Customer Reviews

Kubrick

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Originally meant as a "Vanity Fair" profile to herald the release of "Eyes Wide Shut", the material in Michael Herr's "Kubrick" was eventually published by the magazine as a eulogy. Regardless, Herr's intentions were honorable -- to introduce a Kubrick who was warm, witty and tireless in his quest for good conversation.

This somewhat restores the balance for fans who thought that Frederic Raphael's "Eyes Wide Open" unjustly underscored criticism of the director as a paranoid misanthrope. The Kubrick in Herr's book is eccentric, but never morose. In fact, whether he's talking current events, "The Godfather" or Homer, the director often comes off as an engaging smart ... who just wants to know everything.

Herr also offers some snapshots of Kubrick's artistic process -- such as the tight-ship handling of the "Full Metal Jacket" set and the initial preparations of the "Eyes Wide Shut" promotional campaign. But, ultimately, "Kubrick" is Herr's defense of his friend and little more. A touching, and literate, gesture, but not essential for those more interested in Kubrick's body of work than in his personal demeanor.

This is not just a reprint of Herr's "Vanity Fair" piece about Kubrick (although there's nothing wrong with republishing articles in book form--remeber Tom Wolfe's "Radical Chic"?) The final section of this small book is a brand new hell-raising defence of "Eyes Wide Shut" as a modern masterpiece: Herr also assails those critics who he believes did dirt to the memory of Kubrick.. Herr is a very seductive, stylish writer, and this memoir of the late, great director is loving, but clear-eyed and a good antidote to Fredric Raphael's vitriolic "Eyes Wide Open."

If you read the tremendous Vanity Fair articles written by Michael Herr on Kubrick, there is no real need to order this book. The book is merely the two articles in a bound volume.

Michael Herr wrote this book to restore some balance to the discussions of Stanley Kubrick after his death -- as Herr notes, "The strangely contentious and extremely disrespectful tone that lurked inside so many of the obituaries and tributes was unpleasant to the many people who loved Stanley, but not surprising." The reviews of Kubrick's final, and probably unfinished, film Eyes Wide Shut didn't help -- with a few exceptions, the critics seemed happy to use the film to confirm all of their preconceived notions of Kubrick's life and art.

Herr's book offers a pleasant defense of his friend, as well as some interesting and amusing anecdotes, but little more than that. Personally, I'd hoped he would reveal more about how he and Kubrick worked on Full Metal Jacket, but the film is seldom talked about directly, though it is often mentioned, tantalizingly, in passing. Ultimately, the book is little more than a long magazine article put into hardcover; it's nice to have, and would make a fine gift for a Kubrick fan, but it's definitely not a "must-have" book.

From the SK discussion:

"I received Michael Herr's newbook KUBRICK from Amazon.com yesterday. Much to my surprise anddisappointment, this book is nothing more than a reprint of the two articles that he wrote for Vanity Fair magazine. I assumed that the previously published Vanity Fair material would be incorporated into this book, and greatly expanded upon. But no - they're all you get! There is no new material here, except for one photograph of Kubrick on p.64 that I don't think has been published before. The essays themselves are excellent, but you'd think it would include something besides material that had already appeared in two issues of a magazine that went for $3.95 apiece. Gary"

"Kubrick" is intended as an antidote to all the "other" post mortems about the late director though it only adds to the heap of this strange, new, albeit fascinating, genre. Here, Kubrick is boy wonder from the Bronx who had to do whatever he did in life to defeat the evils of LA. The book is worth reading for its informative, understanding portrayal of the man but more so as a timely statement as to how artists are (mis)treated and (un)regarded in this country. Much has been said of Herr's lenghty postscript analyzing and defending "Eyes Wide Shut" but I think this is actually the best part of the book because of its crazy passion and regard for film as art but also for its indictment of spineless, narrow-minded critics.

This book should be used as a companion while studying Kubrick, as Herr discusses Kubrick as a man and a friend rather than going into Stanley's films in depth. The book is well written, flows easily, and brings the legendary director to life.

I have loved Michael Herr's DISPATCHES since I first read it several years ago. I was very excited when I saw Herr's name under the title of this biography. Kubrick is one of my favorite filmmakers and Herr is one of my favorite writers. I bought this book immediately after I saw it and I am very pleased with the purchase. There is something about Herr's writing style that is just beautiful. His words seem to have a wonderful flow to them. This book is rather short, I read it in one evening. If you love either Michael Herr or Stanley Kubrick you should buy it. If you love the work of both of them, you will enjoy it as much as I did. For me, reading this book was like spending time for several hours with two fascinating talents.

mister herr beutiful prose and love of his friend can be read thorough the pages of this book...this is a book about a special man; and an even more special friendship; about how kubrick was really a man of immense knowledge j
and about his very specials tastes: homer, ophuls, "the Simpsons" football, and money...

herr dismisses the assumption that there may have been something weird about his death...yet compares "eyes wide shut" to mozart s "the magic flute" leaving in the air something to think about...warner should play more with this conspiracy theory connection as its should boast sales of "eyes wide shut" and possibly a lot of other kubrick s blu ray in the market
(mozart dies very few months after the premiere of "the magic flute" in the imperial city of viena; kubrick died some weeks after "eyes wide shut" pre-release showing in the imperial city of new york; both masterpieces deals with strange secret societies and allusions to Europe sordid past in the middle east...but most of all; both are beutiful works of art)

Yes, this is a slim volume, and yes, a third of it comes from a Vanity Fair article, but it is also a tender and affectionate portrait of Stanley Kubrick well worth owning if you are an admirer of the filmmaker or a movie buff in general. Herr not only fills his books with amusing anecdotes about the famously reclusive director but also writes eloquently about the state of art and cinema in America. Although a bit defensive at times (particularly in assessing the merits of "Eyes Wide Shut"), this book is a welcome departure from all the anti-Kubrick blather prevalent in the news media, which focus on his eccentric and paranoid side (much of which is untrue).