Stanley Kubrick: A Biography

The Bronx-born director of Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange has lived reclusively in England since 1961. This somewhat prosaic life serves as a breezy introduction to his acclaimed oeuvre, but does not bring us closer to the man than others have managed. Baxter, a British novelist and author of studies of John Ford, Steven Spielberg and other directors, focuses on the professional life of the filmmaker by tracing the development of each of his dozen feature films of the past 44 years. He acknowledges Kubrick's personal and professional flaws--his ruthless exploitation of collaborators; his antiseptic, even misanthropic view of the world; his dependence on (and contempt for) the writers who provide him with stories to film--while emphasizing the visual flair and maverick independence that have made him one of the most admired figures in contemporary cinema. But there's little new in all of this. While Baxter interviewed some figures in Kubrick's circle (though not, unsurprisingly, the notoriously reclusive master himself), he relies heavily on the dozens of books that have discussed the director's life and work, many of them full-scale studies. This might not be a problem if Baxter had a clear and compelling interpretive contribution to make to this discussion, but his aim seems to be merely to collect all the known facts. Readers are more likely to find satisfaction in Vincent LoBrutto's longer, identically titled 1996 biography. Photos. 20,000 first printing. (Oct.) FYI: The book's release anticipates that of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's first film since 1987's Full Metal Jacket.