10-26-2018, 09:22 AM
A documentary about Leon Vitali, who abandoned his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick's devoted right-hand man.
Fascinating. Leon was finding great success as an actor, with all these opportunities in movies and Shakespearean stage plays, when he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey. "I want to work for that man," he told a friend as they walked out of the theater. He meant it too. He auditioned for a part in Barry Lyndon, got the small role of Lord Bullington, which Kubrik greatly expanded when he saw how earnest and disciplined Leon was. At the end of the shoot, Leon told Kubrik he would really like to work for him -- behind the scenes, just helping him create his films. Kubrik said, "Well, then make it happen."
Which Leon did, working for little or nothing on other movies, learning the ropes, and then coming aboard to serve Kubrik. Unbelievable, the contributions he made. And he's so humble about it, rejecting any suggestion that anything was his idea, insisting that Kubrik was the creative genius, and Leon merely helped him. Wow, talk about help. Kubrik came to use Leon for everything, in every capacity. Mindboggling.
If Kubrik had asked me to serve him in such a way, I'd have told him to go fly a spaceship to Jupiter. Because I blaze my own trails to nowhere, create my own odes to nothingness. Nobody puts a saddle on me, shoves a bit in my mouth, tugs on reins to steer me.
Because I'm nobody's pony.
Fascinating. Leon was finding great success as an actor, with all these opportunities in movies and Shakespearean stage plays, when he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey. "I want to work for that man," he told a friend as they walked out of the theater. He meant it too. He auditioned for a part in Barry Lyndon, got the small role of Lord Bullington, which Kubrik greatly expanded when he saw how earnest and disciplined Leon was. At the end of the shoot, Leon told Kubrik he would really like to work for him -- behind the scenes, just helping him create his films. Kubrik said, "Well, then make it happen."
Which Leon did, working for little or nothing on other movies, learning the ropes, and then coming aboard to serve Kubrik. Unbelievable, the contributions he made. And he's so humble about it, rejecting any suggestion that anything was his idea, insisting that Kubrik was the creative genius, and Leon merely helped him. Wow, talk about help. Kubrik came to use Leon for everything, in every capacity. Mindboggling.
If Kubrik had asked me to serve him in such a way, I'd have told him to go fly a spaceship to Jupiter. Because I blaze my own trails to nowhere, create my own odes to nothingness. Nobody puts a saddle on me, shoves a bit in my mouth, tugs on reins to steer me.
Because I'm nobody's pony.
I'm nobody's pony.