What Are Stanley Kubrick's Best Shots?

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most influential filmmakers in Hollywood history. His career spanned decades, and the movies he left us with have turned into classics. Kubrick was the master of meticulous thought. He loved doing multiple takes, finding interesting camera angles, and generally driving actors a little wild with his methods.

But what were Kubrick's greatest shots? The ones that stand the test of time and that stick in our minds long after his features end?

Let's dive in.

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Dissecting Stanley Kubrick's Best Shots

This compilation of his greatest shots showcases his unique and identifiable visual style and highlights why he is acclaimed as one of cinema's greatest artists. Kubrick, above all others, also has this mythos around him.

There's the legend that he faked the moon landing—which is fake. But I love that he shot Barry Lyndon by candlelight. As I watched the video, I really challenged myself to pick my favorite Kubrick shot.

I kept wondering if there was one that embodied his career more than the others. One that stuck out as being so... Kubrick. This was not an easy feat. We're talking about an auteur. His movies are so quintessentially him. So instead of trying to pick the movie that was most him, I worked much more molecularly.

What shot embodies Kubrick the most?

I came up with the scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey where the monkey tosses the bone, and we transition to space.

For me, this is the Kubrickian aesthetic.

And from there, despite internal debate, I concluded that 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most Kubrickian of his movies. It's a deep meditation on the entirety of human existence and life. It asks tough questions of its characters and even tougher questions of the audience. The light bridge is so wondrous, it's what I hope I see when I die. And I think the cinematography is so exquisite it holds up even to modern scrutiny.

The movie was shot on a Super Panavision-70 Camera using 5-perf 65mm (2.20:1) negative and spherical lenses. It just looks epic. And everything in the background and foreground feels put together by a mad scientist. You can see the level of care in every frame. The camera glides through space and time, opening us up to the conventional and unconventional aspects of storytelling.

What do you think is the most Kubrickian of his movies and shots?

I'd love to hear the how and why of your dissection in the comments.