An engrossing biography of one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history
"A
cool, cerebral book about a cool, cerebral talent. . . . A brisk study
of [Kubrick's] films, with enough of the life tucked in to add context
as well as brightness and bite.”—Dwight Garner, New York Times
"An engaging and well-researched primer to the work of a cinematic legend."—Library Journal
Kubrick grew up in the Bronx, a doctor’s son. From a young age he was
consumed by photography, chess, and, above all else, movies. He was a
self‑taught filmmaker and self‑proclaimed outsider, and his films exist
in a unique world of their own outside the Hollywood mainstream.
Kubrick’s Jewishness played a crucial role in his idea of himself as an
outsider. Obsessed with rebellion against authority, war, and male
violence, Kubrick was himself a calm, coolly masterful creator and a
talkative, ever‑curious polymath immersed in friends and family.
Drawing on interviews and new archival material, David Mikics for the first time explores the personal side of Kubrick’s films.
