Stanley Kubrick
Perfectionist filmmaker, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Most quoted
"The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of human existence, then our existence as a species can have a meaning and a purpose. However, in this vast indifference, there is no inherent meaning or purpose, only what we create for ourselves."
— from Interview
"The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death – however mutable man may be – then in his brief moment on Earth every man can experience a fulfillment that will make his life for himself an enduring joy."
"The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death – however long the interval and however short – then man’s existence as a species can have a meaning."
— from 2001: A Space Odyssey production notes, 1968
All quotes by Stanley Kubrick (323)
The film is a dream that you can cry at.
The film is a dream that you can think about.
The film is a dream that you can talk about.
The film is a dream that you can write about.
The film is a dream that you can draw about.
The film is a dream that you can sing about.
The film is a dream that you can dance about.
The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of human existence, then our existence as a species can have a meaning and a purpose. However, in this vast indifference, there is no inherent meaning or purpose, only what we create for ourselves.
A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
The most important thing is to try and make a good film. And if you make a good film, it will find its audience.
You can't make a film about the future without making a film about the present.
Man is the most dangerous animal of all.
The screen is a magic medium. It has power that can transform a person's life. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry, it can make you think.
The great problem with people is that they don't know what they want. They want to be happy, but they don't know what makes them happy.
The biggest mistake I made was not making more films.
The essence of cinema is editing. It's the way you put shots together.
The very nature of the film medium is to be subjective.
The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.
The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but the most difficult to play.
The whole idea of a film is to communicate something to an audience.
Contemporaries of Stanley Kubrick
Other Film & Theaters born within 50 years of Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999).