Hey folks, Harry here with a wonderful interview with Jan Harlan about his father-in-law, Stanley Kubrick, and in addition his comments on A.I. Originally this was part of SPIEGEL ONLINE but in German, now we can bring you the article in the best translation our wunder-spy could manage. Enjoy...
Hi Harry,
And now the translation:
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AI - Jan Harlan about Kubrick's last film
Stanley Kubrick's brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, talked to SPIEGEL ONLINE about his documentary "A Life in Pictures" and unfinished works of the director-genius who died in 1999. Exclusive: the first still from "A.I. - Artificial Intelligence".
By Marc Hairapetian
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Harlan, how did it come to pass that your documentary "Stanley Kubrick- A Life in Pictures" got its world premiere on this year's Berlinale?
Jan Harlan: After working together with Stanley Kubrick for 30 years suddenly there was this big hole. So I was quite happy about the suggestion made by Terry Semel - then co-chairman of Warner - to assemble a documentary about Stanley's life. Moritz de Hadeln, the soon-to-be former chairman of the Berlinale heard about that and came to London. After watching parts of the not-yet finished documentary he simply told me: "Looks like it's going to be great, we'll take that."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Where did you get the clips of the young Stanley Kubrick, which are of a remarkably good quality?
Jan Harlan: HIs father Jack Kubrick made them. He was a doctor in New York and a hobby photographer. He owned a 16mm camera which was available in the 30s.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why did you use so many private pictures in your documentary?
Jan Harlan: The private material was used very sparingly. It is material that the family likes, and it is our opinion that we honour and pay tribute to Stanley by showing it. But we did not use outtakes of his films: whatever he cut from the film must remain cut.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: One feels compelled to respect that. Still: the scenes cut from "Lolita" were probably not cut according to Kubrick's original intention. In your documentary you mention a "compromise". And of course there is there is a certain desire among Kubrick fans to see his first film, "Fear and Desire".
Jan Harlan: Regarding "Fear an Desire": Stanley did not like it. The film is now owned by Christiane Kubrick and I cannot imagine her allowing it to be shown since it was Kubrick who withdrew it initially. Our entire film takes a very respectful stance towards him. Many at Warner wanted us to use more material that gives deeper insight into his private life. And regarding "Lolita": I don't have the material concerned and I don't think it exists. Nor would I agree to show or use outtakes.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: At the close of the Berlinale the restored version of "2001: A Space Odyssey" was received with great enthusiasm. The extended running time merely results from the inclusion of the initially used overture by avant garde composer György Ligeti. What's in the 17 minutes cut from the film by Kubrick after its New York premiere in 1968?
Jan Harlan: Sadly I don't know either, that was before my time. I only know "2001" in the version you know as well. Those 17 minutes by the way Kubrick eliminated together with his editor Ray Lovejoy while they shipped from New York to London.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The ideas of "2001" - what it is about - is still very up to date 30 years after its initial release. Was Stanley Kubrick a visionary?
Jan Harlan: I think the essence of the film, its significance, has not changed. It's not about whether today we are really using this kind or that kind of computer or phone, or what they look like. The point is that we are still as clueless about the issue whether there is any meaning, any kind of redemption, that is linked to our existence. In that field we have not made much progress.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Where did the interest in Napoleon Bonaparte come from, whose life a finished script was based on?
Jan Harlan: Kubrick did not liken himself to Napoleon. He was simply interested in finding out how it could be that a man of such intelligence could commit such far-reaching errors that would finally lead to his downfall. Such considerations convinced Kubrick to do everything with the utmost attention, in order to try and avoid such errors.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How much is the version of "A.I. - Artificial Intelligence" that Spielberg has made going to differ from Kubrick's version, that was never made?
Jan Harlan: As you saw in the documentary: Stanley and Steven had known each other for quite a while. It was Stanley's own idea to make Spielberg the director of A.I. The finished film will have a clear "Spielberg-touch", which is in no way despicable but a realization of Stanley's original plan.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Was the decision to abandon the Holocaust-project "Aryan Papers" more based on commercial consideration on the part of Warners or on the feeling that the work would be to much of a strain?
Jan Harlan: Kubrick had already experienced difficulties with the preparations, because it was his opinion that what happened during the Second World War could not really be presented artistically. Still he wanted to do it - that was no reason that stopped him. We were working quite intensely on the project, a studio in Bratislava was already under consideration. We already had proceeded so far as to secure the concession of the Brünn municipal authorities - which it was felt could be used in lieu of Warsaw - to close the city center for a weekend, put the old tramways out of the museum back on the tracks and have banners with swastikas on them hanging from the windows. We had already gone to quite some lengths, he really wanted to make that film. Then "Schindler's List" came out. That was certainly when certain commercial considerations where part of the discussion between Stanley and Terry Semel of Warners, whether it would be wise to proceed with making the film at that time. We had already experinced a similar situation with "Full Metal Jacket", which was a great commercial success... still the fact that "Platoon" was released at the same time did not help very much...
SPIEGEL ONLINE: His last work - "Eyes Wide Shut" - is, apart from "Barry Lyndon", the only one of Kubrick's films that was commercially not as successful as expected.
Jan Harlan: "Eyes Wide Shut" he had made with all his heart. In Japan it was a huge success, but it flopped in the US - at least considering the amount of ballyhoo it had garnered. It was still feasible commercially, still one must admit that the public in the States did not like it. That's hard to predict. For "Barry Lyndon" as many tickets were sold in Paris alone as in all of Great Britain. People where crazy about the film in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. It hardly registered on the map moneywise in Germany.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: After "Eyes Wide Shut" was finished, Kubrick suddenly wished to talk to journalists - while usually he is rather reclusive regarding the press. Was that intended to influence the reception of his films?
Jan Harlan: The British press had been very rude to him. Which was of course to do with the fact that he usually did not talk to journalists. He was never on television, never talked to radio stations and did not like to be interviewed. In the last ten years, especially after "Eyes Wide Shut" was announced, the English press had taken to him quite viciously. Finally he said to Christiane: "well I guess now is the time I have to face it". A lot of totally incorrect information had been dsitributed that he wanted to correct.
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And that's it - have fun...
greetings,
morgenthau
