Preceded by Kubrick’s 1953 short THE SEAFARERS (29 min.).
"Treat it like a wobbly, precocious demo from a 24-year-old with mighty aspirations, filled with hints of what he would become, and you'll be properly enthralled." - Tim Grierson, Village Voice
"Has a certain fierceness that's hard to shake." - Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Upon the initial release of FEAR AND DESIRE, his feature film debut, Stanley Kubrick was stung by negative audience reactions and immediately decided to tone down the philosophical aspects of the film. In a pattern repeated throughout his career, he pulled the film from release and made additional cuts, removing approximately nine minutes of material (about 12 percent of the film’s total length). These edits made FEAR AND DESIRE less of a metaphysical experience and more of a conventional war picture. This new 4K restoration restores the film– an inventive and existential war drama–to its original “premiere version.” Preceded by Kubrick’s 1953 short THE SEAFARERS (29 min.) Film Center exclusive.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu