Fear and Desire (4KUHD)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

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Release Year: 1952
Running time: 70
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Subjects:
$26.57 - Classroom Rights
MSRP: $39.95
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Fear and Desire is the ambitious first feature film by legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (Paths of Glory, Full Metal Jacket). In this existential drama—which has the feeling of a waking dream rather than a conventional war film—four soldiers return to their senses after crash-landing in a forest behind enemy lines. Blindly navigating their way back to their unit, they attack an isolated cabin occupied by enemy soldiers, then apprehend a peasant woman who is tormented by the deranged young soldier assigned to guard her. On the verge of freedom, they discover an outpost of enemy officers, and must decide whether to slip silently past or stage a violent confrontation with their doppelgängers. Upon its initial release, Kubrick was stung by negative audience reactions and immediately decided to tone down the philosophical aspects of the film. These edits made the film less of a metaphysical experience and more of a conventional war film. For decades, this 62-minute version was all that existed of Fear and Desire, until the Library of Congress came into possession of a 35mm element of the original 70-minute premiere cut, which has not been seen since its interrupted theatrical run in 1953. Now, we can finally see Fear and Desire as it was first released, and witness the blossoming of a 23-year-old cinematic genius.

Reviews

"You'll be properly enthralled." - The Village Voice

"its over-all effect is entirely worthy of the sincere effort put into it."- Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Fear and Desire has a certain fierceness that's hard to shake." - Slant Magazine

"Kino Lorber's forthcoming Fear and Desire Bluray looks great -- natural, clean, straight from the lab... Fear and Desire should be shown to all first-time filmmakers. It will greatly encourage them to know that Kubrick made Paths of Glory only four years later." - Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere.

"The little-seen archival print seemed to be in fine shape, and its 1080p transfer is crisp." - Slant Magazine

"Kino has not only revived one of the most interesting debuts in film, but has also given us a worthwhile release rivaling anything Criterion or WB has done with Kubrick's subsequent films." - CriterionCast

"...a must-see for Kubrick mavens." - Houston Free Press

 

Awards

Official Selection Panorama of European Cinema
 

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