A Voix Nue: Stanley Kubrick (Rare Radio Interview)

Not my work, created by a fan for free distribution.
This is a customised audio file of a five-episode series of interviews from "A voix nue" (a programme from the France Culture radio station -- check their website and podcasts), taken from three interviews by Michel Ciment from 1975 to 1987. By the time you take out the intros, outros, music, and translation, each 28-minute episode only results in about 11 mins of The Kube actually speaking.
But...
(keep reading so that you don't listen to this and then complain afterwards about clicks and blips throughout the audio)
Ciment interviewed Kubrick to get material for his wonderful book 'Kubrick', so the audio is not from a pristine studio but recorded much more casually in Kubrick's home, as evidenced by the phone ringing, cutlery clinking, etc. As the interviews were later broadcast for French audiences, a French voice-over was added throughout the entire audio in post-edit. This meant that you'd hear Kubrick talk for about 3 or 4 seconds and then have a translator jump in and repeat what he said in French at a louder volume. Usually the translator would step in and cut off the first or last words that Kubrick was saying, or sometimes just talk over the top of him, making it even more difficult to listen to. Maddeningly, the translator would sometimes interject after he said only three or four words! Ciment's English-language questions were spoken over in French simultaneously, often rendering them impossible to hear.
The bottom line is that this is a very demanding and irritating way to listen to the interviews, and involves a lot of concentration to filter out the interpreter and keep piecing together the flow of what Kubrick says. It's NOT fun. After listening to all five shows I wondered if it would be possible to edit out all the French and salvage a one hour-long English-only interview. I figured that I could make joins by cutting out the transitive phrases which kept getting narrated over (like "for instance", "it seems", "you could say", etc), manufacture fake pauses, and cheat a little by splicing half-sentences together to make new ones. In quite a few cases you could get the gist of Ciment's lengthy questions as he started them, before the voice-over kicked in.
Four weeks of audio editing and one semi-nervous breakdown later here is the result: a reconstructed hour of Kubrick talking about cinema, chess, ESP, art, writing, Vietnam, his cat, the 18th Century, and even 'Fear and Desire'. Many times it was plainly impossible to cut out the overlapping French, which is why you'll hear the cuts where there was just no way to disguise them (he was being interrupted every few seconds, remember), but surprisingly a lot of the joins are undetectable, and there is less overlapping as it goes on. To finish it off, I evened out the overall volume level and added musical cues for 'Barry Lyndon', 'The Shining', and 'Full Metal Jacket' to indicate the topic under discussion.
Download, enjoy, share. Let's get this out there for Kubrick fans everywhere on the Net. It's been long overdue.

[@BretRBoulter]

I assumed the clicks and blips were artifacts resulting from poor audio compression, until I read your description. As an editor myself, I am highly impressed by this excellent job of salvaging difficult material. Thank you for your efforts, Obscure, this is incredibly valuable information for us students of Kubrick.

[@providief]

I'm guess it was cut up from an original which might have included the french translation after everything he said

[@linkfan160]

Even though it's choppy, I still appreciate it since Kubrick almost never accepted an interview. So technically what we're listening to is like finding the holy grail of interviews. It's a rarity to actually hear Kubrick speak his mind. So well, done. He has so much wisdom to offer in his words here for those who actually pay attention and listen.

[@TituslovesPop]

Its not choppy , its been spliced

[@luke9947]

Apparently people that don’t seek attention are the ones who deserve it more

[@plasticweapon]

"So technically what we're listening to is like finding the holy grail of interviews." uh, no. there are 1-2 hour UNINTERRUPTED interviews with kubrick (from 1966 and 1987 respectively) here on youtube if you can be bothered to look for them.

[@Music4Kyle]

Here is a hilarious way to listen to these interviews: Imagine the little chunks and blurbs of the interpreter (where the edits are) are actually someone trying to be part of the conversation and Stanley just keeps on rambling and mows right over the guy for a whole hour. Haha! I really enjoy any audio of Kubrick and this is priceless. All Kubrick audio should be compiled and played in a continuous loop on a radio station called 'Kubrick Radio.' You just tune in at any moment and jump on for a ride.

[@jordanrioscreations]

"If you saw a film about the sinking of the Titanic and you didn't know that it was going to sink, you'd wonder what 90% of the film was about before it hit the iceberg." haha

[@user-eb4uf4ob6v]

lel

[@deckofcards87]

Jordan Rios He had a funny dry wit.

[@fixedgearjerk]

Any thoughts on that quote applying to a film like Jaws? Something like 90% of that film does not reveal the antagonist, interesting.

[@stivklif]

@@fixedgearjerk eh? the audience knows from the first scene that it's about a killer shark

[@aidanlynn]

I saw this comment just as he said it in the video lol.

[@m0rman]

Editing shows determination and obsession worth of Kubrick himself. Best interview with him I hear or read, magnificent work sir!

[@phantomluts]

It's so refreshing to hear him talk about his films - he's so much less pretentious than the people who have mythologised him. He doesn't seem to be anywhere near as calculating or as transcendentally prescient and brilliant as people make him out to be. He's just a talented, obviously highly intelligent, hardworking and surprisingly down to earth guy.

[@Hannibal082]

Joel Famularo I know right? I love that!

[@phantomluts]

@Droo Bastard yeah no one is saying he’s inept lol. I recall I used the words “Talented, obviously highly intelligent hardworking and down to earth guy’.

[@phantomluts]

@Droo Bastard hes brilliant. He’s also deified and over rated sometimes. But he’s certainly one of the most talented directors of all time.

[@dannygray4898]

I always wonder how Kubrick would have done "The Exorcist" which he was offered, but turned down, cuz he was in the middle of "Clockwork Orange" controversy at that time. How would he have gone about "The Exorcist"? Me wonders.

[@malandro2023]

Just ran into Kubrick's stuff and found this. Thank you for having taken the time and energies to put this together. I have a 'no comment, no like' policy for KZbin, but this file, my friend, deserves to break my silence. Thank you :)

[@jackreed7287]

Superb job. The interpretor drove me mad also. Any rare Kubrick audio is priceless. Thanks for the upload.

[@roedalacket]

I want to echo everyone here and say thank you for bringing us this. The French dude in the backround is funny sometimes.

[@AntoniosPapantoniou]

His grand belief in the power of silent films and even commercials, show his constant doubt for the conventional movie logic (of scenes etc) and his tendency for experimentation to change the form, especially with 2001, despite the fact that he never really went as far in that direction as he really wanted. 31:43

[@paulsekete]

A rare treasure

[@576737427]

this is what youtube should be for damn thank you obscure437

[@spatrick1277]

You did an awesome job with this. Thanks so much for posting!

[@billbanse7037]

I applaud your efforts. This one hour is one of the most important things to come across my way. I've learned so much from his insight from his own mouth alone. I've downloaded this and have multiple files as back ups. I'll be damned to live in a world without it. Anyone with an interest in cinema or in perhaps making your own film some day.. this is MUST HEAR material.

[@sonnov0]

Hey man, did it help in the long run? 5 years!

[@ericdovigi7927]

I'm glad he talked about using Schubert in a period film set in the Classical era. It's probably the nerdiest problem you could possibly have about a film, but I always thought it was weird for someone as meticulous as Kubrick to use a piece from the 1820s in a film set in 1760s. Which is like using Arcade Fire in a period film about ww2

[@underbelly69]

brilliant salvage job - thanks for your effort

[@misterX1964]

Great job !!! Thank you for posting this!!

[@Mrcatlistening]

Thank you for all your dedicated work to bring us this wonderful interview with Kubrick.

[@mirazusta2002]

Very interesting and entertaining. Thank you very much for posting

[@NebulaRasa]

Thank you very much for your effort in creating this record.

[@derekp7864]

Wonderful! Thanks so much for this, well done!

[@joshburgess1495]

There's a documentary coming out called "Kubrick By Kubrick" that incorporates these interviews with Michel Ciment. Awesome!

[@KelshmosChannel]

You rock for making this, thank you.

[@Wills_Duffy]

Thanks for the effort and upload.

[@daniellos333]

I respect your effort and will listen to the whole thing patiently.

[@faterock9876543]

Thank you for laboring over this

[@HeathenStudiosTV]

Thank you so much for doing this: I really appreciate you making the effort with such a frustrating task. It's great to hear this.

[@davidronbrothers1764]

Thank you so much for your efforts to create this! Love Kukbrick and a glimpse into his mind is unfortunately rare.

[@malloid]

This is great. Thanks for the effort making it. [thumbs up]

[@egonett]

Thank you

[@Zukan]

"[After the Vietnam war] I think it told America that you don't fight a war because some intellectuals decide it might be a good thing. I don't think you're going to get Americans to fight a war again unless they think it really means something to them. Certainly you're not going to be able to sell them something, which is quite clear to everybody [that it] doesn't vitally affect them." If only Stanley had lived to see 9/11...

[@marksultan7999]

He knew

[@bevrosity]

he had to of known of false flags

[@MrJimithee]

I'd love to see a film (dramatization) about the friendship between Stanley and Arthur C Clarke.. What an odd couple of geniuses to form that mutual respect! New York meets Somerset xx

[@gabrielsmith6600]

You're a god send. Thank you.

[@connorttt-yc5uv]

Editing on par with the man himself well done great listening thanks

[@irish66]

Thank you.

[@Dousch]

I applaud the hard work you put into bringing us this treasured footage. It's a shame that so often it's up to us consumers to restore and preserve material such as this, when it really should've been recognized for what it is by the people publishing the material to begin with. I hope the right people sees this one day and feel compelled to release the raw audio.

[@mojangles28]

thanks for this!

[@OddSumo]

great job. thank you!

[@ssmith5048]

Glenn Gould would be proud of you. Well done and thank you for your work on creating this!

[@adamzanzie]

Thanks for putting this interview together. I cite it as a source in my new KZbin video essay "Was Ryan O'Neal Supposed to Narrate BARRY LYNDON (1975)?"

[@DaveyMulholland]

if only someone had the original recordings with no voiceover.

[@jrofficial4317]

I think art would be better off without critics. period

[@dangulberry]

thanks for your work --- good job

[@rowneet7384]

thank youu!!

[@bubblesmageefrompoughkipse7104]

Overall an amazing editing job! Especially if you take the time to read the explanation for the editing and what was involved in doing the editing in the description! Having been involved with video editing I feel the pain and appreciate the blood, sweat and tears put into editing be it audio or video. However, with having to edit out the French translation overdubbing every few seconds, piecing together sentences due to the overall overdubbing into French for the French audience and having to edit that out etc...just incredible editing! Yes, I know I virtually repeated what I stated a sentence earlier...I felt it necessary to repeat myself since so many people did not read the description before listening to this interview. Thank you so much to whoever the fan was that did the editing job! Not only for taking the time, but also, having the fortitude to put all of this together. I don't feel as though I needed to hear the questions in order to understand what Kubrick is talking about at any time during the interview. I rather felt as though he was sitting at the dining room table having a conversation instead of being interviewed. If you've never done any editing, be it audio, video or both, you have no idea of what this took to put together. In the description it's not clear what equipment was used, the skill level of the fan who did the editing etc. Regardless it's an amazing conversational interview with a phenomenal filmmaker and I'm extremely happy to have found it in my recommendations! I can't imagine that Kubrick would take horrified offense to a true fan doing the editing that was done by this fan. In fact, he might very well have contacted this fan and thanked him for doing the initial leg work editing and finished cleaning it up himself. Who's to say what Kubrick would have thought about this edited interview as the man loathed giving interviews! Sadly for us all we'll never know what he would have thought about this and so much more...

[@marcsalzman8082]

A rather masterful obsessiveness, that mirrors your subject, (though he's never come across as precious in the few times I've heard him) in undertaking this.

[@maxweil]

this seems to be the only recorded interview where you can hear Stanley pronouncing the title of 2001. he seems to favor "two thousand 'n' one".

[@jaxhertz5772]

Great job man

[@tarnopol]

Nicely done!

[@johanwindh6218]

Gold

[@mobbinhard42]

great interview, you can tell he's so much more into the art form than he is his own accomplishments, fuckin legend

[@wakeupbritain1]

Only just realised how much Peter Sellers' President Merkin Muffley in Dr. Strangelove sounds just like Stanley (although a little less New York)!

[@jh8957]

Thank you for your hard work

[@tannerkuhn3959]

i love listening to him talk especially about Barry Lyndon because i love that film

[@Johnconno]

He sounds like Peter Sellers as Clare Quiltey.

[@jinzul8785]

Thanks so much for this upload, it's fantastic. Can you please upload the full interviews or provide a link to the originals, A Voix Nue does not seem to currently have these episodes on their podcast. It would be very valuable if you could upload them for those who wish to hear it fully. Thanks again.

[@alexbarron2876]

How have I just discovered this now?

[@sinseeyafilms]

Legend

[@MaryWild]

We love you, Maestro!

[@WarWorksProductions]

Bravo !!

[@dannygray4898]

I can't help wondering how Kubrick would have done "The Exorcist" which he was offered, but turned down because he was in the middle of "Clockwork Orange" controversy. How would he have done that great film? Me wonders.

[@luke9947]

No one will ever know that.

[@dannygray4898]

@@luke9947 I know, i just can't help wondering.... I've got that kind of imagination. To be honest though, I think Freidkin did it perfectly anyway, documentary style. Kubrick would have added some twist of his own.

[@ImMatrixor]

He kinda sounds like a young Kevin Spacey

[@navesele]

Matrixor It's the New York accent.

[@deckofcards87]

navesele Bronx accent isn't it?

[@GregSidelnikov]

Eden tification Believe so.

[@theFLRN]

Matrixor totally

[@deckofcards87]

That and his voice is also kind of "melodious" as i read someone else describe. very pleasant.

[@reving19]

Stan the Man. He was one of the greatest.

[@tommwong]

any idea where i could find the original clips of this? the editing in this is a bit offputting, but still much thanks for uploading! always fascinating to hear kubrick speak

[@hectortorres9316]

Count how many times does Stanley says "you know" XD

[@beezy5628]

One thing I notice great film directors saying is “you know”. Kubrick has obviously fallen to it, Hitchcock has, and David Lynch has. It’s kind of weird; reminds me of teenagers saying “like”.

[@AntoniosPapantoniou]

"sort of' or like "kind of" approach etc. I think beneath his undoubtedly intellectual mind process there's also a more loosely styled kind of talk, dating back to his NY years

[@JJDvorshak]

Lots of people do this. I've been in the habit since the start. I've noticed many English-as-a-second-language people say that a lot as well.

[@mateom5100]

Jhon kelly le envio The Shining en un manuscrito?

[@Ofinfinitejest]

Reply to several comments below: the interviews in print (with some editing) are at one of the best and very first movie sites on the internet, The Kubrick Site, www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/?LMCL=gphHl6

[@reving19]

Prelude to "The Shining"?

[@jasonjoneses]

36:40 sounds like Kubrick's eating soup!

[@mateom5100]

36:45 begins to talk about Full Metal Head, Paths of Glory and Belicism in movies

[@omarzaman881]

What is the name of the opening song?

[@adamzanzie]

Sarabande Main Title (Georg Friedrich Handel)

[@omarzaman881]

Thank you.

[@debocrema]

"Somewhere, somebody has to be able to take the wonderful economical, structural possibilities of a silent movie with the tremendous power that a good T.V. commercial can generate on a topic in thirty seconds. I still think this would be the most exciting thing that happenessince whoever it was that cut the two films together and realized that you can have editing. You really a sort of editing of the mind, which hasn't happened- just tell a story in a different way." 44:43-45:13 Well, its a shame that Kubric isn't around to see Malick's new films.

[@TheGoodCasino]

Well its unfortunate that Malick's new films (1997-2013) are all longer than most most feature films; they also don't have the appeal of modern commercials as well.

[@jordanrioscreations]

Yeah, I wouldn't really characterize Malick's films as economical in the same way TV commercials are.

[@joeteevee]

Brilliant. Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate the effort that would have gone into making it! (editing out all the French translation stuff). THANK YOU! We (Kubrick fans and scholars) are forever in your debt. PS - Kubrick is God. See also: storyality.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/storyality-24-on-feature-films-and-roi-return-on-investment/ (Kubrick is cited on there.)

[@Freakster1970]

He said at the end you won't get Americans to fight another war again unless it means something because of the experiences in Vietnam. I think you got that one wrong Stan.

[@XieYali]

The rhetoric and ideology hasn't changed, its just been updated. Even Kubrick underestimated the power of the American public to fall for thinly veiled nationalistic propaganda.

[@kingoftheseamusic]

Kubrick didn't get it wrong. People were drafted in Vietnam, they weren't drafted in Afghanistan or Iraq.

[@irrationalman2363]

Is there a transcript?

[@Ofinfinitejest]

Those interested in the questions and transcript can find them at The Kubrick Site, one of the first and best movie sites in internet history.

[@globalcombattv]

What year is this?

[@MaximTendu]

That's what I often ask myself when I wake up with a glorious hangover

[@globalcombattv]

@@MaximTendu lol same

[@oneeyedjacks2215]

Poping up like a Jack in the Box 7:50. You dont say.

[@baroh2413]

Are there ghosts in this interview. I keep hearing strange voices in the background

[@borgtennis]

And for all of you out there Kubrick says it himself. In the Shinning when the bolt opens from outside that's when we know the visions are not just in Jack's mind.

[@knightproduction215]

7:13

[@Cybjon]

They've cut out Ciment's questions, which kind of renders a lot of what Kubrick says meaningless.

[@julianrusso7232]

what ever this means 27:35 - 28:17 it seems quite important

[@user-bs1qk2ku7b]

Kubrick uses the passive voice more than anyone I've ever heard.

[@jellybeanz1989]

The guy was having a seizure while he was editing this?

[@DaveyMulholland]

Dani ele read the description

[@RSousa-ru7xi]

I thought I was having one while listening to it.

[@rween8033]

not even a believable edit but you've listened to most of them i'll give you that you octopus. hope KZbin pays you well!

[@roderick4707]

Does... the interviewer keep trying to interrupt or add something to what he's saying? Why does he verbally pause for Kubrick at some of the most simple thoughts? I kept thinking i had other videos playing. It sounds like I'm listening to Kubrick PLUS some other random 1 sided conversation. Tis a pitty! Anyway to clean up this interview? Like digital magic.

[@roderick4707]

Just read the discription... oh. I guess.

[@kp9952]

..Is this really Kubrik being interviewed?...It doesn't sound like him at all...What year is this?...Cheers for the interview though...

[@andymaierart]

What the hell was the editor smoking when he made this? This interview is completely destroyed by the edit. terrible!

[@guyinthecomments3892]

Andy Maier it's actually because there was originally a french speaker dubbed over Kubrick's voice for translation. They must have had to spin that out.

[@foxtowercommunications]

From the description: But... (keep reading so that you don't listen to this and then complain afterwards about clicks and blips throughout the audio)

[@muvyscnes]

Someone cut the interviewers questions, so basically you're listening to bad editing.

[@Alexander-tj2dn]

I wish the interviewer hadn´t made stupid noises all the time. Very irritating.

[@treetoon_]

this french guy continually trying to interrupt Kubrick is super annoying

[@JJDvorshak]

Voice-over artist. For French TV.

[@treetoon_]

@@JJDvorshak it was joke xd

[@tomsharman6823]

can we hear him say a sentence without you cutting it up? if you edit a sentence together he didn't say then why are we listening? Were listening yo you, put the whole clip up? it sounds totally balls!

[@JordanPerrier]

Sorry this is just way too irritating.

[@unknown-bx4xn]

They just edited out the bits of french translation in between.

[@lanser87]

Sébastien S. Robert not well enough.

[@madmaxbocka]

Lanser87 You should edit a new one then, that'd be an awesome contribution.. Personally I'd listen to it WITH the translation so I really appreciate the time someone took to edit it as good as is now... Not a big deal, right?

[@MrGommeren]

Max and Lancer, you'r both right, i am afraid.

[@meditsdumb1578]

Who edited this? Horrible. How would kubrick feel?

[@SnortsOfHappiness]

+Matthew read the description

[@Nouser566]

The original interview had instant translation into French.. So the guy did do a rather decent job getting that out.. I agree that some sentences are chopped off pretty brutally. But.. I guess it is still decent

[@Primowork]

Focus on what you got inside