Fear and Desire (1953)

Stanley Kubrick's feature directorial debut is a must watch for anyone interested in tracking the early years of one of cinema's most legendary and influential filmmakers.

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Cinematography by: Kubrick
Country: United States
Genre: Psychological Drama/Thriller/War (full film available in link, including an intro interview with Kubrick)

Legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick's (2001: A Space Odyssey [1968], A Clockwork Orange [1971]) feature directorial debut Fear and Desire is a dark drama about the psychological effects of war. Four soldiers find themselves behind enemy lines after their plane goes down and plan an escape. Over the course of their journey they must make difficult decisions which have severe psychological repercussions on some of the soldiers, most notably Sidney (Paul Mazursky), who suffers a frightening mental breakdown.

Kubrick handled nearly all aspects of the making of Fear and Desire, he directed, shot, edited and produced (entire budget out-of-pocket) the film himself. Howard Sackler wrote the screenplay, and he would go on to help Kubrick write his next film, Killer's Kiss, two years later. The score was handled by Gerald Fried, who also worked with Kubrick on his next few features, including another anti-war film Paths of Glory, which was much better received than Fear and Desire. Kubrick, ever the perfectionist, attempted to suppress Fear and Desire after its release because he found it dull and amateurish. While it's not nearly as impressive as his later works, for it's low budget I still find it to be an eerie, atmospheric, psychological anti-war piece that had my eyes glued to the screen and the moves of every character. The scene between Sidney and "The Girl" (Virginia Leith) is unforgettable. The movie is every bit as existential and misanthropic as Kubrick's later filmography, and sets up themes and visual motifs he would continue to use, including his trademark zoom shots and the infamous "Kubrick Stare," both often going hand-in-hand.

(Video courtesy of Vania Liberoff)

Fear and Desire won't be for everyone, but it's a must-watch for Kubrick fans.

5/5