research more and it certainly makes you want to rewatch all of his films.
February 12, 2021
Good summary of settings around Kubricks best films. The Chapter on Dr. Stranglelove particularly interesting
May 26, 2021
Underwhelming overview of Kubrick's life and work. Mikics is too academic and elitist to provide any genuine insight, and many of his psychoanalytical conclusions seem sloppy or forced.
May 29, 2021
(Audible audiobook)
Good intro to Kubrick, focusing more on his film output than his early life, per se.
Good intro to Kubrick, focusing more on his film output than his early life, per se.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews