The movie Stanley Kubrick called “a masterpiece of cinematic invention”
Widely considered to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s influence on cinema has been immeasurable. After making several short films, Kubrick directed, filmed, edited and produced his first feature, Fear and Desire, in 1952.
While his debut isn’t necessarily good, it reflected his intense dedication to the medium, and he soon brushed up his skills through the production of Killer’s Kiss and The Killing. By the end of the decade, Kubrick began to receive more recognition for his work, such as 1957’s anti-war film Paths of Glory, which led to the more successful Spartacus, also starring Kirk Douglas, three years later.
The 1960s saw Kubrick rise to unprecedented levels of success with the release of his dark comedy Lolita, dark war comedy Dr Strangelove, and the sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The latter is widely considered one of the best movies ever made, significantly influencing the genre in the coming years.
Kubrick went on to release an adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, the historical drama Barry Lyndon, a terrifying take on Stephen King’s The Shining, the war drama Full Metal Jacket, and his erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut. Yet, another project never came to fruition, which could’ve been the director’s greatest achievement.
The filmmaker wanted to create his own Napoleon biopic, getting to work on the pre-production after he finished 2001: A Space Odyssey. After obsessively researching Napoleon’s life and collecting several hundred books on the man, Kubrick penned his screenplay in the hopes of making his greatest film yet. Discussing the project with the BBC, Jan Harlan, Kubrick’s executive producer, explained that it would’ve contained “the slow pace of Barry Lyndon, the attention to detail of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the massed battlefields of Spartacus.”
Sadly, MGM rejected the project, and Kubrick was forced to abandon his plans. The director was adamant that there had never been a good depiction of Napoleon on screen before. However, he still held praise for Abel Gance’s 1927 biopic on the emperor, calling it “a masterpiece of cinematic invention” which “brought cinematic innovations to the screen, which are still being called innovations whenever someone is bold enough to try them again.”
Yet, for Kubrick, the actual depiction of Napoleon’s life wasn’t satisfactory enough for him – a man who Kubrick had spent two years intensely researching. He added, “On the other hand, as a film about Napoleon, I have to say I’ve always been disappointed in it.”
