Although most of his films weren’t appreciated in their time, Stanley Kubrick is universally hailed as one of the giants of cinema. Few directors have nailed as many genres as him. When Kubrick made a comedy, it was one of the best comedies ever made. When he made a horror movie, it was one of the best horror movies ever made.
The same goes for the science fiction, war, crime, and historical epic genres, too. Every Kubrick movie is bound to have at least a few unforgettable moments. So, here are the best scenes from IMDb’s 10 top-rated Stanley Kubrick movies.
Lolita (7.6) – Humbert Humbert Confronts Clare Quilty
Kubrick’s adaptation of Lolita opens in the middle of the story with Humbert Humbert confronting a drunken Clare Quilty. He ends up shooting him through an old painting.
Peter Sellers stole the show in the role of Quilty. The popularity of his performance in Lolita led Kubrick to give him three roles in his next movie, Dr. Strangelove.
Spartacus (7.9) – “I’m Spartacus!”
One of the greatest historical epics ever made, Spartacus tells the mega-scale story of a slave revolution led by the titular legend. At the end of the movie, when Spartacus is forced to reveal himself, everybody covers for him.
One by one, all the soldiers around Spartacus stand up and say, “I’m Spartacus!” It’s one of the most iconic endings in movie history, and it’s become synonymous with displays of solidarity.
The Killing (8.0) – The Horse Track Heist
The closest thing that Stanley Kubrick made to a film noir, The Killing revolves around the robbery of a horse track and the consequences that follow. It had a huge influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
Naturally, the most memorable scene in this heist movie is the heist itself. Kubrick’s direction of the scene is sharp and focused, making for a captivating sequence.
Barry Lyndon (8.1) – The Final Duel
It’s tough to choose the best scene from Barry Lyndon, because every scene in the movie is shot and composed as beautifully and meticulously as an oil painting.
But arguably, the most memorable scene is the final duel because it’s the climax of the movie. It’s what Kubrick spent the three-hour runtime building towards.
A Clockwork Orange (8.3) – The Ludovico Technique
There are a ton of unforgettable moments in A Clockwork Orange, from the disturbing sexual assault scene in which Alex belts out “Singin’ in the Rain” to the authoritarian symbol that is Alex licking the boot of his oppressor.
But arguably the most memorable is the turning point in Alex’s character arc. After spending the first half of the movie terrorizing people for fun, Alex is sent to prison and subjected to an unsettling experimental therapy called “the Ludovico technique.”
Full Metal Jacket (8.3) – Private Pyle’s Murder-Suicide
The second half of Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War epic Full Metal Jacket follows some American soldiers into battle, but the first half focuses on some recruits training at boot camp under the strict tutelage of Sergeant Hartman, played impeccably by R. Lee Ermey.
Throughout his privates’ training, Hartman torments one would-be soldier in particular: Private Pyle, played in a star-making turn by Vincent D’Onofrio. At the movie’s midpoint, Pyle kills Hartman before turning the gun on himself in one of Kubrick’s most haunting sequences.
2001: A Space Odyssey (8.3) – “I’m Sorry, Dave, I’m Afraid I Can’t Do That.”
In Stanley Kubrick’s gargantuan sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey, there are a ton of iconic scenes, from apes discovering violence (thus evolving into humans) to the discovery of a monolith on the Moon. The film reflects on every scientific discussion under the sun.
Its most resonant meditation is on artificial intelligence, as the lead protagonist Dave Bowman speaks to his A.I., HAL 9000, who ominously begins to disobey his commands.
Paths Of Glory (8.4) – The German Girl Sings “The Faithful Hussar”
The quintessential anti-war film, Paths of Glory stars Kirk Douglas as a colonel who refuses to send his men on a suicide mission and subsequently has to defend them when they’re court-martialed for cowardice. The movie is about how wartime tests people’s humanity, and its most human moment comes near the end.
When a captive German girl is brought in to sing for the soldiers, at first they leer at her. But when she sings “The Faithful Hussar,” they stop leering and start humming along, which brings out the emotions following the execution by firing squad of their fellow soldiers.
The Shining (8.4) – “Heeere’s Johnny!”
Even people who have never seen The Shining are familiar with the scene in which Wendy locks herself in a bathroom to escape her murderous husband as he starts hacking away at the door with an ax.
When he’s made a sizable hole in the door, Jack sticks his head through it and recites Ed McMahon’s catchphrase from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: “Heeere’s Johnny!”
Dr. Strangelove (8.4) – Kong Rides The Bomb
While it’s rivaled by masterpieces like Airplane! and Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the title of greatest comedy ever made, Dr. Strangelove is undeniably the finest political satire ever put on the big screen.
No image sums up the movie’s uniquely absurd comedic standpoint better than the shot of Kong riding the bomb down to the earth. It’s a magnificent sight gag — essentially a live-action cartoon.