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News & ArtsMonday, March 4, 2013
Books / Film What Do You Think About Steven Spielberg Finishing Kubrick's Napoleon?
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 4:19 PM
Because AI wasn't enough of a hate crime, Spielberg is going after Stanley Kubrick's white whale, according to Bleeding Cool.
...Kubrick never realised his desire to make a picture about Napoleon. He spent a very long time working on the project, amassed an incredible amount of research materials and even completed multiple drafts of the screenplay – and much of this material has since been published for the public to peruse.
And history is repeating itself, with Spielberg now coming on board to see the Napoleon plans through to fruition. Speaking to the show Le JT on Canal Plus, Spielberg said he’s working on bringing the project to TV.
I've long drooled over Taschen's enormous book about Kubrick's Napoleon, but I've never once felt the desire to see someone else finish Napoleon for Kubrick. But what do you think?
1
I do think A.I. is underrated. A.I. is episodic and perhaps overly long, but those are both hallmarks of Kubrick's other work. There are scenes in the movie that are just beautifully filmed and scenes that have stuck with me for a long time.
2
Option 7) Spielberg secures the rights to Napoleon and gives it to Paul Thomas Anderson to direct/
3
I would like to see 2001: A Space Odyssey made into a weekly sitcom.
Early episodes: the apemen in a set of hilarious vignettes of them trying to open frozen dinners and jars of peanut butter, but not having the brain power.
Then, a wild "black obelisk" played by Jay Pharoah zooms into town and sort of like Eddie Murphy in Pluto Nash ("what you don't understand is..."), becomes a know-it-all who instructs the Australopithicenes how to survive modern suburban life.
4
Option 8: Spielberg offs Francis Ford Coppola so that Abel Gance's Napoleon film can get out of its ridiculous legal limbo.
5
@3 and one episode is just a long shot of an empty desert and 1,000 people scream at different pitches off camera.
6
#5
That would be when it becomes a hit and the audience will laugh at anything.
Kind of like "Happy Days" when the Fonz would simply walk on and the applause would last for five minutes.
7
AI is very, very flawed but is also extremely underrated. Kubrick wanted Spielberg to direct it, much of what people criticize about it was Stanley's, and the ending—far from being saccharine—is incredibly dark.
12
It would be interesting to see Spielberg try and see if he's got the chops for TV. TV is where the good stuff is these days; take the ten best TV series versus the ten best Hollywood movies in the past decade and it's not even close; the best of the movies would be a distant 11th.
13
…Kubrick cared about cinema, not TV.
Oh, what-the-fuck-ever. Television in Kubrick's working years was a dramatically different medium than cinema; these days, not so much.
15
Fnarf - list or it didn't happen.
i likes my tv - i have a monday, a thursday & a friday show and 4 sunday shows (3 are anime), but the best stuff on my tv is movies that i had forgotten about or didn't get around to seeing. . .
i likes my tv - i have a monday, a thursday & a friday show and 4 sunday shows (3 are anime), but the best stuff on my tv is movies that i had forgotten about or didn't get around to seeing. . .
17
This gives me a legitimate reason to trot out my favorite Stranger movie review, ever, and it was about A.I. :
"I swear to God that movie ruined my life. "
"I swear to God that movie ruined my life. "
18
I voted for "only if he adds a more offensive character than Jar Jar Binks".
In good news today, they just renewed New Girl and The Mindy Project, as well as some loser shows, on Fox.
In good news today, they just renewed New Girl and The Mindy Project, as well as some loser shows, on Fox.
19
Spielberg will never quite understand cinema. He will never understand why in Paths of Glory, the condemned had to be marched all the way down the plaza in a scene that felt like it was going on forever. Spielberg would have just filmed the execution. He will never understand why showing a demented face for 5 seconds is more important than the murder scene directly after it. And he will never understand why the scenes that involved the singing of The Faithful Hussar in Paths of Glory and We'll Meet Again in Dr. Strangelove were completely necessary to *complete* those films.
Kubrick wasn't making a movie about Napoleon to tell the story about Napoleon. Nor was A.I. supposed to be a story about a robot. But Spielberg can't understand this. He is a good storyteller, but not a great director. He doesn't understand that a movie is more than just a book in motion.
It fills me with sadness to think that Spielberg is going to butcher another Kubrick script. Perhaps if the Spielberg of Jaws were still around I wouldn't fell this way, but that Spielberg is dead. That Spielberg understood suspense and would have laughed at the Spielberg that made A.I. I think the appropriate penance for Spielberg would be for him to be locked up with Sofia Coppola until she taught him how it is possible to create a great film without telling a story. Only then should he touch Kubrick.
Kubrick wasn't making a movie about Napoleon to tell the story about Napoleon. Nor was A.I. supposed to be a story about a robot. But Spielberg can't understand this. He is a good storyteller, but not a great director. He doesn't understand that a movie is more than just a book in motion.
It fills me with sadness to think that Spielberg is going to butcher another Kubrick script. Perhaps if the Spielberg of Jaws were still around I wouldn't fell this way, but that Spielberg is dead. That Spielberg understood suspense and would have laughed at the Spielberg that made A.I. I think the appropriate penance for Spielberg would be for him to be locked up with Sofia Coppola until she taught him how it is possible to create a great film without telling a story. Only then should he touch Kubrick.
20
Spielberg is excellent at making family films. Kubrick did not make family films.
Kubrick made art films. They were disturbing, disorienting, thought-provoking, and dark. They explored themes rooted in social issues of the day. They did not make you feel good. They weren't supposed to. They were supposed to unsettle you.
Et is not a film intended to unsettle anyone. It's intended to make young children happy, and there is a place for that. But that place was not in the Vietnam of Full Metal Jacket.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was also a child's adventure tale. It was superlative where Apocalypse Now was all too real. While roguish, Indiana Jones clearly wore a White Hat. That chapeau would have not fit so easily on Captain Williard's head. In the end, it wasn't really clear who the good guys were or who the bad guys were. How could someone like Indiana Jones function in such a world?
Spielberg directing Kubrick is like J.K. Rowling writing a version of Last Exit To Brooklyn. Its a disaster, because while there is a place for children in the theatre, there is also a place for adults, and those are two very different places.
Kubrick made art films. They were disturbing, disorienting, thought-provoking, and dark. They explored themes rooted in social issues of the day. They did not make you feel good. They weren't supposed to. They were supposed to unsettle you.
Et is not a film intended to unsettle anyone. It's intended to make young children happy, and there is a place for that. But that place was not in the Vietnam of Full Metal Jacket.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was also a child's adventure tale. It was superlative where Apocalypse Now was all too real. While roguish, Indiana Jones clearly wore a White Hat. That chapeau would have not fit so easily on Captain Williard's head. In the end, it wasn't really clear who the good guys were or who the bad guys were. How could someone like Indiana Jones function in such a world?
Spielberg directing Kubrick is like J.K. Rowling writing a version of Last Exit To Brooklyn. Its a disaster, because while there is a place for children in the theatre, there is also a place for adults, and those are two very different places.
22
He's gonna "Jar Jar" it, or "Ewok" it, or do something absolutely Goony with it. You just know it. And we'll all cringe together when Harrison Ford goes slouching off toward Moscow.
23
I wouldn't necessarily discount the capabilities of a TV series (despite my vote). Game of Thrones and House of Cards* have proven that if done right, a series can prove to be a fantastic - if not the best - method of telling larger on-screen stories.
*Thanks again for that recommendation, Dan! The wife and I were addicted to that show and blazed through it in less than a week!
*Thanks again for that recommendation, Dan! The wife and I were addicted to that show and blazed through it in less than a week!
24
@15:
Freaks and Geeks
The Sopranos
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Treme
Boardwalk Empire
David Attenborough's "The Life of Birds"
David Attenborough's "Life In the Undergrowth"
David Attenborough's "The Life of Mammals"
There's ten. OK, the last three aren't Hollywood. But I'm sure I've left some out, and that's not even including the comedies, like
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
Flight of the Conchords
Two and a Half Men (kidding!)
The best Hollywood movie in the time period? Probably competitive with something like "Lost". But nothing comparable to the list above, not for story, not for acting, not for visuals, not for anything except really expensive explosions and bad John Williams soundtracks.
Freaks and Geeks
The Sopranos
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
The Wire
Treme
Boardwalk Empire
David Attenborough's "The Life of Birds"
David Attenborough's "Life In the Undergrowth"
David Attenborough's "The Life of Mammals"
There's ten. OK, the last three aren't Hollywood. But I'm sure I've left some out, and that's not even including the comedies, like
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
Flight of the Conchords
Two and a Half Men (kidding!)
The best Hollywood movie in the time period? Probably competitive with something like "Lost". But nothing comparable to the list above, not for story, not for acting, not for visuals, not for anything except really expensive explosions and bad John Williams soundtracks.
26
19, I would say rather, that Spielberg is excellent at manipulating images, but he doesn't understand how images in themselves can be powerful. Your point about Paths of Glory is well taken. I'll offer the Fourth of July scene in Jaws, especially the shot as they pull Brody's son from the water. It scripts the audience's reactions brilliantly. It's genius manipulation, but manipulation nonetheless.
Kubrik was someone who allowed his audience the freedom to react. He also had a singular vision, which no one can copy.
Kubrik was someone who allowed his audience the freedom to react. He also had a singular vision, which no one can copy.
27
fnarf, Spielberg got his start in TV. Duel was a made-for-TV movie.
The rest of your point I agree w/. The switch took place sometime in the previous decade, when original works became a rarity.
The rest of your point I agree w/. The switch took place sometime in the previous decade, when original works became a rarity.
28
@24: Don't restrict it to just Hollywood. Pan's Labyrinth or Spirited Away beat all of these hands down in terms of artistic accomplishment. Though to be fair, no movie ever created compares to the significance of The Wire. A film has to be tightly crafted with no loose threads, while a TV show can expand and fully flesh out a story. But as I pointed out earlier in this thread, the point of a film is not just to tell a story. Something like Lost in Translation would never work on TV, while The Wire is simply too large for a movie. In my opinion, TV is generally a lesser medium as far as artistic expression. Nothing Kubrick ever created would do well as a TV show or miniseries. But movies are a lesser medium as far as storytelling. Again, I would refer to The Wire (the greatest TV show ever created).
30
TL;DR = Fnarf:: love you man and this is fun!!
--"TV is where the good stuff is these days; take the ten best TV series versus the ten best Hollywood movies in the past decade and it's not even close; the best of the movies would be a distant 11th."
Oh man, i love me some David Attenborough. but, let's get pedantic::
--Freaks and Geeks (1999 - 2000) - doesn't count
--The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) - i have never seen it and therefore can not comment
--Mad Men (2007 - ongoing) - what i have seen hasn't impressed, but it's limited so maybe there's wiggle room. . .
--Breaking Bad (2008 - ongoing) - haven't seen much, but what i have seen is brilliant, plus my sister says it's the best tv show ever. . .
--The Wire (2002 - 2008) - brilliant tv.
--Treme - never heard of it
--Boardwalk Empire - haven't seen
--David Attenborough's "The Life of Birds" (1998) - doesn't count
--David Attenborough's "Life In the Undergrowth"
--David Attenborough's "The Life of Mammals" (2002) - doesn't count
--There's ten. OK, the last three aren't Hollywood. But I'm sure I've left some out, and that's not even including the comedies, like
--Arrested Development - meh. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--Curb Your Enthusiasm - i hate this show, "i am an embarrassing twat!" is _not_ a plot - especially not for multiple episodes. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--30 Rock - meh. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--Flight of the Conchords - haven't seen it yet.
--Two and a Half Men (kidding!) - heh heh - good one. . .
--The best Hollywood movie in the time period?
YOU OFFER NONE! come on what did you like?
and since your list of TV wasn't hollywood exclusive then the list of movies doesn't have to be either. . .
better than the Mad Men (at least) & in no particular order::
((your qualifier of "hollywood movies" kinda makes what you say, well, wrong, (as if no movies are made outside of hollywood or no TV shows are made outside hollywood) but then that's fun right?!))
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Star Trek (2009)
Cloverfield (2008)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Hot Fuzz (2007) - pretty much the best thing ever made. . .
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Man on Wire (2008)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - still in this decade (unlike some of your list. . . )
Inglorious Basterds (2009) - you wanted acting? - this is acting!
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
How to Survive a Plague (2012)
The Dark Knight (2008) - you wanted acting? - this is acting!
Inception (2010)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - squeezes in. . .
Oldboy (2003)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - crushes anything on your TV list. . .
Up (2009)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
Gran Torino (2008)
No Country for Old Men (2007) - quietly, the best film ever made. . .
Sunshine (2007)
Downfall (2004)
The King's Speech (2010)
i'd go on, but i'm tired of typing. . .
p.s. i like j.j. abrams, but Lost sucked!!
More...
--"TV is where the good stuff is these days; take the ten best TV series versus the ten best Hollywood movies in the past decade and it's not even close; the best of the movies would be a distant 11th."
Oh man, i love me some David Attenborough. but, let's get pedantic::
--Freaks and Geeks (1999 - 2000) - doesn't count
--The Sopranos (1999 - 2007) - i have never seen it and therefore can not comment
--Mad Men (2007 - ongoing) - what i have seen hasn't impressed, but it's limited so maybe there's wiggle room. . .
--Breaking Bad (2008 - ongoing) - haven't seen much, but what i have seen is brilliant, plus my sister says it's the best tv show ever. . .
--The Wire (2002 - 2008) - brilliant tv.
--Treme - never heard of it
--Boardwalk Empire - haven't seen
--David Attenborough's "The Life of Birds" (1998) - doesn't count
--David Attenborough's "Life In the Undergrowth"
--David Attenborough's "The Life of Mammals" (2002) - doesn't count
--There's ten. OK, the last three aren't Hollywood. But I'm sure I've left some out, and that's not even including the comedies, like
--Arrested Development - meh. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--Curb Your Enthusiasm - i hate this show, "i am an embarrassing twat!" is _not_ a plot - especially not for multiple episodes. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--30 Rock - meh. (i don't like embarassment comedy)
--Flight of the Conchords - haven't seen it yet.
--Two and a Half Men (kidding!) - heh heh - good one. . .
--The best Hollywood movie in the time period?
YOU OFFER NONE! come on what did you like?
and since your list of TV wasn't hollywood exclusive then the list of movies doesn't have to be either. . .
better than the Mad Men (at least) & in no particular order::
((your qualifier of "hollywood movies" kinda makes what you say, well, wrong, (as if no movies are made outside of hollywood or no TV shows are made outside hollywood) but then that's fun right?!))
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Star Trek (2009)
Cloverfield (2008)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Hot Fuzz (2007) - pretty much the best thing ever made. . .
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Man on Wire (2008)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - still in this decade (unlike some of your list. . . )
Inglorious Basterds (2009) - you wanted acting? - this is acting!
Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
How to Survive a Plague (2012)
The Dark Knight (2008) - you wanted acting? - this is acting!
Inception (2010)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - squeezes in. . .
Oldboy (2003)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - crushes anything on your TV list. . .
Up (2009)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
Gran Torino (2008)
No Country for Old Men (2007) - quietly, the best film ever made. . .
Sunshine (2007)
Downfall (2004)
The King's Speech (2010)
i'd go on, but i'm tired of typing. . .
p.s. i like j.j. abrams, but Lost sucked!!
31
I feel like this entire article took place in an alternate universe where "Eyes Wide Shut" never happened.
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