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Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that celebrates the artistry of cinema – one frame at a time.*
Truth be told, I could write a column of Framed every week for at least a year highlighting something from a Stanley Kubrick film. Kubrick’s technical mastery is legendary – his films are meticulously made with every shot, every camera placement, and every angle considered in the way only a filmmaker with a background in tournament chess could conceive. His reputation as a perfectionist is well-documented, with countless tales circulating about how he required dozens (and in some instances over a hundred … ) takes to get exactly what he wanted.
Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket](Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Movie | Moviefone) may not be the first film that springs to mind when thinking about striking imagery in a film – not because it’s lacking in artistic merit, but because some of Kubrick’s other films (most notably, 2001](2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Movie | Moviefone)) are such visual marvels. Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick’s last commentary on the nature of war, is relatively drab looking affair – filled with muted colors, harsh lighting, and a certain graininess that seems almost unflattering. There’s a method to Kubrick’s madness though – and each of these things, along with the incredibly formal framing of many of the shots in the film, serves a specific purpose in creating the mood and subconscious tone of Full Metal Jacket.Filed under: Critical Thought, Tech Stuff, DIY/Filmmaking, Columns, Images, War