The Seafarers (1953)

I bought this film simply for Kubrick's name. It was an instinctive decision; Of course, this could be deemed bias as well, but I definitely know there have been myriad better films in his credentials that would follow on from this. However here, he was toying with a lot of different things... The short movie is based on the welfare of the Seafarers, and what they can do for people. The narrator says that they're stalwart sailers, who work early and finish late, helping people with supplies (bear in mind this is 1953). It's fundamentally a commercialized movie; however Kubrick gives it real flourishes. If you notice in the cafeteria, when he uses a steady dolly shot into the place, which is shoestringed with the commentary of Don Hollenbeck talking about them and their contributions. You'll notice on the cover that it bares a great similarity to "2001: A Space Odyssey"... However, none of these hold water for the film. Kubrick's direction is the most lively thing surrounding it, but the content falls flat. It's boring and rather numb; but Kubrick had to start off somewhere, and this is a film for forthcoming students or film makers around in their hopes and aspirations of venturing into a medium such as Kubrick's, and all the support you can get Another thing about the film is that not only does it include a chess scene, but it also includes a lot of closeups of some of the people Kubrick films around the organization; it's so interesting as it evokes references to latter work. It's filmed on color without the Technicolor's impeccable pallet, which I think disheartened Kubrick about using the color format, as you'll notice (except for his Hollywood production "Spartacus") from "Fear and Desire" (1953) right up to "Dr Strangelove" (1964), and I think that was best until he could use it with great panache again; the film here is acetate and has a lot of nitrage in it, showing the films age ultimately. I still think, though it's harsh to really disparage Kubrick's film debut, but that it was superior to "Fear and Desire" and that I'm quite shocked he wanted this to be shoved under the rug. It would be good if this independent copy would be added as a bonus feature in one of his movies, as I don't think one film gives you sufficient pleasure at viewing it, so in essence, this is really for true devotees of Kubrick (such as myself). DVD: It has commentary from Roger Avary and Keith Gordon giving it a buyer's interest, as they elaborate on what they think about the man and how they compare it to the film itself. There's also a brief interview with Katharina Kubrick divulging about her Fathers long and enduring career as one of the big titans of cinema. But my final thoughts are that the film falls under a marketing strategy, and that it was a short route into Kubrick's subsequent career, and that it's a real Film Buff's incentive to get it regarding that. However I think the prices for the movie could be reduced... However it was joyous to have it, and I prefer to watch it with commentary. So with that I recommend it to hardcore fans, but not to the casual fans.