The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) [Hardcover]

Jerold J. Abrams (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2007 | Series: The Philosophy of Popular Culture

In the course of fifty years, director Stanley Kubrick produced some of the most haunting and indelible images on film. His films touch on a wide range of topics rife with questions about human life, behavior, and emotions: love and sex, war, crime, madness, social conditioning, and technology. Within this great variety of subject matter, Kubrick examines different sides of reality and unifies them into a rich philosophical vision that is similar to existentialism. Perhaps more than any other philosophical concept, existentialism -- the belief that philosophical truth has meaning only if it is chosen by the individual -- has come down from the ivory tower to influence popular culture at large. In virtually all of Kubrick's films, the protagonist finds himself or herself in opposition to a hard and uncaring world, whether the conflict arises in the natural world or in human institutions. Kubrick's war films (Fear and Desire, Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket) examine how humans deal with their worst fears -- especially the fear of death -- when facing the absurdity of war. Full Metal Jacket portrays a world of physical and moral change, with an environment in continual flux in which attempting to impose order can be dangerous. The film explores the tragic consequences of an unbending moral code in a constantly changing universe. Essays in the volume examine Kubrick's interest in morality and fate, revealing a Stoic philosophy at the center of many of his films. Several of the contributors find his oeuvre to be characterized by skepticism, irony, and unfettered hedonism. In such films as A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick confronts the notion that we will struggle against our own scientific and technological innovations. Kubrick's films about the future posit that an active form of nihilism will allow humans to accept the emptiness of the world and push beyond it to form a free and creative view of humanity. Taken together, the essays in The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick are an engaging look at the director's stark vision of a constantly changing moral and physical universe. They promise to add depth and complexity to the interpretation of Kubrick's signature films.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Offers a provocative, well-written, intelligently argued, and by-and-large persuasive set of essays on Kubrick's films. This volume fills a currently empty niche in the literature on Kubrick and will likely remain of interest to scholarly and general readers for a couple of decades or more." --Michael Valdez Moses, author of The Novel of Globalization and Culture" --

""Every page of this book expresses admiration for America's most philosophical filmmaker, all the while providing insight into his creative vision." --William Irwin, co-editor of More Matrix and Philosophy: Revolutions and Reloade" --

About the Author

Jerold J. Abrams is assistant professor of philosophy at Creighton University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (May 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081312445X
• ISBN-13: 978-0813124452
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,686,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Watch the Movies Instead!, April 12, 2007

By 

Richard Masloski (New Windsor, New York USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

This is a book that should never have been published. It is evident that the "professor" who edited the volume and wrote two of its essays has NOT viewed the films he talks about in quite some time - if at all! One illustration should suffice. In discussing "Lolita", Professor Abrams writes that Peter Sellers' character of Clare Quilty is shot by Humbert Humbert as "he crawls behind a life-sized painting of Lolita herself, which Humbert drills with bullets, killing Quilty behind it." Anyone who has seen this film knows perfectly well that it is NOT a painting of "Lolita herself" - anyone, that is, except for Professor Abrams who had NO business helming this book. It is filled with many a lame philosophical analysis of the maestro's works - and laden with factual errors. Skip this book - and watch the movies!

4.0 out of 5 stars Not entirely lucid, but the articles that are shine., November 23, 2011

By 

Luke R. Pendergrass "Zdorab" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

The articles on the Killing, Eyes Wide Shut, and 2001 are more than worth it. Very well put together, would recommend.