A Clockwork Orange

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Written by: Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel by Anthony Burgess
Year: 1971
Genre: Satire/science fiction
My rating: 5 out of 5

The first third of Kubrick's dark, disturbing masterpiece can be described quite well by the film's tagline: "Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultraviolence and Beethoven." We meet the protagonist, fifteen-year-old Alex (Malcolm MacDowell), at a bar with his three droogs (Russian for friends; this is part of the language that Burgess invented for the novel): Pete (Michael Tarn), Georgie (James Marcus), and Dim (Warren Clarke). We accompany them on a typical night of mischief. They assault an old druken vagrant, start up a fight with a rival gang, and terrorize a writer and his wife while Alex sings "Singin' in the Rain." Afterwards, they return home, and we learn of Alex's love for classical music, particularly that of Beethoven. The next day, he skips school and has an encounter with probation officer Mr. Deltoid (Aubrey Morris), who advises him to stay out of trouble. Alex replies with sly innocence, but Deltoid is the one person who can see through his lies. Later that day, Pete, Georgie, and Dim confront Alex about his manipulative leadership and stage a coup, making Georgie their new leader. While they are walking, Alex attacks them and reclaims his status. He then inquires about the idea Georgie had planned to carry out. That night, they break into the home of an aging cat lady (Miriam Karlin), who Alex accidentally beats to death. As he bursts out of the front door, Dim hits him across the face and Alex's three droogs leave him lying on the ground in pain while the police pull up. After a trial that we are not shown, Alex is sentenced to fourteen years in prison. We skip ahead to the beginning of his third year. He has become friends with the chaplain (Godfrey Quigley) and taken an interest in (the more violent aspects of) the Bible. He consults with the chaplain and volunteers for an experimental new aversion therapy called the Ludivico technique, in which he is drugged and forced to repeatedly watch horrific videos. These begin to sicken him to his very core when he notices the use of Beethoven's music in the background. When treatment is completed, he is rendered physically unable to commit any violent or sexual acts, and the sound of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is pure torture to him. Alex is released back into the world, where he encounters vengeful figures from his past.

Especially during the time of its release, "A Clockwork Orange" was the subject of much controversy. The extensive use of violent content originally earned it an X rating. Kubrick edited out about 30 seconds of footage to bring this down to an R, but many viewers (particularly Christian groups) were still heavily offended by it. This caused a dispute between Kubrick and the writer of the novel, Anthony Burgess. Burgess enjoyed the film when he first saw it, only opposing to the omission of the last chapter (which was only not included because Burgess' American publisher convinced him to take it out of the American printing). However, Kubrick reportedly left him to defend himself and the movie. I have read the original British printing of the book, and must admit that it is better than the movie. The final chapter adds a new meaning to the story, and makes it possibly my favorite book. Nevertheless, the film is spectacular in its own way. The aesthetics make it an irresistibly fun, yet horrifying, adventure. The dark, futuristic score composed by Wendy Carlos adds a sinister touch to each scene, and the classical music has never had better accompanying visuals. Kubrick employs a technique that he seems to usually avoid: using quick cuts and flashing between different images to show Alex's chaotic ecstasy when listening to classical music. Speaking of which, Malcolm MacDowell gives an extremely powerful and haunting performance as perhaps the only villain that one could feel sorry for, and is particularly comedic in his encounters with the Chief Guard (Michael Bates). Despite the extreme controversy over its haunting elements, "A Clockwork Orange" was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Film Editing, and remains a very famous (borderline infamous) cinematic landmark.


Structure/Form:
What does the title mean in relation the film as a whole?
It refers to Alex's lack of free will after undergoing the Ludovico technique, as something that may seem pleasant (such as an orange) but is actually a piece of machinery.

How are the opening credits presented?
On alternating brightly colored backgrounds.

Are there any repeated scenes, images, dialogue, etc.?
When people tell Alex to be good, they ask if they've made themselves clear, to which he responds, "As an unmuddied lake. As clear as an azure sky of deepest summer."

Is sound used in any vivid ways to enhance the film?
Absolutely. Similar to "2001," classical music and dramatic futuristic sounds (here conducted on Moog synthesizers) are used often.

Are there any striking uses of perspective?
The aesthetics make quite a few scenes striking.

What specific scene constitutes the film's climax?
That depends on the definition of climax. If it means the peak of the action, the climax occurs when Alex jumps out of a window to kill himself. If it means the point where the central issue is resolved, then it occurs in the next scene.

Does the film leave any disunities at the end?
When compared to the book, yes.


Theme:
How does the film relate to the issues presented or developed? What questions are evoked by the film? Does the film present a clear point of view on an issue? How?
As a satire, the film concerns the definition of "goodness" and whether or not aversion therapy creates truly moral people. Those who have read the original novel with the 21st chapter know that it adds a further meaning to the story, but it does not appear in the film because Kubrick read the American printing of the book without the last chapter.


Mise en Scene:
Alex and his droogs walk along the marina after Georgie proclaims himself leader.

Dominant: Where is our eye attracted first? Why?
Alex, because it is a moment where is narrating.

Lighting key: High key? Low key? High contrast? Some combination of these?
Very high key, the most high key moment in the whole film.

Angle: Are we (and the camera) looking up or down on the subject? Or is the camera eye level?
Eye level.

Color values: What is the dominant color?
There is a lot of white. More white than in any other shot in the movie.

Subsidiary contrasts: What are the main eye-stops after taking in the dominant?
Pete and Georgie and Dim and the water beside them.

Density: How much visual information is packed into the image?
All we can really discern is Alex's anger.