A Clockwork Orange - Thriller

A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 dark thriller directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The titles are very unconventional, using a bold red and blue colour scheme, however the colour red is one of the most striking colours, it makes the viewer think of blood, anger, pain and love all at the same time, which relates to how Alex (the movie's main character) views the above. He thrives on anger and pain, and loves creating it. The titles background then cuts to a medium blue, which marries with Alex's striking blue eyes, shown in the close up opening shot of the film.

Throughout the opening titles and sequence a heavy, off key score is used, with consistently placed heavy drums or gongs. This aids in the buildup of suspense of the opening. The first shot begins as a close up, but then strangely changes into a slow zoom out, revealing Alex's friends or "Droogs" as he calls them (who he briefly introduces through a narrated voiceover), and then reveals an entire room full of strangely attired people.

The opening shot, a close up showing Alex's striking eyes.

The end of the opening shot, a long shot revealing the entire room, strange and futuristic clothing is used.

Throughout the zoom, Alex narrates what is happening in the room, and why they are there. The last word used in the opening is "ultraviolence" which is one of the major subjects of the film.

The next shot plays upon stereotypes, it features a drunken Irish man singing a famous Irish song in a tunnel. The lighting is low key, and the Irish man is lower than Alex and his gang, and they are mostly silouhetted by the light.

Alex and his gang prepare to beat up the old man.

Anaylsis of Alex

Alex is obviously the leader of the group, his speech is poetic, and slightly unnerving. From the offset he is shown to be disturbed, via his speech and the poses he acts in.

Alex speaks to his first victim.

He is clad in white, a surprisingly contradicting choice for someone of his nature, you would expect him to wear dark, or black clothes. The colour white could also represent his psychological instability, as it is the colour of mental asylum gowns.

Alex's face as he speaks to his next set of victims.

In the opening of the film the lighting on Alex is usually low key, and doesn't reveal all of his face he usually snarls at his prey.

All in all, Alex is portrayed as a controlling, psychotic dictator and tyrant of his group.

Promotion


The cover of the movie features a cartoon of Alex holding a blade, with an eye, which relates to his correctional regime at the asylum.

Movie box cover.

The poster for the film features the same image as the film cover, but with the added text "Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultra-violence and Beethoven." This is a very strange summary of the film, as it gets straight to the point and allows a reader to envisualise the movie. It is also strange to pair Beethoven with the words rape, and ultra-violence.

A Clockwork Orange poster.

As A Clockwork Orange is adapted from a novel by Anthony Burgess, I thought I should include the book cover, which shows the eye that Alex has with the false eyelashes, and the same hat.

A Clockwork Orange book cover.