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IMDbPro

Fear and Desire

  • 19531953
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 2m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Stanley Kubrick in Fear and Desire (1953)
DramaThrillerWar
Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
12K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Stanley Kubrick
  • Writer
    • Howard Sackler
  • Stars
    • Frank Silvera
    • Kenneth Harp
    • Paul Mazursky
  • Director
    • Stanley Kubrick
  • Writer
    • Howard Sackler
  • Stars
    • Frank Silvera
    • Kenneth Harp
    • Paul Mazursky
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 88User reviews
    • 70Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos64

    Stanley Kubrick in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Fear and Desire (1953)
    Stanley Kubrick in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Paul Mazursky and Frank Silvera in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Stephen Coit and Kenneth Harp in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Frank Silvera in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Stephen Coit and Kenneth Harp in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Fear and Desire (1953)
    Kenneth Harp in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Frank Silvera in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Stephen Coit in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Kenneth Harp in Fear and Desire (1953)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Frank Silvera
    Frank Silvera
    • Mac
    Kenneth Harp
    Kenneth Harp
    • Lt. Corby…
    Paul Mazursky
    Paul Mazursky
    • Sidney
    Stephen Coit
    Stephen Coit
    • Fletcher
    • (as Steve Coit)
    • …
    Virginia Leith
    Virginia Leith
    • The Girl
    David Allen
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    Toba Kubrick
    • Woman Fishing in the River
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Stanley Kubrick
    • Writer
      • Howard Sackler
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Stanley Kubrick later denounced this film as amateurish, saying he considered it like a child's drawing on a fridge.
    • Goofs
      The shots of the dead girl show her either with her face three-quarter turned to the ground (close shot) or with her face looking straight out to the side (long shot). This may be deliberate due to the surreal nature of the scene, namely the mental state of her killer.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Narrator: There is war in this forest. Not a war that has been fought, or one that will be, but any war. And the enemies who struggle here do not exist, unless we call them into being. This forest, then, and all that happens now is outside history. Only the unchanging shapes of fear, and doubt, and death are from our world. These soldiers that you see keep our language and our time, but have no other country but the mind.

    • Crazy credits
      Preserved by the Library of Congress - Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation
    • Alternate versions
      Blu-ray Disc releases in America also include The Seafarers, a short film from Kubrick, as a bonus feature. The European Masters of Cinema release also includes two additional shorts, Day of the Fight and Flying Padre.
    • Connections
      Featured in Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Escape the Ordeal
      Conducted by Gerald Fried

      Fear and Desire OST

    User reviews88

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Not Bad
    Fear and Desire (1953)

    ** (out of 4)

    Stanley Kubrick's first feature film isn't nearly as bad as some reviews have said and I'm really not sure why he doesn't want the public to see this one. Four soldiers are shot down behind enemy lines and must face their fears in order to survive. The film has an extremely low budget, which hurts matters but it's interesting enough to see Kubrick working on his technique. The camera-work by Kubrick is certainly the highlight and there's some nice editing along the way.

    As of today the Kubrick estate hasn't released any of his shorts but you can find the online at various places.
    helpful•15
    5
    • Michael_Elliott
    • Mar 10, 2008

    FAQ1

    • Has this film been remade?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Shape of Fear
    • Filming locations
      • San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Kubrick Family
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $33,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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