He was perfectionist, eccentric, enigmatic, extravagant, lonely, avoiding publicity and guarding his privacy. He is told to be born to push the envelope as much as it can be. He used to break down conventions, exceeded borders, underwent big risk but his steps forward were well thought of, like any movement in his favorite sport, chess.

He was born in New York in 1928 and wasn´t very good at school since he simply wasn´t interested in it. He copied his homework from a mate. His father taught him to play chess and he became a really good player in it. His mum told him there isn´t anything he couldn´t do and she fully supported him. He worked as an editor of school magazine and wandered around time in search for stories. Since his 13^th birthday he had a camera given to him by a father so he also took photos. This supported his imagination. Long hours were spent with father in home dark room, where he taught how to work with light, from which he benefited later on while working on his films. He made a name for himself by taking a picture of desperate stall man after the death of president Roosevelt. He sold it at the age of 16 to a magazine Look, which he joint as photographer after leaving the school. He made thousands of photos for them. While taking them he learnt how to experiment which was useful for him later on.

He often took pictures at boxing matches and it was here where he found the story for his first film Day of the fight, which he made in 1950. It was about boxer Walter Cartier and he made it by using two cameras. To be able to make it, he quit his job in Look magazine and next few years he supported himself by making short documentaries of playing chess for money.

In 1953 his father cashed his life insurance and enabled Stanley to make his first feature film Fear and desire.He started making it with no knowledge about leading the actors or directing. He was sucked in by the film and he knew what he wanted notwithstanding he had no education for that. He dropped the film from screening later on but thanks to it he got money for his next movie Killer´s kiss.He made this movie in 1955 and showed his ability to work with the light. When he run out of money, he interrupted filming and went to dole queue to collect 30 bucks per week. After showing his movie he caught attention of producer James Harric and they set up a company called Harric/Kubrick Pictures.

At the beginning they had nothing to film so Stanley went to book store and found there a book about killing at the horse races which was called The Killing. He hired one of the top cameraman of that time, Lucien Ballard.The first shot was about to be made and Kubrick wanted to shoot it using 25mm lenses and he built the set up for that. When he returned he realized the camera stood elsewhere and Lucien used 50 mm lenses. It was obvious that he thought Stanley hasn´t got a clue what is going on. But he took him aside and told him directly to either do it Kubrick´s way or pack up his bag and leave the place. Ballard did what was wanted from him and they never argued afterwards. Films didn´t make big waves but brought Stanley a respect.

In 1957 he made a film Paths of glory which was honest anti-war picture about vain execution of three innocent soldiers. Thanks to that Hollywood took a notice of him while in France the movie was banned for two decades.

In 1960 came Spartacus, starred and produced by Kirk Douglas. He wanted to change director after only three days and asked Kubrick to take over. He re-casted it, put in fight sequences and made great, epic movie. Although it was very demanding task, he didn´t let fear and worries affect him and concentrated purely on filming. There was a tense between him and Douglas, since Kubrick couldn´t change a script and didn´t have the final word in editing since Douglas control everything. After finishing this, Kubrick said that from now on he will work only at films where he will have final word and right for final cut. Spartacus was successful both commercially and critically and won four Oscar awards. Kubrick made a name for himself and at the age of 32 he could now shoot only films he was interested in.

Following one was called Lolita and work with light and technique which he used was scandalous at that time and Catholic church stated, that watching this film incinema would be a sin. Kubrick had to re-edit it and had problems with distribution but controversy proved to be the best advert and film was a success.

Two years later he made a movie with long title Dr.Strangelove and How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. At that time the world was at the verge of WWIII and Kubrick hit bingo cos it scarred people and was perfectly made with great actor Peter Sellers. At that time he acquired unheard-of creative freedom and he didn´t have to obey the rules of Hollywood.

Since 1968 he cooperated with author A.C.Clarke and made a movie 2001 Space Odyssey.Tricks he used were great step forward and he used untried technology, devoted lots of time for details and worked with light and experimented. Before this movie the music was only decoration of the film but he used it as a great part of the film and part of whole atmosphere. During first screening the whole first row with studio big wigs left since they didn´t get the idea of the film and proclaimed it is the end of Kubrick. But general public liked it since it contained the message and everybody could read it according to his own philosophy. Film won Oscar for directing and special effects. Colleagues said afterwards that Stanley was incredibly demanding, controlled everything and expected 110% from everybody. He was very afraid of making a mistake that is why there were great spells between the films since he prepared everything to perfection.

He wanted to film Napoleon about who he thought of being the greatest genius who failed. He was about to shoot in Romania but a star studded movie Waterloo came into cinemas and producers lost interest, co it became a flop.

In 1969 Kubrick moved to England and was working for two years on his next project A Clockwork Orange.As well as in Space Odyssey he used classic music, this time Beethoven. Film was doomed as violence supporter and whole England turned against director who became a public enemy No.1.Every crime happening in England was credited to this movie and Kubrick received death threats. He was devastated and although film was shown for 51 weeks with great success he asked Warner Bros to withdraw it from cinemas. Kubrick also banned this film from public screening until his death.

It took him four years to recover and prepare new film Barry Lyndon. Thanks to old lenses he created a unique picture of 18^th century as it was then. He wanted to catch that time as no one before. It failed in England and America but it was celebrated in Europe and earned four Oscars.

He wanted to create a commercially successful film which would satisfy him artistically. In 1980 he made a film The Shining. During filming it he was almost ruthless at the actors and sometimes took fifty video takes before going for real.

Next seven years passed before he came to making a Full Metal Jacket. Before filming he called in all actors and asked them to reveal their ideas which he accepted afterwards. Sometimes, actors didn´t know what was he looking for and it was difficult for them to make an impact.

Kubrick started to make plans for next movie called Ayran papers but wasn´t sure if he can get the horror of holocaust onto the screen. But Spielberg came with his Schindler´s list movie and that was the end of Kubrick´s project. However these two met before A.I. Artificial intelligence was being made. There were lots of visual effects which couldn´t be done at that time so the plan was shelved. At this project also worked writer Ian Watson who told us about cooperation with Kubrick:

”Original idea comes from the pen of British author Brian Aldiss which was published in 1969 under the name” Super Toys last all summer”. Stanley contacted me in 1990 and invited me to his place where he told me that he liked the story for past twenty years but then filmed Space Odyssey and didn´t have time for that. He wanted me to write a robotic version of Pinocchio which would be using story of Brian Aldiss and would be spiced with good dialogues and emotional component. I could write what I wanted since Kubrick owned the rights. He used to cooperate with Aldiss but wasn´t happy with him and they parted. He offered me good money for I could work only for him. It was very hard task since he often lost what I have written before and I had to do it again. Usually I wrote in the evening some pages, sent it to him by fax and next morning we phoned and discussed it. Sometimes what was good one week wasn´t so good following week. It went for weeks and in the end he told me to write a story about ninety pages, which was the best of the best we have written. The story got direction after putting in the figure of sex-robot, who becomes David´s guide. Kubrick liked the idea and said he will toy with the story. A year has passed and nothing happened. Then he called me and said he lost the lot and I am to write it again. So another year has passed. Then studio called him to make Eyes wild shut and my work was shelved and film wasn´t made. Kubrick was very strange man who wanted to own people and suck them form their energy. When he liked some dress he bought many sets of the same stuff and wore it all the time. If he liked some food, he ordered that and ate it for weeks. He closely controlled the distribution of his films and it was forbidden to talk about A Clockwork Orange in front of him. He was public shy and no one saw him for many years so it wasn´t known how does he look like at that time.

He made a film Eyes Wide Shut and it had its premiere on 1.3.1999.It was well received. Week later he died from heart attack. It is believed that since he lived under stress for two years, the big burden was lifted off his shoulders and it created physical changes in his body.

His films are said to have no mercy and show people what they are not what we think they should be. He shows how we-people- are desperate and fallible. He didn´t dictate actors that they are limited with time, he wanted to try all possibilities and choose the best one. He didn´t let the time restrict him, which is something that only handful of director could afford.

He always said” Do you know what is the most valuable thing while filming?Time.

He never left filming any scene until he was sure it´s the best one. He never repeated himself and every of his films brought something new. Everything he had in his mind got onto the screen,

Everybody expected something extraordinary from Kubrick so he couldn´t afford to make just ordinary film. Each of his films was big event and he felt great responsibility at his shoulders. He regretted not making more movies than he made. Many of his films were criticized after public screening but within a decade they became all time classic. And that is what Stanley Kubrick will remain forever.