If all were lost and I found myself red-thonged and rifle-bound as the giant Zardozian head of Stanley Kubrick roiled over the ruined horizon, I would chase it forever till the end of the earth. Kubrick’s films offer a stunning portrait of isolation and spiritual angst few others manage to achieve with such edge and elegance. Grounded in both the pulverant physicality of the little moments while also speaking to our loftiest concepts is a rare achievement, but one Kubrick manages in each of his films beautifully. As a storyteller watching his films, I feel like a dusty, cod-eyed ape triumphantly railing my newfound bone weapon against a backdrop of something far bigger than I could ever conceive... and my heart is warmed greatly by it.
Illustration by Greg Ruth
From Greg Ruth’s 52 Weeks project—offering a drawing and a few words once a week, every week. Follow him on Twitter and check out his Etsy store.
I’m in the middle of reading John Ajvide Lindqvist’s seminal masterpiece, Let the Right One In and am in utter awe of the unique strength and power of the central character, Eli. Not being particularly interested in vampires as a general theme, the stark and lyric prose of this novel has completely circumvented my prejudices and taken me over completely. Eli as an unknowable creature is so much more fully explored here, and with all great characters she becomes more elusive and deeper the more we learn about her through the text. It’s an astonishingly rich and rewarding novel that stands out so much more than I ever expected, and Eli has wormed her way into my psyche so deeply, I can hardly imagine her ever completely leaving. Do yourself a favor if you find yourself heading for a spell of summer reading, and cast a long shadow over the sandy beach with this fine and fantastic piece of dark confection. You won’t be disappointed.
