Fear and Desire (1953)

Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writer:

Howard Sackler

Stars:

Frank Silvera, Kenneth Harp, Paul Mazursky

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Frank Silvera	...	Mac
Kenneth Harp	...	Lt. Corby / The General
Paul Mazursky	...	Sidney
Stephen Coit	...	Fletcher / The Captain (as Steve Coit)
Virginia Leith	...	The Girl
David Allen	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

A ficticious war in an unidentified country provides the setting for this drama. Four soldiers survive the crash-landing of their plane to find themselves in a forest six miles behind enemy lines. The group, led by Lt. Corby, has a plan: They'll make their way to a nearby river, build a raft, and then, under cover of night, float back to friendly territory. Their plans for getting back safely are sidetracked by a young woman who stumbles across them as they hide in the woods, and by the nearby presence of an enemy general who one member of the group is determined to kill.

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Plot Keywords:

directorial debut | soldier | surprise attack | voice over narration | philosophy | 

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Taglines:

Trapped... 4 Desperate Men and a Strange Half-Animal Girl!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

As the budget was so low, Stanley Kubrick had to improvise. To create fog for one scene, he used a crop sprayer but it was still filled with insecticide and nearly asphyxiated his cast and crew.

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Goofs

When Mac looks from the raft to the house, there are no people in front of it. However. the close shot shows four guards.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Stanley Kubrick did not want this movie seen, even though he was the film's director.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a modern computer-colored version approximating the look of vintage Ted Turner style colorization.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Stanley Kubrick Movies (2013)

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Soundtracks

Escape the Ordeal
Conducted by Gerald Fried
Fear and Desire OST

User Reviews

Wasn't that bad, but always learn from your mistakes

Kubrick's first feature length movie can be seen as a reminder that everyone doesn't start out as a master at making movies. It takes practice, trial and error. You can see that Kubrick learned from his mistakes and improved later on. I honestly didn't think it was that bad. There was a lot of effort put in to this, the movie is just a little off sometimes and there are strange and dull moments. The characters are difficult to get invested in to as well.

There is some mystery to the story which I liked. The first half has some dozes of suspense and a psychological element. The way the opening narrator introduces the premise reminded me of the "Twilight Zone". The idea has potential. Soldiers who have been at war for so long they have forgotten their countries and now they have ended up in an unknown land just trying to get home. It feels like it could be a mysterious dream or that it takes place in an alternative universe. The second half gets more muddled and the dialogue didn't work for me. But, the first part was OK.

The cinematography is still nice, which you can come to expect from dear old' Stanley. The black and white looks great, the lighting, the framing is all well done and there is a good use of close ups. So, that's probably what's best. I have no complaints on the look of the picture. The music was entertaining. I like how how classically 50's it sounded.

The movie has some moments here and there. If you like Kubrick then this can be interesting to take a look at. And if you are studying or learning how to make movies, then I would say you would get something from it. Because it does show that we all start somewhere and you should never give up if you are not happy with your first works. Take the elements that didn't work and keep improving them. Seeing what could go wrong is important so that you don't repeat them. That way you will learn and get better. Well, I think many of you do know this. But, that's always important to never forget.

I think the film was just OK. And it was handled pretty well for being someone's first feature length work.

Details

Official Sites:

Amazon Google

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1 April 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fear and Desire

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$33,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kubrick Family

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1