Clockwork orange, filmed in 1971. It is a film based on a book by Anthony Burgess, but today, I would like to focus on the film and not on the comparison of a book and the film. I´d like to show you some of the observations, that I have made, not only while watching this film and making notes, but also from my extra research. The research was mostly focused on the purpose of creating this film and why Stanley Kubrick was the only director, who evolved a massive interest in creating this film. He was even more passionate in the films´ distribution, after life threats to him and to his whole family.
Artist
In a year 1951, he finally exchanged photography for film and created his first documentaries. His very first completed film was called “ Fear and Desire”, where the context of the film is being set up in an imaginary world, where imaginary war was happening.
Kubrick became very known director with a massive sense for perfection and his desire for making the shoot clean and exactly, as he visualized (as I will mention later his ways of using the ankle of the camera). In his time, he was very controversial, forbidden and most of his films were censored.
One of his most probably controversial films would be a film “Lolita” based on a Vladimir Nabokov´s book, which had to be redone multiple times in the background checks by authorities not to get Kubrick off the races “way too much”.
But actually it was just Clockwork Orange, which was the most scandalous films in a British history, which apparently created insurgency and rebellion on the English streets by young people. Only because of this film, Kubrick and his whole family was under way too many death threats. He asked for not showing the Clockwork Orange on the television, until his death.His very last film was called “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Stanley Kubrick died in a sleep, having a heart attack. For his whole career, he won the Academy Prize- the Oscar for his film 2001: The Space Odyssea.
“As one of the most universally acclaimed and influential directors of the postwar era, Stanley Kubrick enjoyed a reputation and a standing unique among the filmmakers of his day. A perennial outsider, he worked far beyond the confines of Hollywood, maintaining complete artistic control and making movies according to the whims and time constraints of no one but himself, but with the rare advantage of studio financial support for all of his endeavors. Working in a vast range of styles and genres spanning from black comedy to horror to crime drama, Kubrick was an enigma, living and creating in almost total seclusion, far away from the watchful eye of the media. His films were a reflection of his obsessive nature, perfectionist masterpieces which remain among the most provocative and visionary motion pictures ever made.” (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/stanley_kubrick/biography)
It was a dangerous and controversial topic, that none in the 60´s in UK dared to speak about, as it was not brought up to the light completely. People from the West London would not know, how people in the North of London behave and how much the aggression is taking a part in a London´s streets.
Stanley Kubrick´s ideology is changing very often. As we can notice in some of his films, he is being pretty judgmental. While Clockwork Orange is quite recognizable, that the idea of the whole shot is taking distance away from the left-sided political parties.
“Despite the lack of commitment to a particular world-view, it is generally agreed that Kubrick was fascinated by the possibilities of a supernatural reality, as reflected in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980).”
Kubrick seemed like a person, who enjoyed questioning the aspects of the authorities, in general. He loved to experiment. But a massive pressure came definitely with the public regulation in the UK. Kubrick re-directed his strategy of producing the film and convinced his British distributors to select a narrow release: the film was shown for over a year in only one West End London theater and still appeared to be a behaviour-changing.
Intention of the Artwork“The central idea of the film has to do with the question of free-will. Do we lose our humanity if we are deprived of the choice between good and evil? Do we become, as the title suggests, A Clockwork Orange”. from visualmemory.com -(http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/interview.aco.html)
In 1960´s it was very fashionable to direct films, which contained sexually abusing scenes, full of aggression and blood. Kubrick wanted to be a little bit more ahead and wanted to highlight a political perception- what exactly was happening on the streets in an unreal world. The idea of the comic appearance of extremist politics, has been presented there mostly as a part of the fearful parody, which was manipulating the main characters in this film.
It is definitely a film, which was aiming for disturbing the audience and make them think deeply about that certain generation. The intention of this film would be definitely an interest and focus on the street gangs and violence, revolution and rebellion, which was moving the whole UK in those years. As an example, I would highlight the Beatles´ psychedelic music and their drug experimenting.
“Despite Kubrick’s artistic intentions, the film depicts the violent scenes with brutality, and it rapidly attracted controversy, with typical headlines including ‘Coming Shortly, a Film for None of the Family’, ‘What Good Can This Film Possibly Do?’, and ‘Garbage Disguised as Art is Still Garbage’. Tabloid journalists claimed that the film had been responsible for a number of ‘copycat’ crimes including home invasions, rapes, street beatings and murder. Headlines such as ‘Hunt for Clockwork Orange Sex Gang’ began to appear in the press during the 1970s.” from anthonyburgess.com- (http://www.anthonyburgess.org/about-anthony-burgess/a-clockwork-orange-on-film)
Economical, Political and Cultural values
It evokes a lot of questions about totalitarism and the free will. Kubrick seems to be also on a Nietcheze´s side of the superhuman, when in this case, being a part of the totalitarian scheme is still not normal and closes the natural human being borders. Kubrick is trying to make a point, where people need time to realize what they´ve accepted in their lifes.
“The government eventually resorts to the employment of the cruellest and most violent members of the society to control everyone else -- not an altogether new or untried idea.” http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/interview.aco.html
ideas of this film mostly come from the book as itself, when it comes to the screenplay. It is definitely also about dynamics, which move the pictures of the screen. Themes of this film are: violence, aggression, sex, blood, authority, rebellion and experimental science.
Let´s start with the costumes. Kubrick wanted to highlight the contrast of the massochist white colour, which is worn by the Alex´s gang with bowler hats. The costumes says a lot about, what is the group about, when all of the members wore a wedge protector in the white colour as well.
“Sometimes a rock soaring through a plate of glass can be the most beautiful, compelling work of art, I have ever seen.” (But is it Art?- Cynthia Freeland, quote by McGee, p. 112), when it comes to the easiest way of thinking when it came to costumes and the fashion in this film. The vibrant colours made it easier for the audience to lighter the obsessive and overwhelming scenes of rape and attacks. The scenes were purifies by the contrasts of using colourful background, classical music and modern furniture.
“The freedom of individuals to make choices becomes problematic when those choices undermine the safety and stability of society, and in A Clockwork Orange, the state is willing to protect society by taking away freedom of choice and replacing it with prescribed good behavior. The importance of evil as well as good in human nature is a fundamental theme of A Clockwork Orange”. (http://www.sparknotes.com/film/clockworkorange/themes.html)
Kubrick is an incredible perfectionist and he was very obsessed with the vision that he had on his mind. He apparently was trying to find the best hat for 13 hours, that would perfectly fit the whole gang costume and actors´heads.
There is a lot of scenes, which symbolises the power and authority, playing a game with the power of the crime and aggression. It also shows, how much parody the totalitarism involves.
The biggest symbol of the whole film would definitely be a scene, where Alex is dancing in the middle of the house assault, called “HOME” and he sings “Singing in the rain”song as a contrast of enjoying the violence and basically “being happy, even when it rains”. The symbolism of a dark pleasure and enjoyment contrasts the real fact, that it was actually happening for real and Alex found a satisfaction in it.
It is Kubrick´s obsession and speciality to focus on the geometrics and symmetry in most of the camera ankles. We can notice in so many scenes, which are being divided in a stunning ankles- showing contrasts in the mirroring reflection of the picture.
There are also a lot of unreal and very disturbing ankles, like focused camera on a human´s face, from the bottom, which makes it look very uncomfortable and distracting.
The colours of the film are changing and they definitely keep your attention. The contrast of black and at the the beginning (filled up with the costumes) and yet a bright colours of the 60´s afterwards made the film appearance confusing and mood changing.
In a film, there are very bright dynamics. Changing the motion in the whole picture became very revolutionary, especially after making a sex scene incredibly speeded up, so it cannot offend basically anyone or make Kubrick to cut out the scene.