THE BLOOMSBURY COMPANION TO STANLEY KUBRICK. Edited by I. Q. Hunter and Nathan Abrams. Bloomsbury Academic, 2022. 396 pp. $39.95 paperback.

Abstract

A n American director, producer, and screenwriter with more than a dozen films to his credit, Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999) stands apart as one of the most acclaimed luminaries in cinema history. Indeed, as the editors of the recently published Bloomsbury Companion to Stanley Kubrick note in their introduction, his “remarkable body of films continues to attract worldwide scholarly, critical, and fan attention” (Hunter and Abrams 1). It is therefore not surprising that there is robust interest in Kubrick studies, so much so that “Kubrick is now one of the most written-about film directors in history,” with scholarship surrounding him “still growing” (1). With this in mind—and in an effort to provide a “comprehensive introduction to and summary of the current scholarship in Kubrick Studies”—this collection assembles a large group of international scholars who collectively present a thorough discussion of his contribution to cinema (1). As a starting point, the editors call attention to the fact that Kubrick’s many films represent disparate genres and reflect different aesthetics—so much so that scholars have found it difficult to categorize his oeuvre. Nonetheless, as the editors have identified, there are recurring themes in Kubrick’s cinematic works. Thus, this volume, which includes 39 contributions, offers a thematic exploration of his filmography. The selections, which are divided into five sections, both summarize previous Kubrick scholarship and present current (often archive-based) research. In “Industry,” the first section of the collection, essays survey Kubrick in terms of production, authorship, collaboration, translation, and adaptation. Beginning by positing that Kubrick was both a “brand” and an “auteur,” this section emphasizes his crucial role in cinema history (11–12). While acknowledging that the relationship between “auterism and originality” can be fraught, this section highlights how, in the case of Kubrick, the fact that his “films are adaptations is not the most important discursive frame for understanding them,” nor did it impact how they were promoted (12). The next part of the book, “Sound and Image,” explores Kubrick’s use of visuals, music, and sound effects. While there is consensus that Kubrick’s style is “celebrated,” the individual contributors to this section home in on different facets of his aesthetic (85). For instance, while Robert P. Kolker examines Kubrick’s meticulous framing, Rodney F. Hill emphasizes, instead, his relationship to formalism. For her part, Kate McQuiston appraises Kubrick’s use of music to create mood, adding that the director “took advantage of technological developments in production and creation, such as synthesizers” (86). In “Gender and Identity,” the third section of the book, the included selections consider how Kubrick represented men and women in his films. For instance, by viewing Kubrick from a feminist perspective, Karen A. Ritzenhoff reassesses his cinematic portrayals through the lens of the #metoo movement. Additionally, by acknowledging their complex portrayal in Kubrick’s films, certain of these essays tackle “sexual and marital” relations as well as “issues of feminism, gender, sexuality, marriage, and family” (167). As part of this broader discussion, there is an emphasis on how Kubrick’s films focus on “the family triad (father, mother, child) becoming warped by an outsider presence” (168). Ultimately, scholars such as Joy McEntee argue that the “conventional understanding of family or reproduction is not useful in conceptualizing Kubrick’s films” (168). The fourth section of the collection, “Thematic Approaches,” addresses Kubrick’s intellectual concerns. Delving deeper than examining “his trademark themes of dehumanization and pessimism,” contributors lean on the reasons why Kubrick has been so frequently cast as a “pessimistic director with an Olympian cynicism and bleak perspective on life” (225). For example, Nathan Abrams and I.Q. Hunter make the argument that it was Kubrick’s fascination with Freud and psychoanalysis that shaped his “depictions of perversion, family dramas, and the impact of cultural repression, especially the links between violence, repression, and sexuality” (226). Part Five, “Researching Kubrick,” is the final section of the book. Dividing relevant material into two periods, before and after the advent of the Stanley Kubrick Archive, these essays consider what artifacts have hitherto been exhibited. These essays also take into account the roles access and politics play in terms of determining which individuals have been able to view the wealth of materials that showcase Kubrick’s “day to day practice as a creative artist” (303). In all, the many essays included in the edited collection provide a fuller picture of the emerging and extant scholarship on Kubrick. Indeed, both the editors and film scholars who have contributed to the Bloomsbury Companion to Stanley Kubrick present a thoughtful and wellresearched reference on the noted American film director. This edited collection therefore proves to be a worthwhile addition to Kubrick Studies and should be of interest to anyone interested in his vast filmography.