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Stanley Kubrick
New York Jewish Intellectual
Published by: Rutgers University Press
Imprint: Rutgers University Press
344 Pages, 149.00 × 225.00 × 25.00 mm, 20 photographs
Stanley Kubrick is generally acknowledged as one of the world’s great directors. Yet few critics or scholars have considered how he emerged from a unique and vibrant cultural milieu: the New York Jewish intelligentsia.
Stanley Kubrick reexamines the director’s work in context of his ethnic and cultural origins. Focusing on several of Kubrick’s key themes—including masculinity, ethical responsibility, and the nature of evil—it demonstrates how his films were in conversation with contemporary New York Jewish intellectuals who grappled with the same concerns. At the same time, it explores Kubrick’s fraught relationship with his Jewish identity and his reluctance to be pegged as an ethnic director, manifest in his removal of Jewish references and characters from stories he adapted.
As he digs deep into rare Kubrick archives to reveal insights about the director’s life and times, film scholar Nathan Abrams also provides a nuanced account of Kubrick’s cinematic artistry. Each chapter offers a detailed analysis of one of Kubrick’s major films, including Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick thus presents an illuminating look at one of the twentieth century’s most renowned and yet misunderstood directors.
Stanley Kubrick reexamines the director’s work in context of his ethnic and cultural origins. Focusing on several of Kubrick’s key themes—including masculinity, ethical responsibility, and the nature of evil—it demonstrates how his films were in conversation with contemporary New York Jewish intellectuals who grappled with the same concerns. At the same time, it explores Kubrick’s fraught relationship with his Jewish identity and his reluctance to be pegged as an ethnic director, manifest in his removal of Jewish references and characters from stories he adapted.
As he digs deep into rare Kubrick archives to reveal insights about the director’s life and times, film scholar Nathan Abrams also provides a nuanced account of Kubrick’s cinematic artistry. Each chapter offers a detailed analysis of one of Kubrick’s major films, including Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick thus presents an illuminating look at one of the twentieth century’s most renowned and yet misunderstood directors.
Introduction
1 Looking to Killing
2 The Macho Mensch
3 Kubrick’s Double
4 Banality and the Bomb
5 Kubrick and Kabbalah
6 A Mechanical Mensch
7 A Spatial Odyssey
8 Dream Interpretation
9 Men as Meat
10 Kubrick’s Coda
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
NATHAN ABRAMS is a professor of film studies at Bangor University in Wales. He is the founding coeditor of Jewish Film and New Media: An International Journal, and he is also the author of several books including The New Jew in Film: Exploring Jewishness and Judaism in Contemporary Cinema (Rutgers University Press).
"Stanley Kubrick is outstanding in its approach and the material it covers. As a pioneer work, anyone investigating Kubrick in the future would not be able to overlook Abrams' findings and arguments."- Marat Grinberg (coeditor of Woody on Rye: Jewishness in the Films and Plays of Woody Allen)"Stanley Kubrick is outstanding in its approach and the material it covers. As a pioneer work, anyone investigating Kubrick in the future would not be able to overlook Abrams' findings and arguments."- Marat Grinberg (coeditor of Woody on Rye: Jewishness in the Films and Plays of Woody Allen)"With imagination and intellectual rigor, using archival research and close readings of the films, Nathan Abrams explores Stanley Kubrick’s relationship with his Jewishness in this exceptionally readable and convincing book."- Robert P. Kolker (author of The Extraordinary Image)"With imagination and intellectual rigor, using archival research and close readings of the films, Nathan Abrams explores Stanley Kubrick’s relationship with his Jewishness in this exceptionally readable and convincing book."- Robert P. Kolker (author of The Extraordinary Image)"Brilliantly documents and analyzes Kubrick's Jewish sensibility by locating him in the lifelong context of his Jewish cultural and intellectual milieu. Abrams breaks acres of new ground. Essential reading."- Geoffrey Cocks (author of The Wolf at the Door: Stanley Kubrick, History, and the Holocaust)"Brilliantly documents and analyzes Kubrick's Jewish sensibility by locating him in the lifelong context of his Jewish cultural and intellectual milieu. Abrams breaks acres of new ground. Essential reading."- Geoffrey Cocks (author of The Wolf at the Door: Stanley Kubrick, History, and the Holocaust)“A must-read for anyone interested in Kubrick, this original and provocative study combines wonderfully perceptive film analyses with extensive archival research and a dazzling display of cultural-historical and biographical knowledge.”- Peter Krämer (author of BFI Film Classics on Dr. Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey)
“A must-read for anyone interested in Kubrick, this original and provocative study combines wonderfully perceptive film analyses with extensive archival research and a dazzling display of cultural-historical and biographical knowledge.”- Peter Krämer (author of BFI Film Classics on Dr. Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey)
"Written by Nathan Abrams, a superstar of contemporary Kubrick studies, this wonderfully knowledgeable and scholarly account of the great director’s Jewishness is the most original film book I’ve read for many years."- I.Q. Hunter (author of Cult Film as a Guide to Life: Fandom, Adaptation, and Identity)"Written by Nathan Abrams, a superstar of contemporary Kubrick studies, this wonderfully knowledgeable and scholarly account of the great director’s Jewishness is the most original film book I’ve read for many years."- I.Q. Hunter (author of Cult Film as a Guide to Life: Fandom, Adaptation, and Identity) (The Conversation) (The Conversation)" [A] pathbreaking new book."(Tablet Magazine)" [A] pathbreaking new book."(Tablet Magazine) (Forward) (Forward)"In Nathan Abrams’s Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual, [an] exploration of the contradictions of Kubrick’s relation to Jewish identity, the film is seen through the lens of Biblical allusion and Kabbalistic interpretation."(Wall Street Journal)"In Nathan Abrams’s Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual, [an] exploration of the contradictions of Kubrick’s relation to Jewish identity, the film is seen through the lens of Biblical allusion and Kabbalistic interpretation."(Wall Street Journal) (Times Higher Education) (Times Higher Education) (Jewish Views Podcast) (Jewish Views Podcast)"An impressive work of original scholarship, Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual presents an exceptionally informative study of one of the twentieth century's most renowned and yet misunderstood film directors."(Midwest Book Review)"An impressive work of original scholarship, Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual presents an exceptionally informative study of one of the twentieth century's most renowned and yet misunderstood film directors."(Midwest Book Review)"No film or Jewish history holding should be without this different approach to Kubrick's film magic."(Donovan's Literary Services)"No film or Jewish history holding should be without this different approach to Kubrick's film magic."(Donovan's Literary Services) (Chronicle of Higher Education) (Chronicle of Higher Education)"Kubrick's Universe," the Stanley Kubrick podcast - 9 Stanley Kubrick New York Jewish Intellectual with Nathan Abrams(Kubrick's Universe podcast)"Kubrick's Universe," the Stanley Kubrick podcast - 9 Stanley Kubrick New York Jewish Intellectual with Nathan Abrams(Kubrick's Universe podcast)"[An] extraordinarily entertaining new book."(Village Voice)"[An] extraordinarily entertaining new book."(Village Voice)"Abrams combines close readings of the films with intensive, archival research into the source material— scripts, production documents, and Kubrick’s personal papers and artifacts—which collectively tell a Jewish story."(Jewish Review of Books)"Abrams combines close readings of the films with intensive, archival research into the source material— scripts, production documents, and Kubrick’s personal papers and artifacts—which collectively tell a Jewish story."(Jewish Review of Books) (Jewish Chronicle) (Jewish Chronicle) (The Guardian/Observer) (The Guardian/Observer) (The Times of Israel) (The Times of Israel)"Abrams...[identifies] each and every Jewish allusion in Kubrick’s oeuvre that he can find."(Times Literary Supplement)"Abrams...[identifies] each and every Jewish allusion in Kubrick’s oeuvre that he can find."(Times Literary Supplement)"The power of the book as a whole...will be riveting reading for anyone who loves Kubrick's film."(Jerusalem Post Magazine)"The power of the book as a whole...will be riveting reading for anyone who loves Kubrick's film."(Jerusalem Post Magazine)"Abrams asserts that if you look closely enough, the tension between being a cultural and religious Jew turns up frequently in Kubrick’s work."(Jewish Journal)"Abrams asserts that if you look closely enough, the tension between being a cultural and religious Jew turns up frequently in Kubrick’s work."(Jewish Journal)"Abrams...makes a very convincing case that while Kubrick posed as an atheist technocrat filmmaker who wanted his films to appeal to worldwide audiences, among the many things he was burying in their subtexts were 'the concerns of Jewish intellectuals in the post-Holocaust world'....Ultimately though, are Abrams’ assumptions correct? Many of them ring true and likely are."(PJ Media)"Abrams...makes a very convincing case that while Kubrick posed as an atheist technocrat filmmaker who wanted his films to appeal to worldwide audiences, among the many things he was burying in their subtexts were 'the concerns of Jewish intellectuals in the post-Holocaust world'....Ultimately though, are Abrams’ assumptions correct? Many of them ring true and likely are."(PJ Media) (Zocalo Public Square) (Zocalo Public Square)"Every scholar and devotee of Kubrick will want to read Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual."(Film Quarterly)"Every scholar and devotee of Kubrick will want to read Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual."(Film Quarterly)"Irresistible reading."(Cineaste)"Irresistible reading."(Cineaste)"Nathan Abrams’ recent and remarkably insightful book published by Rutgers University Press in 2018."(Senses of Cinema)"Nathan Abrams’ recent and remarkably insightful book published by Rutgers University Press in 2018."(Senses of Cinema)"No stone is unturned, no link untraced. Fans will revisit Kubrick’s movies with increased appreciation of the depth and complexity that make them compelling, and new ideas to fuel speculations. Academics will find plenty to rekindle debates about matters such as authorship, genre, adaptation, context and audience address, making this a significant intervention beyond the sub-field of Kubrick studies."(Shofar)"No stone is unturned, no link untraced. Fans will revisit Kubrick’s movies with increased appreciation of the depth and complexity that make them compelling, and new ideas to fuel speculations. Academics will find plenty to rekindle debates about matters such as authorship, genre, adaptation, context and audience address, making this a significant intervention beyond the sub-field of Kubrick studies."(Shofar)"No stone is unturned, no link untraced. Fans will revisit Kubrick’s movies with increased appreciation of the depth and complexity that make them compelling, and new ideas to fuel speculations. Academics will find plenty to rekindle debates about matters such as authorship, genre, adaptation, context, and audience address, making this a significant intervention beyond the subfield of Kubrick studies."(H-Judaic)"No stone is unturned, no link untraced. Fans will revisit Kubrick’s movies with increased appreciation of the depth and complexity that make them compelling, and new ideas to fuel speculations. Academics will find plenty to rekindle debates about matters such as authorship, genre, adaptation, context, and audience address, making this a significant intervention beyond the subfield of Kubrick studies."(H-Judaic)"Abrams’s study—this is not the least of its virtues—encourages us to revisit the films with a refreshed, enlightened eye. This is what any serious and good work of film criticism should do."(Senses of Cinema)"Abrams’s study—this is not the least of its virtues—encourages us to revisit the films with a refreshed, enlightened eye. This is what any serious and good work of film criticism should do."(Senses of Cinema) (Times of Israel) (Times of Israel)"Readers interested in a systematic dissection of how Jewish themes are coded in Kubrick's work are directed to Nathan Abrams' Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual."(Pop Matters)"Readers interested in a systematic dissection of how Jewish themes are coded in Kubrick's work are directed to Nathan Abrams' Stanley Kubrick: New York Jewish Intellectual."(Pop Matters)"As he digs deep into rare Kubrick archives to reveal insights about the director’s life and times, film scholar Nathan Abrams also provides a nuanced account of Kubrick’s cinematic artistry. Each chapter offers a detailed analysis of one of Kubrick’s major films, including Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick thus presents an illuminating look at one of the twentieth century’s most renowned and yet misunderstood directors."(Jewish Book World)"As he digs deep into rare Kubrick archives to reveal insights about the director’s life and times, film scholar Nathan Abrams also provides a nuanced account of Kubrick’s cinematic artistry. Each chapter offers a detailed analysis of one of Kubrick’s major films, including Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick thus presents an illuminating look at one of the twentieth century’s most renowned and yet misunderstood directors."(Jewish Book World) (Jewish Herald-Voice) (Jewish Herald-Voice)"Abrams’s book is a towering achievement in the ever-burgeoning literature on Kubrick. It genuinely reveals new perspectives on Kubrick through its ability to read the autobiographical allusions present in all of his films, and it provides a vital argument as to the importance of the director’s Jewish ancestry on his art."(Modern Jewish Studies)"Abrams’s book is a towering achievement in the ever-burgeoning literature on Kubrick. It genuinely reveals new perspectives on Kubrick through its ability to read the autobiographical allusions present in all of his films, and it provides a vital argument as to the importance of the director’s Jewish ancestry on his art."(Modern Jewish Studies)"Abrams offers fine-grained readings and interpretations of Kubrick’s career as a photographer and director, including insights into Kubrick’s process of development and production. Abrams is particularly attuned to the paradoxical pattern of Kubrick’s erasure of overt Jewish representation from source material while simultaneously interweaving Jewish themes, symbols, and cultural textures into his art."(Journal of Religion and Film)"Abrams offers fine-grained readings and interpretations of Kubrick’s career as a photographer and director, including insights into Kubrick’s process of development and production. Abrams is particularly attuned to the paradoxical pattern of Kubrick’s erasure of overt Jewish representation from source material while simultaneously interweaving Jewish themes, symbols, and cultural textures into his art."(Journal of Religion and Film)"Abrams dug through the archives to provide a detailed re-examination of Kubrick’s films through the context of his Jewish background. The book details themes and concepts such as masculinity and ethical responsibility. Abrams also explores Kubrick’s fraught relationship with his Jewish identity, and how his reluctance to be pegged as an 'ethnic' director manifested in the removal of Jewish references and characters from stories he adapted."(IndieWire)"Abrams dug through the archives to provide a detailed re-examination of Kubrick’s films through the context of his Jewish background. The book details themes and concepts such as masculinity and ethical responsibility. Abrams also explores Kubrick’s fraught relationship with his Jewish identity, and how his reluctance to be pegged as an 'ethnic' director manifested in the removal of Jewish references and characters from stories he adapted."(IndieWire)