Fear and Desire (1953)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writer:

Howard Sackler (writer)

Release Date:

1 April 1953 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Tagline:

Trapped... 4 Desperate Men and a Strange Half-Animal Girl! and the Story of French Prostitute... and The Male Brute

Plot:

Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.

Cast

Frank Silvera	...	Sgt. Mac
Paul Mazursky	...	Pvt. Sidney
Kenneth Harp	...	Lt. Corby / enemy general
Stephen Coit	...	Pvt. Fletcher (aide-de-camp) (as Steve Coit)
Virginia Leith	...	Young Girl

Also Known As:

Shape of Fear (USA) (working title)
The Trap (USA) (original script title)
Medo E Desejo (Brazil) [pt]
Paura e desiderio (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA

Company:

Kubrick

Trivia:

Stanley Kubrick insisted on setting up the lighting himself, as he liked to do, and did it without allowing a place for microphones. When his sound recordist Nathan Boxer objected, Kubrick fired him and recorded the sound himself.

Quotes:

Lieutenant Corby: Well, we have nothing to lose but our futures.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in True Romance (1993)

Kubrick's Flawed First Film

I've been dying to see this film for some time now - ever since I first fell in love with Kubrick's movies - but I was also a little hesitant, due to repeated reports that this film was seriously, even fatally flawed. Now that I've finally seen it, I can confirm it: it is quite flawed.

The dialogue, including its attempts at humor, is consistently corny. The music is like a bad imitation of Bernard Herrmann score. The acting is often sub-par. The budget is obviously very low. The editing is often awkward. And so on.

Yet, despite all of this, I found myself getting absorbed in it, and, by the end, I caught myself nodding in overall approval. Despite the films warts and moles, Kubrick manages to create a decent little film. Elements of his later, oft-famed style can be found throughout, especially in the cinematography. Taken for what it is, I think it's an enjoyable movie.

As for the films many flaws, just keep in mind that even the tallest man was born small. I'd recommend this film to any serious Kubrick fan. Watching it, one knows that big things lay ahead.