Eyes Wide Open: A Memoir of Stanley Kubrick

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Hurriedly published to coincide with the July 1999 release of Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut, this slim, rather obviously titled volume by the film's distinguished screenwriter offers considerably less than its cover copy leads you to expect. But for avid followers of Kubrick's career, even a cursory glimpse of the late director's lifestyle and creative methods will prove to be fascinating. And while Frederic Raphael instantly drew criticism and controversy from Kubrick's family and friends for describing Kubrick as "the sedentary wandering Jew, rootlessly rooted within his own defenses," this and other remarks must be considered in context. Eyes Wide Open must ultimately be seen to reflect Raphael's conflicting emotions about a filmmaker he clearly admires and respects, even if their collaboration resulted in equal parts elation, exasperation, and hard-won rewards.

Using notebook entries, vivid recollection, and re-created scenes in screenplay format, Raphael paints a portrait as revealing of himself (if not more so) than of Kubrick, and neither man comes across without blemish. Simultaneously self-indulgent, frustrating, and fascinating in its attempt to probe Kubrick's closely guarded psyche (a mission Raphael ultimately fails to accomplish), the book finally reveals--in fragments of sensitive insight--that Kubrick's reputation as a reclusive genius did in fact hide a very complex, intensely intelligent, and surprisingly human being. In one passage Raphael observes that "Stanley was so determined to be aloof and unfeeling that my heart went out to him. Somewhere along the line he was still the kid in the playground who had been no one's first choice to play with." Whether such observations are an accurate representation of Kubrick's personality is beside the point; that Raphael made the observation speaks volumes of both men, and this book is filled with similar revelations.

In addition to offering a privileged look at Kubrick's collaborative process, the book also reveals elusive details about Kubrick the man--pet lover, intellectual challenger, gracious host--and the result is a warmer image of him than that afforded by decades of distant speculation by journalists too willing to perpetuate the "myth" of Kubrick as omnipotent genius. If Raphael's book invites criticism and charges of blatant opportunism (with Kubrick unable to defend himself), it also provides a rare and often fascinating look at an artist who constantly eluded the gaze of outsiders. Raphael takes us inside Kubrick's gated domain, and we're grateful for the visit. If the truth resides somewhere between the protest of Kubrick's family and the insights presented here, we can at least use this book as a guide through previously uncharted territory. --Jeff Shannon

Book Description

We've all heard the rumors.

He was a hermit. He refused to fly and wouldn't be driven at more than thirty miles an hour. He avoided having his picture taken and was terrified of being assassinated. As a filmmaker, he was obsessed with perfection. He insisted on total control of every facet of the process. Simple scenes required one hundred takes. No wonder he made only six movies in the past thirty-five years.

But what was he really like?

For more than two years, Frederic Raphael collaborated closely with Stanley Kubrick on the screenplay of what was to be the director's final movie, Eyes Wide Shut. Over time, as his professional caution was replaced by a certain affection, Kubrick lowered his guard for Raphael as he never had with journalists or biographers, to reveal much about his early life in the cinema and of the reverses and humiliations he had to endure. They spoke for hours about a variety of subjects, from Julius Caesar to the Holocaust, from Kubrick's views about other directors to reminiscences of the many stars with whom both men had worked (or nearly worked)--Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn, James Mason, Peter Sellers, Marisa Berenson, Sterling Hayden, Marlon Brando, and Gregory Peck.

Here, with his own distinctly cinematic style, Raphael chronicles their often fiery exchanges, capturing Kubrick's voice as no one else could. Disdaining false veneration, he opens our eyes to the mind and art of a truly complex and hitherto elusive twentieth-century genius.

Customer Reviews:

The sad face of envy and the sick power of projection........2007-02-15

While it purports to be a memoir of Stanley Kubrick, this book is most effective in revealing the degree to which a person can grow older without ever growing up. Raphael's neuroses are myriad and are made all the more pathetic by his own willful projection of them onto Mr. Kubrick. Having seen Eyes Wide Shut again, now years after the hype has died away, I have come to believe that Raphael was picked to write the script because of his own old-boy dumbass ideas of the way things are and always shall be. If the film is about that peculiarly American aversion to and obsession with sex, that senseless jealousy that can ruin lives, then Raphael was absolutely the right person to write the script. He judges Kubrick harshly for not appreciating every little passive-aggressive gift he offers all the while referring to prostitutes as "whores" and whinging about the amount of work that's required of him. Raphael hopes that Kubrick will just open his eyes and recognize what a genius he is. He feels continually misunderstood, ironically because it seems to me that Kubrick understood him perfectly. The book remains interesting mostly as a chronicle of someone who just doesn't get the great joke being played on him. It would be sad for the same reason of Kubrick were still alive, but in that case it wouldn't have been published. Raphael is a ghoul who offered up his story because he knew it would be rushed into print because its subject was dead and no more "memoirs" would be forthcoming. Bah.

Gratifying to read the negativity of most of these reviews........2005-12-14

I just happened to wander onto this site for Raphael's book. It is very gratifying to learn that the majority of your reviewers concur with the Kubrick family's response to this pretentious tome. Raphael never misses an opportunity to claim his intellectual superiority to Kubrick, in a way that he would not have dared had Kubrick lived to see his last film released. He is a grave - robber in short and roundly despised for his action in writing and publishing this book which greatly shocked and dissapointed Kubrick's family. Happily there have been many better books written about Kubrick in the intervening years. Except as a revealing but turgid study of an artist's ego, [ guess who I am talking about] this book has nothing that is interesting to say, nothing that is true at least. Jonathan Finney [family member, so not utterly disinterersted]

A rare but shameless look into the great director.......2003-10-09

Despite that Frederic Raphael wrote this to cash in on the opening of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's final (and some believe unfinished) film, it's still a guilty pleasure since it affords a point of view absent from the legion of Kubrick books that appeared before and after the director's death.

Maybe it's a sign of respect for the working relationship that some of Kubrick's other collaborators had that they never went ahead and told all, but in the end this book will attract the Kubrick fan who isn't always willing to accept the man as omnipotent myth maker. Eyes Wide Open does become as much about Raphael as Kubrick (if not more) but it still works to paint Kubrick as human, something that reams of analysis, criticism and speculation consistently fail to highlight.

Rather than fawning on Kubrick over the slim length of the book, Raphael continually reminds all that HE himself is an intellectual, blah blah blah, and the tone becomes hard to bear. It's not particularly cohesive or earth shattering, and the conversations that appear in transcript-like form work to put words in the director's mouth. However, it's still valuable in that it offers a rare glimpse into working with the elusive Kubrick. I would take this with a grain of salt, and Kubrick's family did not appreciate this effort in the least, denouncing it on their website.

It may still be of interest to people who want an inside view (albeit skewed) that the many tomes dedicated to breaking down Kubrick's small but mighty canon of films don't bring to the table.

But be warned: with Kubrick gone, it's Raphael who tries to get in the last word...

Is Frederic Raphael always this high and mighty?.......2003-08-08

Eyes Wide Open was a suprisingly quick read. There is not much to speak of in these memoirs since Frederic Raphael mostly talked on the phone with Stanley Kubrick and communicated with faxes. I would have expected perhaps some stories from the set of Eyes Wide Shut, but I was very, very wrong.

The book is mostly about how Raphael had to put up with odd requests and deadlines from Kubrick whilst writing the screenplay for Eyes Wide Shut. The most eventful part of the book is when he meets the famed director for the first time at his secluded England home. Aside from that, Raphael talks about all of the faxing they did back and forth.

But the thing that bugs me the most is Raphael's tone. He never wants the reader to forget that he is the intellectual giant in this creative duo and that we can all go and read his other stuff if we ever doubted such a thing.

For instance, I recall a passage in which the topic of Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick's 1987 picture about Vietnam, came up in a phone conversation between the two men. 'You've seen the movie, right Freddie?' Kubrick would ask him. 'Yes', Raphael replied. He also managed to inject a comment to Kubrick that because the movie unfolded in an unlinear fashion, that Aristotle would have hated watching it.

Who cares what Aristotle would have thought of Full Metal Jacket?

Well worth reading. Critics did too!.......2003-06-08

Frederic Raphael's "memoir [emphasis here]" of the final years of Stanley Kubrick's life while making `Eyes Wide Shut' either flies bluntly as a work of half-lies or is the single most important book ever written on Stanley Kubrick. If you have read anything about Kubrick then you have probably learned that he lived the life of a film-making hermit in one of England's largest estates where he barricading himself off from the rest of the world. Apparently, Stanley liked to use the phone a lot when talking to people and remained much to himself and family except for when it came to shoot, and that is another story entirely and what seems to be another different person described in many other limited biographies of the man himself.

If you trust Frederic Raphael then you can be rest assured that this book will reveal more to you about the mind of Kubrick than any other piece of literature that you can find on the topic. I have read endless books on this highly overrated director and each one of them does a good biography job but leaves the reader none the less wiser as to Kubrick's motivations and intentions. The director rarely, if ever, did interviews that lasted over a minute. He once worked for the press as a photographer but since then closed himself off entirely to that side of the universe. As one of the world's most celebrated film makers he certainly is an oddity... but that is something he seems to semi-enjoy.

Frederic's coverage is not as illusive as some may have you think. It does have its many moments and there are many indicators as to what makes Kubrick tick. Kubrick appears to be one of the most avid researchers you can find with a lot of time and patients on his hands. A man who likes to think about how other people think. A man who appears to like to study other people and their motives. There is something about his interest in the writer, Raphael, who while penning Eyes Wide Shut seemed to notice that Stanley had more of an interest in him than the material itself and this is why the book sheds more light on Kubrick than anything else you will probably find out there.

Raphael's conversations with Kubrick are done in film screenplay style and this will bolster approval from most readers of film making material for its inventiveness. There is much more to this book than first meets the eye and it certainly does merit a second reading. However Raphael sometimes interjects little moments of tabloid technique which only seem to reduce the overall integrity of the book. One example is where Raphael so easily states that he should be present on set when Kidman gets her kit off. It comes out of nowhere and seems a little dab exploitive of the director given the fact that he seems to resent talking about other people's private matters or his own life. Maybe he said it for a laugh but then again it is hard to imagine that this guy would giggle at such a thing while at the same time demanding straight-faced for material on Roman orgies.

Another thing which makes this book worthwhile is that most writers and crew members who worked on Eyes Wide Shut had to sign a contract which included a section on non-disclosure. This was omitted from Raphael's contract so he was set loose to scribe as he pleased while Warner Brother execs probably tore their hair out and fired a whole staff of legal employees for their mistake. Read it while you can. Stuff like this is a rare opportunity indeed!

By the way, Raphael never did get to go on set and this is not a biography about Kubrick. Raphael has been knuckle-wrapped for exploiting the man, in a manner which seems to make him out to know more than Kubrick. There is some truth to that. There is also truth in the matter that he released this just after Kubrick's death to make a buck. However there is something in this book which makes it more truthful than most would care to admit. There is plenty of material here which you can cross-reference with Arthur C. Clarke's revelations about his collaboration with the man on 2001 and much of Kubrick's methodology seems to fit there as it does here. And for die hard Kubrick fans who think that the director was such a lovely person who didn`t deserve this - one need only to refer to the way he treated people on set, not to mention his highly overrated rape of Steven King's The Shining, while at the same time pulling the mickey out of American`s with Dr. Strangelove. If the man could give a little then surely he could also take a little!

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Eyes Wide Open: A Memoir of Stanley Kubrick
Frederic Raphael
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIJSF6

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Eyes Wide Open : A Memoir of Stanley Kubrick and Eyes Wide Shut
Frederic Raphael
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4V6IO

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Eyes Wide Open: A Memoir of Stanley Kubrick
Frederic Raphael
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVOKH4

Book Description

Features 6 orchestral pieces by the noted English composer, carefully reproduced from authoritative original scores. Includes title piece plus The Song of the High Hills, A Dance Rhapsody, In a Summer Garden, Summer Night on the River, and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring. Instrumentation.

Customer Reviews:

Good as far as it goes, but..........1999-01-09

This is an excellent reproduction of Delius' scores including the dedications and notes about the scores. It includes Brig Fair and On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, but it does not include Appalachia, Paris, Florida Suite or other more minor works. So be aware!

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Binding: Paperback
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BRIGG FAIR; AN ENGLISH RHAPSODY. Minature Orchestral Score

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Manufacturer: Philharmonia,
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P8JN46

A catalogue of the compositions of Frederick Delius: Sources and references

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Manufacturer: Delius Trust : [distributed by] Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers
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The Collected Writings of the German Musicologist Max Chop on the Composer Frederick Delius (Studies in the History and Interpretation of Music)
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Delius
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Manufacturer: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd
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Delius
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Manufacturer: Greenwood Pub Group
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Book Description

This essential book uses such sources as The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today to present the most comprehensive reference dictionary to help crossword players solve the toughest of puzzles.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Ever!.......2001-08-23

Can't find it, this is the place. Improved my solve rates by two-fold, no kidding. Very well organized! It has sections that cover foriegn languages, missing word clues, and much more. There was even a section about occupations. Everything you need to solve those tough puzzles is right here. Puts all other puzzle books to shame. Don't look any further, get this book!

The Best I've Seen.......2001-07-07

A must have for puzzlers everywhere! The biggest on the block, this one has everything. Variant spellings, missing word clues, special catagories like occupations, foreign languages, etc. Don't get stuck, get this book.

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Inclusion, teamwork and happines at workplace

Book supports concept with excellent examples

A clear manual on organizational attitude improvement

Really enjoyed reading "Creating We"

It All Begins With You

Creating We: Change I-Thinking to WE-Thinking & Build a Healthy, Thriving Organization
Judith E. Glaser
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
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Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

If only they would . . . !
They screwed up, it's their fault!
I have my own goals and numbers to meet!

If you've heard any of these phrases before, exercise great caution-they have the power to undermine and poison your company!

Creating WE, by visionary executive coach Judith E. Glaser, goes to the root of the problem in organizations today, illuminating how "I-centric" work environments cause "unhealthy thinking" to form and doom companies to failure.

Whether your company has recently been acquired, merged, restructured, downsized, or, in the midst of rapid growth and expansion, has lost the sense of unity it once had, this revolutionary new book shows you how to create healthy work environments and become a "WE-centric" company that achieves extraordinary breakthrough success.

Customer Reviews:

Inclusion, teamwork and happines at workplace.......2006-08-05

Very interesting book to read. Not always easy, but idea behind it is pretty clear. In order to create healthy working environment managers have to encourage curiousity and cooperation accross organization. That in turn will generate discovery process that will lead to innovation. More people get included in the process, outcome is teamwork where everyone gets valued and recognized. In such environment, teams become successful and people in general work together better. Relationships are meaningful, throughput greater and overall happiness is inevitable.

Book supports concept with excellent examples.......2006-05-15

Author Judith E. Glaser has helped numerous organizations large and small to change and deal with challenges. She tells stories about real organizations and managers and how they worked through their challenges. While the stories provide a learning tool, changing organizational beliefs and attitudes isn't quick and easy. Therefore, Glaser — even with her background — can't provide fast solutions to convert an organization from I to WE.

Instead, the author shows the difference between I-thinking and WE-thinking and provides tools for leaders to use while working toward WE-thinking and changing the organization's culture. It takes time, patience, and practice to make a change.

Judith E. Glaser's life turned upside down when she fought and won a battle with cancer. Her husband, president of a pharmaceutical company working on a cure for cancer, worked with the idea of reminding cells how to be normal, which in turn makes them healthy. Her battle, her work, and her husband's work led her to discover that cancer cells and toxic organizations have much in common. "Healthy cells" and "healthy organizations" succeed when they work together as a whole instead of separately.

Creating We consists of three elements for changing organizations from I-thinking to WE-thinking. "Believing WE" is about changing attitudes and beliefs in organizations and how employees should behave. "Learning WE" is about getting rid of old beliefs like the manager is in charge and that employees shouldn't speak up and adapting a healthy exchange of ideas between managers and employees. "Becoming WE" means changing the thinking and responding from I to WE.

The book provides many questions for managers to ask and explore as they go through their "I to WE" journey. Don't expect a speedy and painless adventure as the book covers a lot of material. Adopting "WE" means changing your way of thinking, conversing, and behaving. Companies that transform their cultures from "I" to "WE" experience side effects of innovation, cooperation, open conversations, and overall good health.

Executives and managers who study and reference the book's concepts, questions, and adopt the "WE-centric" thinking and philosophy will help their companies get the most out of every employee and enjoy success.

A clear manual on organizational attitude improvement.......2006-04-05

Author and management consultant Judith E. Glaser helps organizations deal with change and challenges. She describes real companies and managers, and tells stories of how they worked through the issues that confronted them. While her narratives are instructive, albeit peppered with "I" and "WE" jargon, the process of changing organizational beliefs and attitudes isn't quick or easy. Therefore, even Glaser - with her expert background - can't provide any fast ways to convert an organization from "I-centric" attitudes to "WE-centric" attitudes. Instead, she shows the difference between I-thinking and WE-thinking, and provides tools that leaders can use to instill a WE-oriented corporate ethos. Although changing an organization's culture is a matter of great patience, we believe that managers who study this book's concepts will be able to boost their companies' productivity, adaptability and internal cooperation - over time.

Really enjoyed reading "Creating We".......2005-12-19

This book is a thorough investigation and synthesis of the best thinking on leadership. Judith Glaser's new and fresh perspective helps leaders see how to create leaders, not followers. It should be read by anyone who aspires to or attains a leadership position.

It All Begins With You.......2005-08-03

Judith has been the catalyst for transformational success for an impressive resume of clients but her writing style clearly reflects the thoughts of a person who has not elevated herself above the common person. I could not put this book down and was compelled to finish reading it over one weekend. To me personally, this is a book about understanding that organizations are made up of people and people are about relationships. Creating WE... reminds us that the language we use shapes our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Judith's message is unmistakably clear:

· "You can't lead until you know yourself."
· "We are all connected through our emotions and our energy."
· "We are all connected through our families, organizations and communities."
· "We are all connected through our beliefs we hold about the world."
· "We are connected at the heart and at the head."

In "Creating WE..." Judith Glaser has given us truth that applies to all phases of life. It is one of the best books I've ever read about leading, and I recommend it as a must read for anyone that aspires to be a transformational leader. Judith takes us on a journey of understanding culture and what it takes to create a healthy culture that transforms an organization from one that is just getting by, to one that thrives and accepts new challenges head on. She tells us, in very simple terms, that the highest potential of any organization is achieved through the nature of the relationships within. She shares some interesting anecdotes, teaches us the steps to take to become WE-centric and finally tells us what to expect as we begin living the life of a WE-Thinking leader. Don't miss this opportunity for personal growth.

Creating We: Change I-Thinking to We-Thinking and Build a Healthy, Thriving Organization

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Book Description

If only they would...!

They screwed up--it's their fault!

I have my own goals and numbers to meet!

Me. Us. Them. These seemingly innocent pronouns have the power to stymie growth and erode unity within companies of all sizes. In Creating WE, visionary executive coach Judith E. Glaser goes right to the root of the problem, revealing how an "I-centric" work environment can doom your company to failure.

Whether your company has recently been acquired, merged, restructured, downsized, or simply demoralized, this revolutionary book shows you how to help your team create a healthy "WE-centric" environment, one that can achieve extraordinary breakthrough success.

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