# Stanley Kubrick: Autistic...or Sociopath? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295 "2017-01-04T03:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/41 "2017-01-10T14:25:30Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Has he finally shut up about the Titanic? He did, once, in 2012, for three hours. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/42 "2017-01-10T15:11:09Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > He did, once, in 2012, for three hours. Before he found out that one of the survivors was Sarah Conner’s great grandmother? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/43 "2017-01-10T16:29:21Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m fine with calling Kubrick a sociopath. It takes more than being an asshole to what he did to actors. It takes depraved indifference. > > Autism doesn’t fit. He’s too aware of the emotions he wants to elicit, and how to invoke them. Autism would only work if he were merely unaware of how his actions made others feel.You still have empathy; you’re just bad at knowing how you make others feel. Apart from what Shelly Duvall claimed, what other actor did he mistreat? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/44 "2017-01-10T20:24:50Z")
"It is certainly not true that chefs … commonly scream abuse at their employees, " Gordon Ramsey ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/45 "2017-01-11T11:30:42Z")
In “reality” shows, and even then in specific ones. ---
**Author:** ![Vhsthemes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9adbd/32.png) [@Vhsthemes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vhsthemes)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/46 "2023-08-16T18:55:36Z")
No actually, most directors are not abusive and violent. I’m certainly not and the mere accusation is extremely ignorant and offensive to me. The directors job is the guide the actors and the crew to get a specific vision across on screen. They are not there to do whatever it takes, and psychologically fuck up people whatever the cost in order to make it happen. Steven Speilberg certainly would take umbridge with that and so probably would George Lucas. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/47 "2023-08-16T19:00:15Z")
Ah, but are most directors able to read a calendar? ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/48 "2023-08-17T07:31:16Z")
I think it was fairly common for filmmakers to do that in the past. If memory serves me, Judy Garland was treated like that in one of her films, and it’s well known that Gene Kelly was excessively harsh on Debbie Reynolds. I’m pretty sure there are plenty more examples. Drive ‘em to tears to bring out their best acting, and I guess give ‘em a good stiff slap if they won’t stop blubbering. 😒 Kubrick strikes me as anything but well adjusted, but maybe he thought he was just doing his job. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/49 "2023-08-17T08:57:31Z")
Out of interest I checked Shelley Duvall’s [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Duvall), which has a side note to the Dr Phil episode and her recollections of Kubrick: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > In February 2021, Seth Abramovitch, writer for _The Hollywood Reporter_, located Duvall for an interview, stating that “I only knew that it didn’t feel right for McGraw’s insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.”[[51]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Duvall#cite_note-51) The article noted that her memory was “sharp and full of engrossing stories.”[[52]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Duvall#cite_note-52) With regard to _The Shining_ , Duvall spoke of the emotional toll of performing the role of Wendy Torrance and the challenges of long days on the set but said that Kubrick was “very warm and friendly” to her. [Anjelica Huston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjelica_Huston), who was dating [Jack Nicholson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nicholson) at the time, believed that Duvall was fully committed to the role and had even rented a small apartment in order to be close to the set.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Duvall#cite_note-scars-2) The interview refered to is [on the Hollywood Reporter website.](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/feature/searching-for-shelley-duvall-the-reclusive-icon-on-fleeing-hollywood-and-the-scars-of-making-the-shining-4130256/). (edited to add:) I quickly skimmed the interview, it provides much more detailed recollections of Kubrick, confirming the general impression in this thread but also seems not to have left a general traumatic memory on Duvall. ---
**Author:** ![WhyKickAMooCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc29f/32.png) [@WhyKickAMooCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyKickAMooCow)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/50 "2023-08-17T09:29:43Z")
Commenting on the infamous Scatman Crothers multi-take - there are numerous things going on in the “Danny ice-cream” scene other than Scatman’s performance. Maybe Kubrick was getting those right as well as Scatman’s dialogue and it took a lot of takes to get everything synchronised and perfect. Lining up the knives above Danny’s head for instance, and yes, even things like reflections and lights on Scatman. There is a lot to the lights in The Shining. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295/51 "2023-08-17T21:47:13Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > I think it was fairly common for filmmakers to do that in the past. Don’t forget that when Jackie Cooper was a child actor, director Norman Taurog got an emotional performance out of him by having a security guard take Cooper’s dog off the set and pretend to shoot it. And Norman Taurog was Jackie Cooper’s **UNCLE** for cryin’ out loud. (An adult Jackie Cooper titled his autobiography about his career _Please Don’t Shoot My Dog._) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stanley-kubrick-autistic-or-sociopath/776295.md?page=2)