Birth. Evolution. Mankind. Age. Exploration. Universe. Death. 2001: A Space Odyssey...you'll never see anything like it, a brilliant visionary picture that's abstract, beautiful, complicated, and simple all at once. Considering the year the movie was made in—and that's not 1968—but 1963 which is five years of work to make the vision possible.

Ryan O'Neal's finest hour in acting is showcased in Barry Lyndon, a superbly photographed flick that defines filmmaking in every bit of the word. It's thorough masterpiece for an 18th century British period picture, and there are many things to like: the story, the acting, the costumes, the in/exterior sets (the latter was shot on location in Ireland, England, and West Germany and the former in London), the deliberate pace, the coldness, and, most of all, the cinematography.

Paths of Glory is a remarkable film for highlighting everything that's wrong with France. The three reasons why it works well are: Kirk Douglas' performance, the story, and the cinematography. There's a lack of political correctness through the soldiers' actions, and the outcome is both well-done and anti-Hollywood. As for the cinematography, there's nothing like the black-and-white image of trenches and stately buildings and rooms.

After directing Killer's Kiss, Stanley Kubrick decided to improve his film noir technique more for The Killing. The results are better this time around. It's sharper, fresher, and less corny. Led by Sterling Hayden, the cast is wonderful through the unfolding of a drama that's akin to John Huston's film noir masterpiece The Asphalt Jungle.

A classic story, Spartacus rivals Ben-Hur in all aspects and nearly succeeds. There are many famous movie moments such as the waiting game between the eponymous hero and the Ethiopian before the arena match, the battle formations, the rolling logs on fire, and the ending. Kirk Douglas will always be Spartacus, one of the most iconic characters in silver screen history.

The style is there for Killer's Kiss. Not much happens for a long time; therefore, Stanley Kubrick mostly focuses on cinematography, especially the exteriors, which is great and not so clinical. Jamie Smith tries but is no Burt Lancaster. At least, he gets things moving by staying with the noir tone. Afterwards, the director received a deal that he couldn't refuse: $100,000 budget for the next film: The Killing.