Fear and Desire (1953) is a film by Stanley Kubrick about a team of soldiers trapped behind enemy lines in a fictional war. It was Kubrick's first feature, and he did most of the work on the film, including cinematography and editing. A good deal of the film's funding was provided by Kubrick's uncle, a wealthy pharmacist.
Despite the limited budget, and lack of experience from the cast and crew, the film garnered some respectable reviews as it went through the arthouse circuit in New York, many acknowledging the young director's potential. As well as being Kubrick's first feature, the film is also noteable for being the film debut of Paul Mazursky, eventually better known as a director.
Highly sought after by Kubrick fans and movie aficionados, the director dismissed the film as an amateur project, later buying up as many prints as possible. His attempts to suppress the work were not entirely successful, with reportedly two remaining prints currently being held at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Also, many bootleg versions have sprung up, and distribution is increasing with the rise of DVD-Rs.
