Stanley Kubrick on why Charlie Chaplin’s movies will “last longer than anyone else’s”
Few filmmakers have left such a profound impact on the cinematic medium as Stanley Kubrick, a true auteur whose ambitious sensibility changed the course of cinema. After honing a career as a photographer, Kubrick directed his first feature film, Fear and Desire, in 1952, completing much of the behind-the-scenes work himself.
It took him a few years to perfect his skills, but by the end of the decade, movies like Paths of Glory and Spartacus proved he was a unique talent. The 1960s was a fruitful period for Kubrick, releasing some of the most acclaimed movies of all time: Dr Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The next few decades established Kubrick as an all-time great, with movies like Barry Lyndon, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut receiving spectacular praise. Kubrick’s films are impressive in every sense of the word, from the scope to the intricate narratives and the bold use of aesthetics.
He was an unequivocal master, taking inspiration from a wide selection of influences, from filmmakers to photographers, novels and philosophy. There were several directors whom Kubrick thought were a cut above the rest, once stating, “I believe Bergman, De Sica and Fellini are the only three filmmakers in the world who are not just artistic opportunists. By this, I mean they don’t just sit and wait for a good story to come along and then make it. They have a point of view which is expressed over and over and over again in their films, and they themselves write or have original material written for them.”
However, Kubrick also championed the king of slapstick and the silent era, Charlie Chaplin, despite stating that he used a “non-cinematic style”. Chaplin was known for being the star of many silent comedies, directing a large handful of these himself. His first on-screen appearance came in 1914 with Making A Living, although he became best known for playing his Little Tramp character, which he debuted in the film Kid Auto Races at Venice.
His directorial debut came a few months later with Twenty Minutes of Love, although his first truly influential work as a filmmaker was 1921’s The Kid. Many of Kubrick’s heroes, such as De Sica and Fellini, cite Chaplin as a major influence due to his groundbreaking approach to making feature films.
Chaplin was highly dedicated, helping to change the public perception of comedy as something worthy of cinematic merit, showing that it could be used to delve deep into the human psyche besides simply making viewers laugh.
Kubrick once stated, “If something is really happening on the screen, it isn’t crucial how it’s shot. Chaplin had such a simple cinematic style that it was almost like I Love Lucy, but you were always hypnotised by what was going on, unaware of the essentially non-cinematic style.”
He added, “He frequently used cheap sets, routine lighting and so forth, but he made great films.” Despite this, Kubrick believed that Chaplin’s movies will “probably last longer than anyone else’s.”