The director Denzel Washington called “a genius”
There’s a brilliance that runs through the performances of Denzel Washington, who has rightfully established himself as one of the most respected actors of his generation. Washington has always given captivating on-screen efforts regardless of his characters, showcasing a deep and impressive versatility.
In the likes of Training Day, Malcolm X, Philadelphia, Inside Man and Man on Fire, Washington has proven his incredible capabilities in front of the camera. He’s no slouch in the director’s chair either, having helmed the impressive Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters. Quite simply, Denzel Washington lives and breathes film and is one of the cinematic medium’s all-time greats.
Being the centre of the movie world naturally comes with the territory of being deeply invested in cinema itself. When Washington turned up for an AMA session on Reddit, he was asked about the kind of films he was enjoying at the time and turned his attention to the brilliance of Stanley Kubrick.
“You know what? I’m on a Stanley Kubrick trip right now,” Washington wrote. “I’ve just been watchin’ all of his films. I watched Full Metal Jacket the other day, A Clockwork Orange. I’ve always been a fan of Scorsese, but I’ve sort of been on a Kubrick trip of late. I don’t know why.”
Washington went on to explain that he’d been consulting the works of Kubrick to understand more about the process of filmmaking itself. “In the next couple of years, I think I mentioned I’m going to direct a film,” the actor noted, “So I’ve started to put that hat on and watch how other filmmakers put together their movies.”
Of course, Washington had done well to turn his attention to the films of one of the greatest directors of all time. With countless masterpiece movies to his name, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick persistently delivers cinematic offerings of the highest quality.
A true perfectionist auteur, Kubrick’s films are littered with wildly impressive visuals and profound symbolism, while he was also capable of bringing performances of genuine intensity from his many actors, including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sellers and Ryan O’Neal.
Stating his deep admiration for the iconic director, Washington signed off, “Kubrick was a genius. And simple. I was amazed at how simple his shot selection was. He knew exactly where to put the camera in the right place, it didn’t feel like it’s been filmed, it feels like reality.”
