Written by Penna a Spillo
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Has opened at The Design Museum in London the expected exhibition dedicated to Stanley Kubrick, a visionary genius of 20th-century cinematography.
I had the pleasure of visiting the exhibition on opening day, the 26th of April 2019, and I will tell you all my impressions here.
The exhibition will be on at The Design Museum until 15th September 2019, but if you are interested, I recommend that you book your ticket online immediately, because I have the feeling that it will be sold out very soon.
It’s a total immersion in Stanley Kubrick’s artwork, and you will be transported for an hour or two in his world.
It will ultimately allow you to understand a lot about his personality and his creative genius.
Entrance to the exhibition
The entrance to the exhibition is really impressive.
In the lobby of the Museum, you will be welcomed by the car from A Clockwork Orange.
Before entering, you will also realize that the floor under your feet looks like the corridors’ carpet of the Overlook Hotel from Shining, the one where Danny rides on the famous tricycle.
And just beyond the entrance, you’ll find a giant screen showing some of the most famous scenes of Kubrick’s movies, anticipating what you will see inside.
In the first room are collected many objects, notes, scripts, and memorabilia of Kubrick’s work, which give you a complete and exhaustive view of his extremely strict way of intending how to be a movie director.
There are many letters, cards, and correspondence between Kubrick and actors and members of the entertainment industry at that time.
These include the letter by which Audrey Hepburn rejected the director’s proposal to work in the role of Josephine for Napoleon’s project.
It’s a movie that Kubrick never made, actually, but many notes and preparatory works are shown off.
You’ll find the original posters of all the cult movies, the director’s chair, the Oscar award scored in 1969 for best visual effects in 2001 A Space Odyssey, scripts with Kubrick’s notes, and much, much more.
The second part
The second part of the exhibition drives you to a path where separate spaces are created for each individual Cult Movie: Lolita, Full Metal Jacket, Spartacus, Paths of Glory, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Dr. Strangelove, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Eyes Wide Shut, Shining.
As a first sensation, browsing around, you can’t avoid reflecting on the incredible variety of Kubrick’s artwork.
Each movie is a masterpiece and all of them are the result of a unique and unrepeatable creative activity.
For many movies, stages reminding to the set are recreated, and there are objects, some original, from the different movie, part of the twentieth century’s history actually.
Adding to that, films and musical themes, which, as everyone knows, distinguish Kubrick’s work indelibly.
Here are some images to give an idea, even if very limited, of the exhibition’s journey.
A Clockwork Orange
Kubrick’s notes, materials and the reconstruction of the popular Korova Milk Bar.
Eyes Wide Shut
The famous original masks of the party in the Villa, a series of images showing how Kubrick realized the set of the movie in the UK, and wonderful pictures of Stanley Kubrick, Nicole Kidman, and Tom Cruise from backstage.
It’s funny to read how, as evidence of the director’s extreme freak control, one of the scenes (Tom Cruise enters through a door) has been repeated ninety times.
Barry Lyndon
Here are the wonderful Movie costumes.
2001 A Space Odyssey
The reconstruction of the Hilton Space Hotel Orbiting Station, prototypes and models used for filming, and one of the original monkey costumes.
Shining
The original script, the model of the maze of the Overlook Hotel, a board dedicated to the twin’s sisters, and Jack Nicholson’s typewriter with the famous “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.
Not just the English version of the page, but also the French, German, Italian, and Spanish ones.
I’ve described just a small part of the material of the exhibition.
The detailed explanations that accompany the individual objects and materials provide deep and clear knowledge of Kubrick’s movie cosmos.
It clearly emerges not only his vision of making movies but also his complex and creative personality.
Discover more
- Speaking of Cinema Exhibitions, don’t forget to have a look at my article, Wes Anderson: The Archives at the Design Museum, London
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