Filmworker

source: Filmworker

An American documentary film. A story about Leon Vitali, an English TV and film actor turned personal assistant to mercurial filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. One can forgive the often gushing praise by contributants to the film of Kubrick's talents because it is a revealing and stirring celebration of one of cinema's unacknowledged heroes, a maestro's trusted confidant and expert on Kubrick's thought processes and genius. The film strikes upon an interesting theme about endurance for vicarious pleasure, when the person you work for you idolise and respect. The film also deals with the personal life of Vitali which is touching, showing his passion and dedication to safeguarding his boss's posterity.

A doc on Leon Vitali, an actor who worked w/Stanley Kubrick on Barry Lyndon but was so artistically taken w/his brilliance he decided to shelve his acting to become his right hand man. Coming on the heels of other docs on the legend like Room 237, Boxes & another revolving his driver (!) this is more of the same but for someone who is a completist on everything Kubrick, this one gets the job done.

Seems like you either hate this film, or love it. It is certainly tormenting in some aspects but that goes to show that the director somehow wanted to bring balance into the picture. Stanley Kubrick, genius. Stanley Kubrick , slave master. Who is Stanley Kubrick? He is both. Unfortunate? Reality often times is. Let's move forward. What is he , again? An utterly dedicated man, even obsessive. Yes, you watched his movies. Marveled at the attention he put into the details, the grace in execution. Making movies I think, in Kubrick's eyes was akin to waging wars. There will be causalities. Actors that cry on camera till this day. A filmworker. Causalities or heros? Have an opinion about it. With empathy, you will certainly say that it is horrible. But the movie wants you to think about the other way too. For me , Leon Vitali is a hero. Heros sacrifice. Working with a perfectionist requires that you give your all, or more. Anytime he could have quit, but he haven't. Anytime Stanley could fire him, but he didn't. Now consider: Til this day he has not quit. 71 years old, looks frail, but I bet he has more energy that you can Imagine. Something is still burning behind those eyes. It was his decision. He found something he loved, and let it kill him. And this movie is about him. The way I see it, it was due. Leon, you did a damn good job.

Personally I love autobiographies or documentaries where I can really learn about the details this film fulfills that and more. It gives you an incredible look Into the unrelenting work effort of a dedicated soul. Leon is a truly amazing person and I love the behind the scenes footage of all the great movies. I wonder if Kubrick ever knew how lucky he was to have such dedicated help. I ended the movie exhausted .

Why do I have to die before they make a movie about me.No I am not like this guy but still

It's absolutely mind-boggling that most movie buffs don't know the story of Leon Vitali. I am grateful for this documentary and the context it provided me with. I now know that Leon should have been given much more credit that he received. If ever there was the perfect occasion for the lifetime achievement Academy Award, I'm hard-pressed if ANYBODY in Hollywood could find a better reason to hand it out than to the man who perfectly restored Kubrick's movie legacy for all to enjoy in its perfection. Being a big fan of Kubrick, I have watched many documentaries about the virtuoso director, but it's only today, after seeing "Filmworker", that the mosaic is more complete. Therefore, while not a perfect piece of cinema, "Filmworker" still deserves all the praise because it told a story that absolutely needed to be told!

I really liked this doc but I am sure that behind all the things left unsaid was a man who was abused by the Great Auteur. What kind of salary could Leon Vitali have been paid for his services to the Great One? Surely a percentage of gross would have been in order. I may never have gone to see 2001 in the theater; a movie I thought was the greatest film ever until the Next Greatest Film. I really can't abide the possibility that Kubrick was so insecure and parsimonious that he kept Vitali as his personal Gofer so he could exclude the rest of the world from being exposed to the inner workings of his insecure mind. Could it be that Kubrick simply kept this mild mannered man as a shield against criticism? Detestable thought surely. I will never view Dr. Strangelove and 2001 again in the same way that I did in my 20s. Another Hollywood secret never to be revealed.

A fascinating insight into one of Kubrick's faithful assistants. Essentially this film is aimed at Kubrick fans and film fanatics, but it goes much deeper than that and has the power to absorb anyone who views it. Leon is a dedicated, devoted worker bee who strived tirelessly to help Stanley archive his vision. Stanley Kubrick is obviously a genius, an enigma, and Leon was emersed in this magical world, he worked his fingers to the bone for a man he obviously admired and this devotion comes across, even though the demands Kubrick put on him took it's toll. I would give my right arm, left arm, heart, lungs , body and soul to have worked for Stanley Kubrick, Leon Vitali was lucky enough to to have been the man who did!

While I certainly appreciate Leon Vitali's dedication, I do have mixed feelings about why certain people put their own goals on hold for decades, in the service of their esteemed mentors. Vitali doggedly worked alongside the masterful Kubrick, accepting the responsibility for a wide array of tasks, including casting, distribution, graphics, and marketing. I did have hopes that this film would reveal an archival clip which featured SK and Vitali having an invigorating conversation. There are a number of interviews with industry pros who comment on the challenges of working with Kubrick, but I wonder if any of them ever took a risk to have a frank conversation with SK, regarding his meticulous demands. After reading some of the worthwhile reviews here, I recommend the astute thoughts from the reviewer known as "gortx".