The lesson Stanley Kubrick taught James Cameron
Famed most for seminal provisions to the world of cinema, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick sits atop a legacy like no other. The director died nearly a quarter of a century ago, leaving a vast gaping hole in a mournful Hollywood. In filmmaking and most other creative arts, one doesn’t reach the top without a share of perfectionism, stubbornness and passion. As we all know, Kubrick had all three in fistfuls.
Of this holy trinity of winning virtues, Kubrick was distinctly heavy on perfectionism. While most discerning filmmakers are well equipped with creative fluency, Kubrick’s approach was fastidiously structured and mathematical – two words often banished from art school.
Kubrick’s systematic approach is shared by some of his contemporaries and successors in the industry. Perhaps one of his most eminent disciples is James Cameron, the director behind The Terminator, the landmark maritime drama Titanic and the money-printing Avatar franchise.
Cameron prides himself on embracing colossal projects of high budgets and even greater complexity. Such projects naturally require a hefty dose of Kubrick’s precision, self-belief and patience.
In a past interview feature with Fandor, Cameron sat down to discuss his five favourite movies of all time. Among the selections, and taking up the greatest share, were two Kubrick movies: 1964’s satirical masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and 1968’s sci-fi marvel 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In a quote appearing on IMDb, Cameron divulged the extent of his admiration for Kubrick and revealed the most crucial lesson he learned from the master. “On Stanley Kubrick: I remember going with a great sense of anticipation to each new Stanley Kubrick film and thinking, ‘Can he pull it off and amaze me again?’ And he always did. The lesson I learned from Kubrick was: never do the same thing twice.”
Cameron hasn’t taken this philosophy literally enough to castrate The Terminator before its superior sequel Judgement Day or limit Avatar to just one instalment. However, it would appear he’s contented with the new pastures explored throughout his cinematic journey. If ever the Canadian director’s career stagnates, he need only remind himself of his hero, Stanley Kubrick.
Watch the trailer for James Cameron’s 2022 movie Avatar: The Way of Water below.
