here is the opening to my final paper for my independent study of music in Stanley Kubrick's films:
"Thank-You,
Stanley Kubrick, for the Gorgeous Gorgeousity of your Film Scores.
When examining the musical scores of Stanley Kubrick’s films, one is struck by their poignancy, their power, and their overall elevation above other films generally released by Hollywood. I hesitate to give as my thesis “Kubrick’s film scores are amazing, and this is why,” but know that generally, that is my feeling towards the subject. There are a few flops in his body of work, Lolita (1962) being the most notable in its uncomplicated and conventional film score, but overall I would go so far as to say that Stanley has increased the musical education of the majority of his audience. His overall attention to quality, in that he uses acclaimed composers in their own right, or amazing performers adds to the overall interesting and compelling nature of his film scores. For this reason, his musical soundtracks leave longer lasting impressions on his viewers than almost any other films in existence (Jaws perhaps being the exception). Most importantly, though, what makes Kubrick’s musical accompaniment so exceptional is that, in most cases, its refusal to be simply a musical accompaniment. Within his films, music is so prominent and influential that it can practically be considered another character within the film, becoming an active participant in the telling of stories, ideas and themes. In many cases, his music can act as the emotional narrator to the intellectual questions that his works ask, making his films more accessible to a wide audience."
