“You don’t find reality only in your backyard, you know. In fact, sometimes that’s the last place you’ll find it.” -Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick has been widely regarded as one of the best directors of all time. He has directed such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange. Being the innovative director he is, Kubrick constantly breaks norms in film and employs unorthodox filming techniques.
Kubrick’s films are closer to documentaries exploring the human psyche rather than fictional narratives. He uses fictional stories as a way of reflecting real problems in real life. As a director, Kubrick’s trademark style is commonly referred to as ‘Kubrick’s Gaze’ This is where an actor has his head tilted down and looks up beneath his eyebrows, staring directly into the camera. The ominous stare is meant as a gateway between the fictional world of the film and the real world. People say the eyes are a window to one’s soul. ‘Kubrick’s gaze’ is the exactly that; a window connecting the audience to the psyche of his characters.
the film blog 