By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – From “Fear and Desire” through “Dr. Stangelove”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “The Shining”, and “Full Metal Jacket” to “Eyes Wide Shut,” filmgoers in Rio de Janeiro can embark on a cinematic odyssey during the next seven days as Estação NET Botafogo screens all thirteen films directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. The retrospective begins today, Friday, June 26th and will continue until Thursday, July 2nd.
Born in New York City in 1928, Kubrick is considered by many to be one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kubrick’s first full-length feature “Fear and Desire” was released in 1953 and his final film, “Eyes Wide Shut” premiered in 1999 shortly after his death at age seventy.
Though he only directed thirteen full-length films during his approximately fifty-year career, Kubrick was known as a visionary who never repeated himself in his works and who mastered all of the various themes he tackled. He was known as a true auteur, always maintaining artistic control and spending as much time on editing and post-production as he did on filming.
In his thirteen films, Kubrick often addressed controversial topics. His 1962 film, “Lolita,” based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel of the same name, dealt with possible pedophilia while “Dr. Strangelove” was a satirical take on politicians and nuclear weapons during the height of the Cold War. 1971’s “A Clockwork Orange” was banned for almost thirty years in the United Kingdom due to its depictions of graphic and sexual violence.
Estação NET Botafogo will begin the Kubrick retrospective on Friday, June 26th with a screening at 2:30 PM of what many consider Kubrick’s first mature feature, the film noir influenced “The Killing” (O Grande Golpe).
“Paths of Glory” (Glória Feita de Sangue), a film about soldiers during World War I, will follow at 4:30 PM and “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (DR. Fantástico) will then screen at 6:30 PM, followed at 8:30 PM by “Barry Lyndon”, Kubrick’s remake of the William Makepeace Thackeray book “The Luck of Barry Lyndon”. Finally, “2001: A Space Odyssey” (2001: Uma Odisseia no Espaço) will play at 23:59 PM to close out the first night.
On Saturday, June 27th, “Spartacus”, the story of a slave who lead a revolt in ancient Rome, will screen at 2PM, followed by “Lolita” at 5:45 PM. Kubrick’s second film, 1955’s “Killer’s Kiss” (A Morte passou perto) will screen at 10:30 PM and “A Clockwork Orange” (Laranja Mecânica) will play at 23:59 PM.
On Sunday, June 28th, a screening of “Dr Stranglove” will begin the day at 2PM, followed by “2001: A Space Odyssey” at 4PM and “Paths of Glory” at 10PM.
On Monday, June 29th, “A Clockwork Orange” will screen at 2PM and “2001: A Space Odyssey” will follow 4:45 PM. Kubrick’s first full-length film, 1953’s “Fear and Desire” (Medo de Desejo) will be shown at 7:30 PM, and “Eyes Wide Shut” (De Olhos Bem Fechados), his final film will be show at 9PM.
On Tuesday, June 30th, “Barry Lyndon” will play at 2PM. “The Shining” (O Iluminado), Kubrick’s film based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, will follow at 5:30 PM and “Paths of Glory” will show beginning at 8:15 PM.
On Wednesday, July 1st, “Full Metal Jacket” (Nascido para Matar), Kubrick’s take on the Vietnam War, will play at 2:30 PM, followed by “Eyes Wide Shut” at 5:15 PM and “Spartacus” at 8:30 PM.
Finally on Thursday, July 2nd, “Fear and Desire” will open the day at 3PM, followed by “Killer’s Kiss” at 4:30 PM, “Full Metal Jacket” at 6:15 PM and “Lolita” at 8:45 PM.
What: Kubrick Retrospective
When: June 26th through July 2nd, screening times vary.
Where: Estação NET Botafogo 1 (First theater), Rua Voluntários da Pátria 88, Botafogo.
Entrance: R$12-R$24 for each screening.