What is A Clockwork Orange's stance on the intertwined nature of sexuality, violence, and the role of "the law?" How would you compare and contrast its representation of these issues (at the level of plot and visuals) with that seen in Straw Dogs?In the section of the Cook book that you read for today's class (pages 355-383), he discusses multiple technological innovations made during the 1970s. Identify how the Steadicam and one other innovation were important to films during this period. [In addition, discuss the use of the Steadicam in the scene from A Clockwork Orange (below). What effect does it achieve that traditional editing or a tracking shot (camera is mounted on a track on the ground or the ceiling) would not?] YouTube has removed the video so you can disregard this part of the question.
51 comments:
Nicholas Naber
9.27.07
A Clockwork Orange is a film with overlaid themes of violence, sex and the idea of authority. When Alex and his Droogs go out they are always planning on committing ultra violence, which includes rape and bodily harm to anyone that gets in their way. Alex himself even commits acts of violence on his friends cutting ones hand open, and hitting the other in the genitals. He does this to assert his authority over the group. When Alex is arrested for murder and then treated with the video images of rape and violence he is rendered harmless. The fact that the government would go to such lengths to make it impossible for him to even defend himself is unbelievable. Even when the priest brings up that point to the secretary, the secretary says it doesn’t matter and that Alex is now a better person even though he no longer has choice. This is crazy having a choice is what makes us human; Kubrick is making a point about human decisions. Would it be better if we were all not violent, and were prefect drones? In relation to Straw Dogs the film is similarly grotesque in its portrayal of brutality. Straw Dogs has a more gritty earthy feel in its depiction of events like Amy’s rape, it seems in A Clockwork Orange that scenes of violence are stylized, and take place in a more bright atmosphere. There are exceptions to that but stylistically they are different. In A Clockwork Orange violence seems to be the constant tone of the film, in Straw Dogs it seems like aggression becomes more apparent in the middle to the end of the film. Straw Dogs is more about defending ones self and property, while A Clockwork Orange is more about social issues of how to deal with these out of control people and how brainwashing does not solve the problems in the end.
The use of the stedicam changes the way films are shot in the seventies. It creates a much more realistic way of viewing it makes the observer feel like they are actually in the film itself. Another innovation of the seventies was the use of the Panaflex film camera. This camera was small weighing only twenty-five pounds but it still allowed for professional film footage. It is widely used for conversations in movies allowing the filmmaker to get in close to his subjects and making a more intimate scene. The use of the stedicam in this scene is amazing. As Alex is walking it feels like the viewer is walking backwards looking directly at him. The way the camera moves gives the feeling of walking most likely because the camera is strapped to the camera man. This cannot be achieved by a tack-mounted camera or with editing. It wouldn’t look as natural if you used the other two techniques.
Kelly Doucette
28 September 2007
Stanley Kubrick's production of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971, Kubrick) is a fantastic look at violence and sex. It makes the viewers feel as if the violence they are watching seems too "strange" to be real. The local authorities also seem to be able to catch violant persons easier (not necessarily often though) than STRAW DOGS (1971, Peckinpah), which shows the violent persons taking out the sole authoritative figure.
While STRAW DOGS is a much more isolated incidents in a far more rural, isolated town vs. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE being more widespread in a bigger town. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE shows that being violent and sexual is a part of everyone's character and that we should be allowed to change on our own vs. having some process performed on us. I believe both films to depict violence and sexuality in a similar tone and while A CLOCKWORK ORANGE depicts authority figures as obsessed and out-of-their minds, STRAW DOGS depict authority figures as useless, simple, and lacking (in #'s).
As Nick Naber said in his comment, the use of the steadicam IS a much more realistic way to film someone moving from point A to point B. Instead of having to adjust to lots quick edits, we can enjoy the set of A.C.O. a lot easier. It also allows for more dialogue to be used as the camera moves slower than a hand-held shot or quickly-edited shot would. As Nick also pointed out, it makes the viewer feel as if we are backing away from Alex as he is coming towards us, kind of a way to demonstrate fear of violent persons, don't you think?
Well, it's obvious that Kubrick saw sex and violence as being strongly linked in the human mind. Especially with Alex, sex seemed to remind him of violence, and violence gave him a satisfaction that seemed sexual in nature. What’s more interesting is Kubrick’s portrayal of authority figures in the film. You have people who want him in a cage, (the Warden,) people who want him to hurt, (also the warden,) people who want him to better himself, (the preacher,) and people who want to control him. (The government.) In that regard, there are certain similarities to Straw Dogs, but in terms of official authority figures, Straw Dogs was about control.
As always, technology has affected what people can or will do with film. In the case of Clockwork Orange, a couple of technological advancements helped make the film what it was/is. The Steady cam allowed for more organic, dynamic shots, which moved with the chaotic characters. Meanwhile, new ways of treating, developing, and shooting the film itself made for a wider range of viable atmospheres. A lot of CO’s scenes are shot in dark, shadowed environments, many of which just wouldn’t have been filmable without new lenses and developing techniques.
Both Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs (1971), and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971), express issues about Violence, Sexuality and a concept of Authority. I felt both films had the same point about violence: that it is inherently built into our nature regardless to what level that might be. Alec loves the ultra violent acts that him and his friends casually commit to the point that they are addicted to it. He even tells us through the narration that he loves it more than sex but it seems as though he commits just as many rapes as well. The police capture him and instate him into a special program to try and correct or change his ways so he won’t be so violent and sexual. However, the film’s ending shows us that as soon as the treatment is reversed, Alec’s desires come back in full with a closing fantasy of him having a slow motion threesome with two girls to the music of Beethoven ninth symphony. In Straw Dogs, we see that David is forced to use violence in order to save his life as well as others. Alec’s level of violent behavior is so strong that it literally pours out of him, almost as a form of release similar to a sexual act. Straw Dogs’s main character is more controlled, as David is an intelligent, civil, bookish astrophysicist. David’s nature is so controlled that it even stops him from acting on the roofer’s earlier violent warnings. The Law or authority in Straw Dogs contrasts its overly present role in The Clockwork Orange, as it is it’s absence in Straw Dogs which dictates the violent nature during the film. Sexuality and violence both have a strong relationship with control or authority, especially when speaking in Freudian terms. This may be why these subjects seem to intertwine so well in stories such as Straw Dogs or The Clockwork Orange.
Technology dictates the tools available to artists and the tools themselves affect and persuade the work produced. The induction of the stedicam and other fluid like camerawork allowed for the camera to either disappear or seemingly float throughout the world within the film. Any gesture that a camera makes has an exceeding effect upon the portrayal and representation of a film. Sometimes new technologies not only change how we conduct techniques but open up new doors previously not available. New lenses allowed for film capture with even less light which in turn allowed for more scenes to take place in darker locations like those seen in Touch of Evil.
Joe Evrard
The movies A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs were flipped in the direction of there main characters actions. Dustin Hoffman went from gentleman to murderer, where as Malcolm McDowell went from rapist and murderer to a more mellow, non violent guy. There transformations where brought on differently too. Hoffman was pushed by hateful acts and violence to act with violence. McDowell acted on perverce impulse, but after the conditioning and almost torture like actions done to him, he became unavailable to do evil.
Sexuality and violence played a HUGE part in this movie in the first part of the film by the rapes, the fight, the beating of the bum and the lounge that the group went to. Since this was the first time I have seen this movie, I almost believed at the start that McDowell's group were the good guys by beating up the other group raping the first women, but I was COMPLETELY caught off guard though when they went to the house and then beat a man and raped his wife. Then, torward the end, I was just waiting for McDowell to die because of all the violence and pain he had caused, espically to the man and his wife. Every other turn, I thought, "there it goes. He's dead." But this movie proved my expectations wrong.
This movie had a weird way to show that crimials can be rehabilitated, but it still did have a point to it. Hopefully though, there are better ways to change crimials then torture them to turn good.
Shaz Bhathena
The argument of Clockwork Orange is one that people still debate today- should moral and ethic values be controlled externally for the good of a person, or should it be an internal control? At the end of the film, our main character is still very sexually charged, and people could still argue against his morals (I believe his quote is ‘Eggy weggs- I want to smash them.’) Kubrick’s mix of Singing in the Rain during the end titles could make this argument as well; the fact that it is being played at the very end after a psychoanalysis of Alex has taken place indicates that he’s still having thoughts of his behavior before, as this was the same song that was being sung while he violently raped a stranger earlier in the film. Overall, it indicates, in a very drastic matter, that the thoughts one might have of committing an immoral act should not and cannot be completely controlled by another- one cannot be completely responsible for another. Self control by all is the key to a successful society. In Straw Dogs, the same argument can be made about the Tom Hedden character. While the others try to kill him, David tries his hardest to protect him because he knows that it would be virtually impossible to stop everyone from committing a crime simply by killing them.
It makes me quite sad that the use of the Steadicam seems to have vanished from Hollywood. Scenes where people are excited or violence takes place are mostly reserved for the handheld camera now- a lot of it, in my opinion, has to do with the fact that movie-goers no longer have patience. I do remember reading once that the average film attendee has the IQ of 71- one point above mental retardation, and a filmmaker must keep that in mind when making films in order to meet his financial obligation. As a filmmaker, I myself do believe that this should be true as well (the main goal of a filmmaker is not to move people, or to create something deep- these are side goals; the main goal is to meet one’s financial obligation.) However, that being said, certain modifications must take place in the industry, and the loss of the Steadicam was one of them. The camera allowed for directors to explore their settings in a way not possible before. When the camera moves backwards and follows Alex down the alley as he violently rapes that girl, every movement allows for a larger exploration of that space- and the more details that are portrayed in a setting, the more realistic it comes off as.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and STRAW DOGS take on similar ideas, but are almost flipped around. In STRAW DOGS David (Dustin Hoffman) goes from being a shy, harmless guy to an enraged killer. Alex (Malcolm McDowell) goes from being a harassing, violent leader of his group to a very shy and harmless guy. Both main characters completely did a three hundred and sixty degree turn from the beginning to the end of their leading films. Violence and sexuality were huge in both films because they gave both films the strength and power that made the films what they were. They provided the background and laid out the setting for who the characters were. The “role of law” was also a very large part in both. In STRAW DOGS the men of the town overpowered the authority towards the end and made the men stronger and more invincible as a whole. In A CLOCKWORK ORANGE Alex and his Droogs were unstoppable at the beginning of the film, but once Alex was caught the law controlled him and the authority overpowered what and who he was.
Many new technological advances were made in the 1970’s that improved picture quality and how a movie was filmed. The Steadicam was one of these inventions. It was a “gimbal-jointed camera mount that attached to the operator’s chest and waist by means of a harness” (Cook pg 374). The camera had a monitor like a viewfinder that made it possible to frame shots moving. The camera starts on a crane or a dolly then comes off and allows for more elaborate and combination shots. Another invention of the 1970’s was the Louma Crane. It was a camera crane that was remote-controlled that allowed the director and camera crew to relocate to a better place, but still have control without riding the actual crane. Both the Steadicam and the Louma Crane made it easier to make films because the equipment was more moveable and flexible to use. From there the equipment would only get smaller in size, easier to maneuver, and more convenient to operate.
I would say that the violence, sexuality, and law play similar roles in these two movies. While in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange the main theme of the film is freedom of choice, while in Straw Dogs the film iterates that choice is limited and sometimes absent in stressful situations. A Clockwork Orange in the title itself can show that individuals have potential whether good or evil, however it becomes restricted by implementations made by society itself. Alex represents that freedom of choice while the Ludovico technique represents a moral and ethical question, when constraints are placed upon us which conflict with our free will are we not merely wind up toys for God or the devil? While Alex, humanely has the potential to make the right decision isn't it more human when he is able to reject it as well. In Straw Dog’s this same constraint is placed over the characters as they are put into a dilemma in which they have no other alternative than to act violent.
I would say that the violence, sexuality, and law play similar roles in these two movies. While in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange the main theme of the film is freedom of choice, while in Straw Dogs the film iterates that choice is limited and sometimes absent in stressful situations. A Clockwork Orange in the title itself can show that individuals have potential whether good or evil, however it becomes restricted by implementations made by society itself. Alex represents that freedom of choice while the Ludovico technique represents a moral and ethical question, when constraints are placed upon us which conflict with our free will are we not merely wind up toys for God or the devil? While Alex, humanely has the potential to make the right decision isn't it more human when he is able to reject it as well. In Straw Dog’s this same constraint is placed over the characters as they are put into a dilemma in which they have no other alternative than to act violent.
-Brian SHea
A Clockwork Orange shows us the links between sexuality, violence and the role of the law in several ways. In the film, there is that element of violence and sexuality being part of our primal nature, but the film shows us a society that revels in ultra violence, Alex and his droogs really enjoy it. I agree with another comment that spoke of Alex getting off on the violence, as seen when he starts to rape the woman and simultaneously kicks the old man on the ground. Not only that, he is so sure of himself, not rushing "the old in and out," he sings "Singing in the Rain". It's not just Alex and the droogs mixing pleasure with someone's pain, take for instance when Alex is rehabilitated, the old man he assaults in the start of the film returns the favor with the other homeless men, despite Alex giving him money, the man takes advantage of the situation. This is followed by the near drowning of Alex by his former droogs, now police officers. Still having the craving for violence and using their badge to conceal it shows that the law is as ugly as their earlier acts. During one of Alex's screenings, Beethoven is playing, after hearing Alex's cries to stop it, the woman and man turn it up and may be getting off on it. It is too easy to say the law is portrayed as crazy in the film, or overpowering, more so it shows that the law has the power to do crazy things with validation but are no better than Alex.
Straw Dogs shares similar ideas with A Clockwork Orange. The gang in this film is much like Alex and his droogs, some shots made me think of ACO when watching, at the church they are all staring at Dustin Hoffman and Susan George, one of them even has a mask on similar to Alex's in the rape scene. Kubrick is very passive and artistic in showing the rape in AOC, Peckinpah on the other hand, shoots the rape very dramatically and realistic with close ups. Both films show violence instigating more violence that literally comes knocking on the door. Each gang in the films also feel somewhat threatened by the law, the droogs always hightail it when they hear sirens and the gang in Dogs simmer when the general enters. There is this threat that the law poses, but in both films they are overcome one way or another.
The stedicam's impact on 70's cinema was widely praised for it's fluidity, its ability to shoot in tight spaces and being cost effective as opposed to cranes and dollies. One of the most important aspects of the stedicam would have to be the viewfinder attached to it. This made it easy for filmmakers to shoot in crowded places without the people knowing a movie was being shot, as in "Marathon Man". With the viewfinder on the camera, the operator could easily frame shots and plot where the camera will go next. Similar to the stedicam was the louma crane that matched the convenience of shooting in tighter spaces and equally cost effective. The louma crane could be controlled from a different location as opposed to the director and camera operator on the crane itself. With the body like a boom mike the lens aperature, focus and zoom were remote control and connected to a video viewing system. It was used on such big productions as Superman and Heaven's Gate given the feel of grand crane shots, for less money and hassle.
Throughout the film, A Clockwork Orange, the audience gets a raw taste of sexuality and violence from muliple perspectives. Early in the movie you see much of this through the eyes of Alex and his Droogs. They basically don't feel any regard or shame in the beatings they give. From the scenes when they are running around fighting just to show they were the better and stronger 'gang'. They ruthlessly beat the old bum, get into houses and beat and rape the owners. It isn't until later that Alex really realizes the reprocussions of his actions. Kubrick is different than other directors, such as Peckinpah, that he comes right at you with all this stuff. There really isnt a build up or intense music prior to a disturbing scene. He just kind of lets the scene dictate itself, usually with some upbeat music playing behind it. The biggest difference between the violence and sexuality in A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs is just the way the director brings it to you. Peckinpah, as the director, gets you to focus on certain things. Take for instance the very first thing you see of Hoffmans wife. Her breasts. I feel that Kubrick wants you to see that but he uses his characters to get you to that point. Chris Krombach
Both A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs both have to do with a great deal of violence and sexuality. A Clockwork Orange seems to deal with more sexuality and violence in this movie and is more spread out during the beginning of the movie. Here experience Alex one of the main characters going from a harmful character to a changed man who becomes innocent. In this movie it seems to bring out how sexuality and violence is just apart of nature and that it will happen. In contrast to Straw Dogs you do also see these acts happening but not as violent to what you see in A Clockwork Orange. In Straw Dogs violence and sexuality seem to happen in different spurts. With the main character David, going from a successful man who turns out to be very violent and saves a man who should have may not been saved. Both these movies do work in similar but the different ways but both bring out a great deal of violence and sexuality.
As always technology is important to film work as films are starting to progress into a great success. The Steadicam played a role in this film because it made seem as if you were in the movie. When someone was walking it seemed as if you were walking with them. Another invention during this time was the wesscam which was very helpful but was a lot less simpler than the steadicam. This camera was hooked onto things such as helicopter and was able to get overhead action maze shots. So now they have made it easier to get more of the slower action shots and also the more intense shots taken in this time period.
Kelly Grzybowski
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE presents sex, violence, and authority in very physical terms. Alex and his Droogs wear protective padding over their groins, both protecting and enhancing the size of their manhood as they engage in ultra-violence. Similarly, women are portrayed in the film as blatantly sexual - the woman doing yoga and the actress about to be raped are not softened like Amy in STRAW DOGS. We do not get to know the victims in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE like we do in STRAW DOGS. The first time Alex seems out of control is when the truancy/delinquency officer comes to his house. Alex's power is usurped from him when the officer grabs his crotch. Similarly, Alex is portrayed as losing power when he enters prison and is asked to strip down.
The government has control of Alex both mentally and physically from this point forward. Their intentional brainwashing with images asserts control over his ability to act either violently or sexually. As everyone else has mentioned, the film is clearly questioning the morality of the government and their control over Alex. Is one truly reformed if he has no choice or free will?
The stedicam was innovative during the 1970s. It was 'possible to actually run up and down stairs, to run through narrow passageways, or to hold the camera extended weightless in your hand and make shots which, when you see them on the screen, look like they were made from a miniature helicopter." It allowed for shots that would have otherwise been messy or entirely impossible.
Kubrick's use of the zoom lens was also innovative during the time. He was able to use slow zoom-outs to open key scenes such as the group at the milkbar. Shorter zooms were used in more violent scenes such as the rape of the actress and the murder of the cat lady.
A Clockwork Orange features a synthesis of violence and sexuality as a low of its own. For the first act of the film, in which Alex runs wild with violent acts, there is essentially no real law, except that of Alex. In the film we see him taking matters into his own hands, creating his own laws, and asserting his own authority over others. This is very similar to the final act of Straw Dogs, in which the film's main character takes it upon himself to act and kill seven men. The role of the "law" is similar in both films, when men act out of vigilance and take charge of certain situations. However, this is not to say that the violence in both films occurs for the same reason. Straw Dogs is a film about what drives a man to act violently, whereas A Clockwork Orange focuses on a man who has chosen violence as a way of life. David acts out of desperation, in contrast to Alex, who acts out of pleasure.
Of all the technological innovations of filmmaking in the 1970s, the Steadicam remains widely regarded as one of the most important. It gave films a sensational, realistic look that could never have been done with camera mounts or tracking shots. This Steadicam shot in A Clockwork Orange gives the film a sense of grounded reality as it follows Alex with great fluidity. This feeling of realism could not have been achieved with a stationary camera that limits what the audience sees. The Steadicam also employed a "vibraton-free" quality, as well as a video viewfinder that allowed the camera operator to see what he was filming at all times. This made it possible to film in difficult places, where an operator normally would not necessarily be able to see what he was filming. Another technological innovation of the '70s was the Panaflex 35mm camera. At a maximum weight of just thirty-four pounds, it allowed for filmmakers to shoot in complicated places, such as in The Sugarland Express, in which three characters are in a moving car. The Panaflex was able to get closer to the locations and its characters. John Alonzo, who shot Chinatown, said about the Panaflex, "you can put a Panaflex in a bathroom without taking the walls out and shoot scenes in there" (Cook 372).
In A Clockwork Orange, the main character, was basically in love with violence and sex, and he detested the law, which was reformed with, then brought back at the end of the movie. I think that Stanley Kubrick enjoyed the fact that he can make a movie, were it seems the government is really at fault for things that make society bad, and I love every minute of his aspects about politics in this movie. I think that in Straw Dogs, the people had the same detest for the law as the people in A Clockwork Orange, but in Straw Dogs, they upheld the law, even if they didn’t want to, until something drove them to revolt against the law.
The steadicam was important to this film, because it makes the viewers feel like they are in the movie, and that they could have just walked up to the records by Alex, and the two girls eating the popsicles. I think this helped the movie quite a bit, because it wasn’t a close up, and it wasn’t really far away, just the right distance, to make a viewer think that they are walking in the vicinity of the Alex in the movie, and not be crowded right next to him. The reason I think that steadicam was the right choice, was because if you tried to edit this scene in particular with traditional editing, or tracking shot, I don’t think it would have been as fluid, and it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. Another invention made in the 70’s was the Panflex Film Camera, which was a convenient light weight camera that also gave professional quality film.
The "ultra-violence" present in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is viewed in such a way that it seems almost surreal. The acts committed by Alex and his Droogs is so over the top, it comes off as hard to believe. In the context of the film's dystopian setting, Alex makes the acts seem natural and regular. The scene that most seems to support Alex's nonchalant view of what he does occurs when he and his Droogs fight a similar gang who happen to be in the middle of raping a young girl. The film paints the youth of this future culture as seeming ultra-violent at all times.
The comment being made in the film seems to suggest that while Alex is an extreme example, violence and extreme sexuality are a natural, unchanging part of society. And that there is little the law can do to effect this.
STRAW DOGS presents a less outwardly violent, but no less dark social comment. The violence represented is no less extreme (though there is less of it), but it is given its own purpose outside of entertainment, namely the acquisition of one's innermost desires (the rape) and revenge. While the violent scenes in CLOCKWORK ORANGE are senseless and over the top, the violence in STRAW DOGS comes off as realistic and to some point, justified.
A Clockwork Orange almost addresses the same topics as Straw Dogs but it takes different viewpoints addressed to those topics. Alex and his buddies go out looking for trouble and violence they lie to get into people's houses so they can rape and committ acts of violence on them. Straw Dogs shows that violence is something that gets built up as if a last resort. In the complete opposite Alex even gets violent towards his own gang by throwing them in the pool and cutting them. The movie showed that there are sick people in this world, however it also showed that these people make the choice to act this way. These people were symbolized to have grown up with loving parents and a bright future and healthy environment. Straw Dogs again showed that sometimes there is no choice when it comes to violence almost like a natural selection situation we need to fight to survive when the situation comes up and backs us up against a wall.
The Steadicam was a great innvention used by filmmakers to give the audience the feeling of actually being in the movie with the characters. The panaflex is another great innovation as other students have stated. It was lightweight and gave a more intimate feel to the film, it could fit into tighter spaces and make the scene feel more realistic, the audience could then relate and actually feel like part of the picture.
Clockwork Orange’s stance on violence, sexuality and law is very explicit. It is explicit in the sense it doesn’t shy away from telling you what it really might think about the subject, women will be rape, people will be beaten, and the “law” will rip you to shreds both physically and mentally. This film was not afraid to show you these things just as Straw Dogs wasn’t going to shy away from violence and sexuality. Straw Dogs was a bit more subtle to begin with, giving hints of violence, which then picked up at its end where the movie turns into an all out war. This movie was about the nonviolent becoming violent. Clockwork starts out thrusting violence and sexuality in your face, but it dies down during the middle, leaving hints of violence and sexuality here and there. This movie was about the violent getting subdued by the law and the effects on not being able to be violent or sexual. As Paul said, the movies take different ways to approach the violence.
The importance of the steadicam was that it allowed film makers to show what once couldn’t be shown with fluidity. This allowed for some of the most memorable shots in movies (my personal favorite being the big wheel scene in The Shining, of course, a Kubrick film). An obvious answer to another importance of this device is that is was cheaper than using expensive dollies and tracking setups. The Panaflex 35mm was also extremely important to film makers, in the same respect of the steadicam, it allowed film makers get shots previously unseen. What was important about the Panaflex is that it was smaller than a normal 35mm camera being that it was only 25lbs it could film shots as tight as the confinement of a car. This camera evolved throughout the 70’s; making it even more important to the specific projects it was being used for.
I think that the film is implying that violence and sexuality is an everyday thing. Even if people don’t talk about it and avoid talking about it, it still happens. I felt that when the law tried to do something about it, it kind of made the situation worst. When the minister tested the experiment on Alex, I think it is wrong to do such experiment that made him become harmless to the point where he can not even defend himself no matter how much he wanted to. I think that what the minister did was wrong. Like the preacher said that he isn’t cured, he is forced to reject violence and sex. In Straw Dogs, violence and sex was also as brutal as A Clockwork Orange, but the authority in the end loses to violence. The violence in Straw Dogs was very direct and closes up as if you are the person being beaten, but in A Clockwork Orange, all the violence are not as closed up but there are a lot more wide angle shots.
With the new innovation of the Steadicam, Kubrick was able to use wider angle shots that help give a different and more realistic look to his movie. And since the angles are wider, he is able to see more people and get more scenery around him giving the audience a sense of setting.
In A Clockwork Orange, everything that Alex does with his Droogs is made to look entertaining. From the use of "singing in the rain" during a rape sequence to the death sequence using a porcelain penis, the film isn't using dark music to terrify the audience. It keeps things rather upbeat. In a way it seems that the audience is suppose to go along with Alex on his destructive journey, and enjoy what they're watching, instead of being horrified. When the law comes into the picture, and they perform the 'experimental therapy' on Alex, it is at this point that it seems we are suppose to be horrified. The main character is no longer given a choice and then we feel bad that he can longer even stop the painful beatings he recieves from his old droog friends. Perhaps the point trying to be made here though is about choice. Although Alex was doing extremely violent things, he still had the choice not to do them.
Straw Dogs and A Clockwork Orange both have characters that react in a violent manner, though they react under completely different circumstances. I think both films feed into the fact that we're ok watching the violence. We accept it. Straw Dogs does it in such a way that you're rooting for Dustin Hoffman's character to protect the house. Whereas in A Clockwork Orange, the gangs are going on a rampage this is made to seem very silly and almost theatrical (because of their masks and also the the dancing and singing during one of the rape sequences.)
I think the steadicam led the way in making some shots easier to film. Also, since it's attached at the chest and can used while walking, it lends to a feeling of walking with the characters in the film, moving with them, in a way.
~Jonathan Porter
Kevin Stephan
10.2.07
A clockwork Orange is a movie about strong sexuality and violence. The violence is one of the most extreme parts of the movie....where the gang goes out and kills, beats, and rape people. The movie itself is about how people can be changed into something good. While the leader is one of the worst of the group, after being convicted for murder he then was put through a series of tests per se to see if it would cure him, in the end it did, some would say. as in the end he begins to think about women again and thats something that he was told to be bad, so basically he was back to his old ways. Now comapred to Straw Dogs the movies take compelete opposite ways. While in straw dogs the main character goes from good to bad. in a clockwork orange the character goes from bad to good back to bad. So in the end both characters are bad. The steadicam was a big successful invention just from the fact that they could now use more film and, everything seemed way more realsitic. When someone walsk u dont get all the insane movement but u seem to walk just as steady as they did. It put the audience first. The wesscam was another big thing back then....they would hitch it to helicoptors and you would be able to get much higher and longer shots from the "sky"
A Clockwork Orange addresses similar topics as Straw Dogs. Sex and violence are main issues in both movies, as well as control. I agree with Nick when he says that Straw Dogs has more of a gritty and earthy feel in its depiction of events then A Clockwork Orange does. They have the same overall message of violence, but stylistically they are different. The characters in both movies, Alex and his Droogs and the gang of men in Straw Dogs seem to act as the authority (more so with the gang in Straw Dogs, I think). They get off on the violence they inflict on others and don’t show any remorse.. In A Clockwork Orange there is also the theme of choice. There is question about being able to have the freedom to choose, which Alex loses. In Straw Dogs choice also seems limited by the situations that arise for David and Amy.
The use of the Steadicam seems to create a more realistic way of viewing a scene. The use of the Steadicam made it feel as if you were in the movie in a way. It seems to have made shots in the film that could have been impossible in the past possible. As other students have stated the Panaflex film camera is another 1970’s innovation. It was light weight and allowed for professional footage.
Tara L. Vickery
Sebastian Juarez
A Clockwork Orange (1971, Kubrick) deals with violence, sexuality, and authority in a different way than Straw Dogs (1971, Peckinpah). Set in the near future A Clockwork Orange shows a society where youth gangs roam the streets commiting “ultraviolence” against the elderly. A Youth Movement gone wild. Alex (Malcolm McDowell) the protagonist and narrator of the film is a violent hooligan who would rather commit violence than have sex. However, he does a lot of both in this film. This film portrays human nature as being violent and that we have to be trained to be nonviolent. Alex has to under go an aversion therapy to become a model citizen. He does this by watching violent or sexual images, exactly what we have done watching this film, but Alex is given a drug that makes him nauseous. He cannot commit violence because he associates it with feeling nauseous.
One of the differences between A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs is that the previous does not show the sexual violence against women as being pleasureable or as a consequence of the actions of the women. A difference between these films is that Alex is violent by nature while David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) has to be provoked into becoming violent. In Straw Dogs the authority figure is seen as respected and a good person while in A Clockwork Orange the authority figures are seen as corrupt.
The Steadicam made it possible for the camera to go places it could not go before. Anywhere a cameraman could go the Steadicam could go. It allowed for more location shooting and cut production cost by being able to go into small interiors so separate sets did not have to be constructed.
The Panavision Panaflex 35mm synch-sound reflex camera also made it possible to go to formerly inaccessible spaces. It’s light weight (only 25 pounds when loaded with a 250-foot magazine) made it easier to use in tight locations. It was first used in The Sugarland Express (1974, Spielberg) for a handheld dialogue sequences among three people inside of a moving police car.
Sebastian Juarez
In the movie A Clockwork Orange, the four of them go around and pretending they are in trouble and one of their friends get into an accident. Once the person opens the door, they charge in and take over the house. They are violent and if their is a lady in the house, they rape her. If i were to compare and contrast their form of violence from the violence from Straw Dogs they are very similar. In both the movies their are four men who take advantage of one women and eventually rape her. That is the closest similarity that both movies have in common.
One of the main reasons the Steadicam was important during this period was being it "enabled the operators to frame their shots while in motion."(pg 375) The reason this method was important in A Clockwork Orange is because it enabled the director to get different angles and different perspectives from each character. I think this is a very helpful tool in making a film more interesting, from getting different angles and views, rather than from just straight on.
Jordan Robbins
Melissa Neumann
10-3-2007
In Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange,” Alex and his droogs participate in what is called ‘ultra-violence,’ which is random acts of extreme violence. They even commit random rapes just for kicks. Alex rules with terror, but his reign ends when friends trick him and he is arrested after an accidental murder. After two years, he is let out and participates in an experiment to rehabilitate him. In the movie, the law has the thought that all acts of violence and sex are bad. Alex can’t even defend himself during a test. He submits to a man attacking him, and unable to fight back, licks the man’s shoe a few times to let him up. Alex, now called “harmless,” is suffering because he no longer has free will. The thought itself is sickening. What the movie brings up is how the government here wants people to be like slaves, unable to do anything thought of as a sin. Humans aren’t allowed to show reactions to situations. If attacked, for example, why can’t you fight back? They don’t care about human nature; they just want a perfect society, which isn’t perfect in the least bit.
In Sam Peckinpah’s “Straw Dogs,” the violence presented is in self-defense. Dustin Hoffman is attacked, and must fight back to defend himself, his wife, and the man he is trying to hide. He fights back the best way he can. In order to keep the “bad guys” back, he must hurt them to the point of their demise. In “A Clockwork Orange,” most of the violence is just for fun. It is how Alex and his droogs spend their nights. They come across an opportunity of causing pain and take it. As for the sexuality, in “Clockwork,” sex is another opportunity. Alex rapes a man’s wife, but it is something else that is random. It is just a good time. In “Straw Dogs,” Amy’s rape is done by people she already knows. And while her attackers are doing it for enjoyment, it is not for the type of pleasure as it is in “A Clockwork Orange.”
With the Steadicam, the cameraman could get his shot while moving around. He could follow his target and film them, getting a steady shot. With this, the shot would look very natural. The viewer would be moving with the action, in a way. Another important innovation of the time was the Panavision Panaflex 35-mm camera, weighing only25 pounds when loaded. The camera was small enough to film scenes in places that were before inaccessible. The camera was first used in Steven Spielberg’s “The Sugarland Express” in 1974.
A clokwork orange uses its style, music, camera work and plot to make the sex and violence very numb to the audience. its there in front of you, very bland and in your face, there is nothing to glamorize the sex and nothing to glorify the gore. when alex is shown raping a victems wife while singing "singing in the rain" this shows that the movie takes a humorus approach to the idea of violence in film. The violence in this film is extreme but wholly necessary to understanding who Alex is, what he is about, and ultimately what it has done to him. One is left questioning whether goodness imposed through lack of free will is not just as violent as the behaviour of a bunch of teenage thugs. This shows that the "law" is just as bad if not worse as its society that's being controlled. The style elements between straw dogs and a clockwork orange are completely different, where one is grounded by realisim and pain the other is bound by bright colors and stylized violence that is meant to gross the audiencem rather then give a sense of bloodlust. the plots though have similar stances on the law and societys role with the goverenment.
Thomas Penglase
Sexuality and violence in the human being and his nature are very deeply rooted in our programming. There have been many institutions througout time that have sought out to suppress or even get rid of our more "animalistic" behaviors. The two largest of these institutions being that of religion and government.
I believe The movie,A Clockwork Orange specifically attempts to discuss the issue of how we might lose our humanity by the complete repulsion of our most rooted instincts of aggression and sexuality. The movie describes how the two institutions I mentioned attempt to suppress these "unwanted" behaviors but interestingly adds a third,the scientific community.
The first institution that attempts this suppression is the government who does this by means of imprisonment. The second is the religious authority which demands ones self control and improvement through ones own will. The last is Science which eventually solves the problem both Government and religion fail at the stripping of Alexs humanity. Ironically by attempting to improve Alex's behavior making him into the "perfect citizen" they make him into a creature that is unable to make decisions. Alex is no longer human.
I think this movie shows similarities and differences in visual techniques with that of the movie Straw Dogs. The strongest similarity seems to be the shocking and raw realism of the violence that is depicted. However I think raw dogs perhaps does this in a more grizzly manner in that the scenery just feels more gritty and foggy where as A clockwork orange does it in a more fantastical and colorful way.
Steadicam was important for the stabilization of the filming process. It allowed film makers of that period to conduct shots which film makers of the past were never able to do. For example with the stedi Cam device a director could use a crane to shoot an over head shot and then could get off the crane at the other side and continue to smoothly follow a character. Another thing this device allowed was a greater sense of realism . The Cook book talks about how with the steadi Cam a director could follow an actor in a very crowded public scene without being noticed. In the past more attention would be drawn to the director if he were looking through the camera instead of having it attached to his torso.
Another device of the time was the zoom Lens which had, "Potential for dissolving space and under minding our sense of physical reality"
It’s obvious that “Straw Dogs” and “A Clock Work Orange” approach the use of violence differently. In “Straw Dogs” it is considered justifiable to do harm against another when it comes to protecting ones rights and territory. “A Clock Work Orange” puts a mirror up to ourselves and lets us see our violent nature, and its solution to the problem only produces another problem. I think it’s interesting what the preacher said about the boy not having a choice. The only real way to be cured is to make your conscious decisions and Alex is not making those choices himself. By the end of the film we see Alex slip back into a despicable character once again. The film makes me feel like mankind is hopeless. We ALL have a tendency to act violent and there is no true cure but our self conscience, and even that isn’t reliable. So I guess it’s like “Straw Dogs” in that fashion. Both tell us we have a dark side to us that can be unleashed.
The Steadicam was pretty innovative of course. Like many said it helped shoot scenes differently. I know when Scorsese did “Taxi Driver”, he would do multiple tracking shots while filming, and his crew didn’t understand why. It didn’t make sense to them. But when you watch the film you understand why the director did what he/she did. They can explore more of the space and atmosphere the movie is taking place in. It is true though, movies don’t work like that anymore. A film viewer is too impatient these days, and depends on quick editing shots. Everything needs to be faster. It’s quite sad.
The Panaflex camera was an innovation of its time. Like some said, it helped shoot in complicated areas. Old Hollywood shot plenty of movies on a stage set, because they couldn’t shoot in a closed room. Thanks to the Panaflex camera they were able to shoot scenes in small enclosed areas.
The movie “A Clockwork Orange” portrays violence, sex, and authority in very extreme ways. The teenagers are shown as brutally violent. They go out at night and brawl with rival gangs or innocent bums just for kicks. The use of sex was negative to say the least. Rape was a common occurrence and the instances that weren’t rape weren’t completely socially acceptable. Much of set designs including nude art and phallic imagery seemed subverted as well. Authority figures seemed so politically charged, it almost seemed like satire. The prison guards acted strict and very militant. Their superiors mentioned a need to “cure” the common criminal to clear room for political prisoners. I think all these factors were a reflected a fear of social change during the time the movie was made.
The Stedicam and zoom lens were major technical achievements of the time. Both allowed for lower production costs. The zoom lens had the ability to shoot at different focal lengths which could cut the use of several lenses of different lengths. The stedicam could be used in situations where cranes were too bulky and difficult to use. Both were used with new aesthetic styles which were incorporated by the best directors of the time.
Sex and violence are intertwined merely due to the very nature of the human condition. The film gives a sense that there are people in this world that enjoy both on a merely pleasure-filled level. In a world run amok filled with gangs, bars that deliver solely some sort of drug, and authority figures that don't care the film is merely saying that these are the kinds of acts that would occur more often, and the glorification of them merely allude to the fact that free will that has gone too far. The ultimate question this movie brings up is: If everyone disregarded the law, would the existing law still stand? The “law” then becomes increasingly more radical in its attempt to deter, even going as far as to use more of a psychological approach that renders the lawbreaker helpless. In essence, the “law” is going too far in that it isn't being socially conscious at all. “Straw Dogs” also has a similar notion that sex and violence are due to the human condition, most notably that, in a world with too much free will, sex and violence will be more prevalent. However, the law simply doesn't exist, and the film rejects the idea of social conscious because of this; the main character ends up revealing himself on a purely psychological, and by that I mean sexual and violent, level, which accomplishes his goal but suggests that the human condition is inevitable.
The steadicam proved useful before both reinventing the notion of “hand-held” cinematography and creating entirely new ways of putting image to film that had never been either feasible or even seen before. For one, it was possible to almost completely eliminate the shakiness of hand-held camera work, resulting in a more realistic rendition of point-of-view shots. It also was able to bring tracking shots to the mainstream due to the absence of the dolly that was both extremely hard to use in certain situations, such as through a door or in a bathroom and very costly. The Panaflex cameras was also very revolutionary during this time, due to is light weight and small size. With zoom lenses mounted to them, it was possible to get shots inside of cars and inside boats that had never been done before. They also had a lot of modifications, which made them both cost effective and aesthetically revolutionary.
In Stanley Kubric’s A Clockwork Orange, the prevailent themes are violence and sex, though it is stylized which allows the viewer to distance themselves from both. In Peckinpah’S Straw Dogs, the issues are the same, however handled very differently. In A Clockwork Orange, the presence of morals are obviously lacking within the main character. In Sraw Dogs, the main character is drvien to violence through violence whereas in Clockwork, they try to treat his violent nature with violence. The warden an extension government, seems to feel that once free will is taken away that violent nature will cease.
I find it interesting that anyone who is supposed to be innocent is represented with the color orange - the minister, the nurse, the victims. I also find an inraony in that Alex’s soundtrack if you will is represented by Beethoven’s symphonies, which normally are associated with class and intelligence, yet here.
Through the invention on the stedicam and the Panaflex camera, a 25 lb camera which can be hand held or stapped to a person for closer, more intimate scenes, we view the violence. The stedicam is able to give a smoother less noticeable transition, whereas the Panaflex contrasts with a better reflection of movement on film.
--Jennifer Campbell
A Clockwork Orange seems to want to put across that Violence,sex, and "the law" are all interconnected because as they show when Alex and his droogs go out and commit acts of gruesome violence such as rape they all eventually end up coming in contact with "the law". This example would show how acts of sexual violence and the law all eventually prove to be connected in some way.
The film A Clockwork Orange shows that the themes of violence,sex, and "the Law are all interconnected. It does this by the clips of Alex and his droogs going out on violent rampages committing harm to others and also gruesome acts of rape which all eventually get them into trouble with "the law" which is shown when Alex is sent to prison for murder.
In comparison to Straw Dogs, A Clockwork Orange tends to show that the law has authority over everyone with a violent nature while in Straw Dogs the Law has little or no authority which was shown when the townspeople took action into their own hands against the farmhouse and David. In A Clockwork Orange the violence is shown to have a more fun or stylish feel to it, while in Straw Dogs it gives a more natural feeling of disgust like when Amy was raped in her home by the two men.
The new technologies in the 1970's such as the steadicam allowed for a much more realistic view on what was happening in the movie. The steadicam gave the viewer a feeling that the camera ws just floating in the air like they were actually there in person viewing the actions made by the actors. Another new technology that was seen in A Clockwork Orange was the use of new camera lenses which allowed the filmmaker to shoot scenes in the dark that were easily seen on the screen. These lenses gave the viewer a better sense of everyday life in a sense that the movie could come to life .
In Clockwork Orange the violence that is portrayed is from an individual to society as opposed to in the Straw Dogs the violence is from society on and individual. This portrayal of violence and sex was part of the New Hollywood movement. Violence and sex were happening in real life and it was just starting to been seen in cinema. Of all the questions that this films asks; one of the most important one is- can the individual control his or her urges and therefore their actions? Or is it a governing body, such as the government, that has the right to control society. In the end of the film the doctors and methods used on Alex were condemned when he tried to commit suicide by jumping out the window.
The 70’s were a time of great technological advances and the film industry was not omitted in these advances. In fact the film industry was leading the charge so to speak on many of these new technologies that could be used in the film making process. Two of these advances include the Steadicam and the louma crane. A great scene that the Steadicam is used is when Alex is in the hospital at the end of the film. At one point the audience sees the nurse starting at the end of a long hallway. The camera is backing up while the nurse walks towards it and the viewers get to see this long corridor in the hospital and some of the other rooms and patients. This is a very clear example of the Steadicam’s use. One of these advances was the stead cam. The louma crane was also a new invention that film makers could utilize. It was a light-weight crane that the film makers could use to get different shots including high angle shots.
Nathan Radoszewski
I like how others have answered this question already. I find the connection between these two films quite interesting especially considering while viewing Kubrick's a Clock Work Orange I began making connections between the film and Straw Dogs.
I think A Clockwork Orange shows an interesting connection between sex and violence. Alex finds himself achieving sex through violence and violence through sex. But also when he is unable to achieve sex or violence he turns to the other act in return. The Law is portrayed as several different types, you have those who want Alex to be put away, banished forever, and you have those such as the preacher and doctors who just want him to be fixed and healed. The government comes across controlling over the whole situation.
This connects very well with Straw Dogs, because in that film sex and violence tend to go one in one as well. Sex is typically achieved by violence or with the lack of sex the violence is increased to compensate for such. The law in A Clockwork Orange is portrayed as opportunistic or controlling at the same time while in Straw Dogs, it is very limited or just non-existent at all, a community of vigilante sorts.
Technology over the 70's made the film look extremely rich and beautiful for the time in which it was created. The use of steadicam is very important in two ways, it can achieve smooth tracking or panning shots that would have been very expensive shots on a track prior to stedicam. In the shot which I assume the clip showed which is the scene where Alex is in the mall of sorts and is walking towards the record shop. It gives a very fluent tracking shot of him strolling through slopping turns and around corners.
Inventions in the 70's were endless; several of them improved the way films were being made. Steadicam is one of these inventions, but also way films were edited and filmed. They began using film monitors while filming which allowed directors to frame up shots while filming. Also with handheld cameras and steadicams movies cost less to make and took shorter time to make as well.
In A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, the violence is shown as a lighthearted and fun sort of activity that any group of guys in that age would partake in. The immediate consequences of violence are never shown—-we never see any of the aftermath, until Alex is finally picked up by the police. In STRAW DOGS, the violence is disturbing—-even more so because David is easy to identify with, and it makes his violence even more repulsive because the film shows that we are all capable of it. In both films, the groups of men creating violence seem unstoppable, and there seems to be no effective law (until later on in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE).
The Steadycam provided a way for cinematographers to achieve the mobility of the handheld camera without the sloppy, shaky look. It was also much more discreet than former camera mounts, since the camera operator was looking through a video monitor instead of the camera itself. Another innovation in the 1970s, for better or worse, was the zoom. The zoom was embraced by the European new wave and by American television, so it became an artful way to create emotion or meaning in a shot—-but throughout the decade it became redundant.
In A Clockwork Orange sexuality, violence, and the law, are all shows of authority. Alex and his gang violently assault people and rape girls (in both this film and Straw Dogs girls don't have much power and are thus mistreated at will) because in those instances, they're in the position of authority. The law flexes its authoritative muscle by stripping law breakers of their right to moral choice (the film treatment or confining them to state jails) and hiring rough, young police officers to force the law onto citizens. When Alex tells Dr. Brodsky during one of his films that he sees the error of his ways because it hurts society, Dr. Brodsky doesn't care because Alex came to that conclusion on his own and still has moral freedom. Dr. Brodsky's mission is only complete when Alex comes to Dr. Brodsky's forced and authoritative decision that unlawful things physically hurt.
This is similar to Straw Dogs because in that film too, everyone is trying to have power over everyone else. The American has a power struggle with the British people of the same age-group in his town. In A Clockwork Orange Alex and his droogs compete with Billy Boy and his droogs. One difference is that in Straw Dogs, the law is weak (the major being murdered) and in A Clockwork Orange, the law is powerful (corrupt and authoritative cops such as Dim, Georgie, and those who interrogated Alex).
Also, both movies were very visual. Straw Dogs had a very personal rape scene and ended with a huge battle scene while A Clockwork Orange has even more sex, a not-so-chilling rap scene, and way more violence. Both movies got up close and personal on the violent and rape-filled scenes.
The Steadicam added a lot to this era's films because it was so fluid it was easy to get immersed into the film. All your attention could focus on was what was happening, and not get mixed up in thinking about how it was presented. Also, 1972's Panaflex 35mm camera was an excellent addition to the arsenal of filmmakers. Being smaller and lighter than typical cameras, it was able to be used in confined spaces that were un-filmable before its conception.
Dylan Statz 301-004
A Clockwork Orange is a very violent movie, both physically and sexually. There are many very graphic scenes where Alex and his friends commit some dangerous acts and they always get away with it meaning that the law can't do anything about it. Later Alex gets put in jail and ends up getting tested on by the government until he can't do anything wrong anymore without feeling like he's going to die. Later in the movie the government is seen as being evil for doing this and they try to befriend Alex to get on the good side of the press. This is used to represent the governments way of switching to remain a good standing. In Straw Dogs the violence is used as a way of protection,but in A Clockwork Orange the violence is used for the purpose of violence and for fun. The law in Straw Dogs is the one good,but he gets killed and in A Clockwork Orange the government is seen as evil and unreliable.
The steadicam and smaller handheld cameras made it easier for the filmmakers to get in close to the action and also to make this feel more natural. When a person walks there is a slight bump or sway to the walking and this is something that one couldn't get with a smooth track or dolly shot. Also, a smaller lighter camera meant that they could get closer into the action without actually getting in the way of what was going on.
A Clockwork Orange stance on sexuality, violence and law is similar to that of Straw Dog. Female are nothing but sexual object to male with the exception of showing male parts as well. For instance, the female body is used to set drinks on and the male walk around in their huge “balls” customs. As for violence, both films display strong violence scene without the interfering from the law. Both films somewhat makes fun of the law. For example, no police ever showed up in Straw Dog and for A Clockwork Orange although there was the police, they were just as corrupted as the street people. They make fun of the way they walk and response to each other.
Steadicam allow for the cameraman to smoothly follow the actors up and down stairs without the shakiness of a normal hand/shoulder help camera. FERCO Dolly allows for shots to be taken on rough terrain, which was important for westerns. The use of steadicam for this scene allows the audience to get a “floating” feel as if the character is just cru zing around looking for nothing in particular. It relaxes the mood where as an edit or regular tracking shot would have provided a quick motion as if something were about to happen.
Xiong Koua
Marisa Marcus
The film Clockwork Orange directly deals with concepts of free will and governmental control. The movie ultimately asks the question how far should a government go in order to control deviant behavior in society. If the main character was portrayed as an innocent victim, then it would be clear that the answer is what the government is attempting to accomplish is morally wrong. However, since the main character is portrayed as an incredibly violent offender, the answer to this question becomes far more complex. The violence then becomes a somewhat necessary function in order to explore the complex nature of this subject. Given the ultimate failure of the experiment, and the excessive violent depictions of the main character, the film seems to imply that even with incredibly violent offenders this tactic would be considered the wrong tactic to pursue.
Both Straw Dogs and Clockwork Orange are incredibly violent films that were released around the same time, but both seem to portray differences when it comes to violence, specifically in regards to the fact that Straw Dog’s main character starts off nonviolent and turns violent, and Clockwork Orange the opposite is the case, with a violent offender that turns nonviolent. This difference in depictions might possibly be because of the difference in subject matter the film is trying to portray. Straw Dogs as a film seems to try to depict questions on how far an individual should go, and Clockwork Orange focuses mainly on how far society should go. Because of the focus is on the individual in Straw Dogs, you observe the main character’s motivations and the circumstances that pushes and transforms the character towards violence. The film also doesn’t seem to reveal much insight as to why the main character in Straw Dogs chooses to be so nonviolent and appeasing, but there is definitely more of an understanding as to what makes him a character that chooses violence at the end of the film. Because of this understanding, the audience gains an insight into concepts such as inner motivations of survival and how gender competition can play into what makes a person violent.
In Clockwork Orange, the concentration is on society and government control, so there is a clear depiction of what forces the main character into nonviolence and the societal circumstances involved in this. The audience is not given a clear understanding as to what makes this character inherently violent, but there is a clear depiction that this character’s nonviolence is not a matter of choice. Because of this understanding, the audience gains insight into concepts such as governmental and behavioral control, and if these tactics are worth the potential harmful consequences they could create. Both these concepts of understanding in terms of what makes a character violent in Straw Dogs, and what forces the main character to be nonviolent in Clockwork Orange are tactics used in order to explore the complex subject matter found in both films.
The invention of the Steadicam allowed for cinematographers to depict a certain amount of fluidity throughout the film. It creates a very stylized form of film, and ultimately reduces noticeable editing in a film to a minimum. There were also innovations in terms of stabilization equipment and camera mounts during this era. Both had an influence in the film Clockwork Orange in which there are many scenes where the camera is still, or the film depiction is very fluid and editing is reduced to a minimum.
I am utterly in love with how A Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs, and most of the other films we have seen and will be seeing this semester tease out the hideous underbelly of human nature. There is a kind of inescapable truth revealed by humanity's desire to see these things on film, especially in that era, and perhaps even more so now. Look at you, look at you, Man, look at the Devil Man within. Here is a mirror that compels you to actually contemplate the reflection and not just snort lines off of it.
It's interesting to note that both of these films are set in the UK, dramatic a contrast as it is between the rural antiquity of Cornwall in Straw Dogs and the London city of a future just around the corner in A Clockwork Orange. When it comes to the old ultraviolence, everything old is new again. A Clockwork Orange in particular requires you to have a certain understanding of Britishness to soak in the actions of the government in stripping self-defence and moral choice from little Alex. This is a country where cameras continually monitor the people and weapons bans are so far-reaching that even the police in large part are no longer allowed to carry guns. It's a country gone mad with bureaucracy, worse than America in that regard if my reliable sources (Jeremy Clarkson) are to be believed. Still, it's interesting to see how lawlessness is shown in that country by first the cowboy American Sam Peckinpah, and then by Stanley Kubrick, a man so disillusioned with Hollywood after having to contend with Kirk Douglas on Spartacus that he moved to London permanently in 1962. The central question is that of self-control. The individualist, still synonymous with American in some quarters, considers self-control very possible, very real, and perhaps the only thing holding the world together. Collectivist societies like the London depicted in A Clockwork Orange do not believe in the individual as an element of society. What better opportunity for the likes of little Alex and his droogs to thrive in a life where personal responsibility is nothing they've had the inconvenience of dealing with?
Perhaps we really are savages. Not the USA, mind you, not even Western society but the whole of humanity. Fundamentally, irrevocably, forever cognizant of the fact that, left to our own devices, we would gleefully destroy ourselves.
The Steadicam for the first time enabled a camera to move with the agility and fluidity of the human eye and move as does the human frame, eliminating the need for elaborate tracking rigs to put the camera in motion. The lightweight, compact Panaflex cameras had even more of an impact, enabling shooting in close quarters and at around 30 lbs. started the trend of handheld 35mm cinema. It's kind of sad in a way how Steadicam use has declined in favor of handheld work, mostly as a cost factor. As with all technologies, things get smaller and cheaper and lighter all the time. I have a camera crane with an 8' diameter range of motion that only cost $250. That we could come up with a low-cost replacement for the Steadicam....
brennan olena
A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs both discuss the same issues in culture; Violence, Law, and Sexuality. However, these movies address these problems incompletely different fasions. In A Clockwork Orange the violence and sex is very much in your face and it is clear that the viewer should feel repulsed, yet intrigued by the characters. It is also almost a fanatsy film in its strange costuming and scenery, I feel that this is there to emphasize the oddness and show you that it is not real, thus taking away any fear you might have. In Straw Dogs the viewer is on the edge of their seat in excitement due to the final battle in Dustin Hoffmans house. The viewer is scared by the rape and the violence I feel is much more intense.
As far as the representation of the law, it varies even more. In A Clockwork Orange the law is the spine of the movie, every move made by Alex after he is sent to jail to the end of the movie shows that the law dictates his life. Regardless of its legitamacy (his old friends turned cops beating him up) it controls his life and who he is. After he is essentailly brain washed, the law controls his free will, making him a pawn of the state. Even in the end of the movie when the media is there, he is still the "Laws" pawn. He cannot escape the clutches of "the man." In Straw Dogs however, the town has only one authority figure who dies early on in the house battle. This shows how LITTLE control the law could have over civilians and how in the end free will is still present. It represents natural law the kill or be killed state of mind.
In addition to the Steadicam, Kubrick was famous for his use of the Cine-Pro T9. This zoom was equipped with a joystick that made the operation and transition much smoother than previous lens. It was perfect for slow zoom out like those in the Korova Milkbar in A Clockwork Orange.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE uses violence and sexuality as a statement on self control and human nature. The film takes the violence of Alex and his gang to an extreme level. Their brutality comes so easily without even the slightest hesitation and that makes the film seem almost surreal. Kubrick then goes on to show that the only way the government can impose control on improper behavior is by commiting acts of violence as well. The only way to change the way Alex thinks and acts is to ultimately hurt him as well. I also think Clockwork and Straw Dogs examine personal choice. The priest in Clockwork makes a big scene in the presentation that the government is removing choice and freewill which solves nothing. Alex still wanted to be violent and sexual and was unable. he was not cured, he was just being abused in the process. Straw Dogs had the same issue, Dustin Hoffman's character has to choose to be violent. the law cant control people. People must act for the greater good and see what is right. Sex and violence are natural acts of man and people will always behave in different degrees. There will be consequences for certain actions but there is no way to illiminate how humans function.
As for the steadicam, it allows for a more complete capture of the scene. Finally the camera can flow through a scene and glide as if it were another character. The camera moves and interacts with the surroundings much like the human head and eye. It can follow action more smoothly and it can create action by moving around still images.
Tegan Olnes
The film A Clockwork Orange is packed full of sexuality, violence, and the role of the law. Alex and his friends spend their evenings running around town beating up drunken bums and sexually assaulting women. Their local hang out is a club that uses women as furniture and dispenses milk from the breasts of women. Alex and his friends break into homes and rape women and cause violence to men. Not only is the violence caused to others, Alex and his friends have no problem with harming each other to get what they want. The law plays a large part in this film. Alex is imprisoned after he kills a woman. After learning about an experimental drug, Alex does what he can to be chosen for this experiment. He undergoes a drug therapy treatment and is trained to become sick at the sight of any violence. This leads to his inability to defend himself. The government has rendered him into a weak person, unable to harm anyone, but at the same time unable to protect himself. In this film the government is trying to do good for the majority of the people, but this drug therapy process harms Alex. Alex no longer has the choice on his actions, he is trained to do what the government wants him to.
A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs are similar in their messages and portrayal. Both films show women being degraded and raped without a choice. The women in both films are not seen as people, but as objects with breasts for men to do as they wish. Both films also show violence as a prevalent issue. In A Clockwork Orange, Alex and his friends cause harm to each other and to random citizens. In Straw Dogs, the violence is enacted upon each other. Both acts of violence are to get ahead and get what they want. In Straw Dogs, part of the violence is for defensive, but on the other side of that the violence is for pleasure and personal gain.
The major change in the 1970s was the use of the stedicam. The steadicam allowed for a more interactive view. The audience felt more like a participant than like a viewer. It caused audiences to relate more towards the films. Another important innovation was the film camera Panaflex. This light-weight camera allowed filmmakers to get closer to the subject. This allowed for closer and more private scenes. It allowed for the camera to be almost in step with the topic.
Nick Eason
In A Clockwork Orange, Violence and Sexuality are portrayed as being part of the same Human drive, and for the characters, an expression of their common interests. The character's costumes are sexually charged, and they spend night after night committing acts of violence and rape. Kubrick portrays their victims as individuals who might be likely targets for such things, almost as if they were trying to become victimized. The police operate on a similar principal, using violence on criminals that they believe deserve it, which is why its not surprising when two of the thugs become police officers later in the film. This is in contrast to the official police in Straw Dogs who are incapable of maintaining any semblance of order. However, the lynch mob of Straw dogs is similar to the Clockwork's police in their use of violence.
The Steadicam allowed filmmakers of this period to try more daring camera moves that would have been extremely expensive before. In a similar vein, smaller cameras such as the Panaflex allowed filmmakers to shoot in places that could not be shot in before without being recreated in a studio, helping complete the transition from studio shooting to location shooting, and helping the camera to get closer and more personal with characters. This also helped films of the period become more realist rather than fantastical as the epics of the 30's 40's and 50's had been.
It was no shock to me at what level of violence, sex, and authority [or lack there of] that was used in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. The reason I say so is because the characters themselves dwell in these themes and say so themselves. Countless times Alex mentioned the term “Ultraviolence” as if it was a hobby of his. Throughout the movie I noticed that most if not all of the ultraviolent behavior had its backlashes. For example the whipping of the homeless man and how they get their retribution, or how the man they paralyzed later was in control of the helpless Alex. So as much ultraviolence there was in the movie, a lot of it seemed to be justified with moral actions. Violence is a main theme in both A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and STRAW DOGS though used differently. To me A CLOCKWORK ORANGE it is more mindless and childlike, rather than instinctual and animalistic.
The use of the stedicam was introduced at this time and was used well with A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. The Stedicam gave fluid motion to the scene and used less cuts to keep intact the intended mood. This kept the viewers more concerned about the movie and character rather then the method (because essentially it is forgotten about). I also enjoyed the zoom lens, for example at the very beginning
Tom Emmrich
The ideas on sex and violence that Kubrick shows in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE seem totally different than what Peckinpah was doing with STRAW DOGS. Kubrick (and for that matter Burgess) craft a tale of extremes, one in which violence is seen by everyday people as a bad thing that we must be rid of, but by Alex and his Droogs as a part of life, almost a cathartic exercise of humanity. Sex is a little less clear hear because of the varying displays of it in the beginning of the film. Alex and the Droogs, even Billy boy and his pals rape people for what seems like just a fun night on the town for them. But this is not the only representation of sex; there is also the two girls Alex picks up normally at the record store and the art work in the room of the old lady that Alex kills with the phallic statue. So sex is not as demonized as violence but when you cross the two and it becomes rape is when it becomes reprehensible (again, not to the fringe characters in the film). Law’s representation is also quite different in these two films. While STRAW DOGS basically had no law and order, CLOCKWORK had what happens when there is too much law and order to the point that it seems like torture. The statement that I think this film is trying to make has to be that human nature is just that, natural, and that it cannot be changed without consequences. The fact that Alex comes out relatively O.K. at the end of the film just shows how futile everyone’s attempts at changing or torturing him have been.
The Steadicam allowed the director a complete freedom to film a scene. Kubrick follows Alex all the way around the record shop in a complete circle, something a traditional tracking shot would not have been able to do because of the track and the set. You can see the floor in the shot so that would not have been good if there was a big section of track exposed every time the camera angle changed. Likewise the Louma crane increased the flexibility of what the director could do with shooing scenes by reducing the bulk of traditional cranes.
Law is conformity to the fullest extent. Follow the rules of an authority figure or else. A clockwork orange attempts to explore what would happen if we didn't follow the rules. What would happen if we opposed law through violence and through sexuality. This makes us authority. We now have the self ordained right to choose exactly as we please. Thus violence and sexuality also become a sort of freedom. The offender is now the authority figure, he has rewritten the laws to his favor. Alex and his Droogs throughout A.C.O. exercise their self given powers, raping and even killing. But the law is big, and powerful and crushing. And it crushed Alex. Authority stripped back their control from him. The procedures done to him completely removed his freedom, and his ability to oppose. Now just a mindless supporter of the law, he is just like his parents and every other citizen.
Unlike A Clockwork Orange, there is no strong authoritative law in Straw Dogs. Each man defines his own law. And without a central law, it is challenging to find a common moral grounding for everyone. Violence and sexuality run rampant in this small British town, just as in A.O.C..
The steadicam and other technologies developed in the 1970s offered a new range of filming techniques. The steadicam specifically offered a much smoother shot. By mechanically separating the movement of the operator from the camera a sense of fluidity can be achieved. New lenses also allowed for cameras to capture very dark shots, as seen through A Clockwork Orange. The range of the director was broadened.
Brian Cooney
The main themes in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE involve violence, sex, and authority. Alex's idea of a good time with his friends is going out and beating up homeless people or raping an innocent woman in her home while her husband watches. This is an extremely violent film. Alex is violent towards everyone in his life, including his friends. The police are violent toward Alex, almost drowning him at one point. The amount of psychological violence in this film is probably more than the physical. The rape scenes in this movie are very realistic to the point where it is very difficult to watch certain scenes. The full frontal female nudity was virtually unheard of, especially in blockbusters like this. Authority figures in this film kind of lies with Alex and his friends, much like the gang working on the roof in STRAW DOGS. They don't care what they do or who they do it to as long as they get to have a good time. The element of choice was apparent iin both films as well. Alex lost the power to make his own choices during some situations, while Dustin Hoffman had no choice but to become violent toward the men. I think Kubrick is saying that choice is what makes this, and other country's great. If you take away choice, everyone will just be brainwashed robots.
The steadicam works well for simulating an actual walking person. Just from the one shot I can see from the video that doesn't work, it seems that you are looking at Alex and the records. The camera is at a person's height and moves around like a curious person would do. This was a very popular technique in films of the seventies.
Much like Straw Dogs, I believe that A Clockwork Orange depicts what could happen in a world of anarchy. In Straw Dogs, once the Marshall is murdered, everything is free reign; you can see the adults acting like children riding the bikes around, trying to break into the house, and possibly kill and rape the inhabitants. A Clockwork Orange has the same principal. In many scenes it seems as if Alex were a child with no parental control (even though he is still in high school), and he does whatever he feels like; rape, theft, and assault. In the scene where Alex and his Droogs beat up the hobo in the alley, the man even mentions how there is no longer law, and that synonymously means that there is anarchy and anybody is free to do what they like. I think that Straw Dogs, is a much more realistic depiction of anarchy though, because of the location it takes place in; a small village, as opposed to an entire nation.
As for Kubrick’s innovation during this period, he was one of the first directors to extensively use zoom in his motion pictures with the steadicam. In fact, according to Cook, Kubrick actually had a special steadicam made to hold a zoom lens. The zoom lens made it easier for the director to find the correct frame size, which took weeks off of the production time. Even though Kubrick was not the first to use the steadicam, he was definitely innovative in using the steadicam in interior shots. By the time of Kubrick’s The Shining, camera producing companies began to sell cameras, much like the one Kubrick had specially made for A Clockwork Orange; a steadicam with a zoom lens feature.
I would consider the violence in a Clockwork Orange to be very choreographed and stylised, therefore not being as true a representation of violence in society as Straw Dogs is. In A Clockwork Orange sexuality and violence appear go hand in hand, much like in Straw Dogs. In both films the women are not particularly portrayed as victims, due to clearly being comfortable with their sexuality.
During the 1970’s the Steadicam aided the rise of the movies as a popular form of entertainment. The innovation allowed for filmmakers to branch out into more advanced camera directions. The Steadicam allowed for movement from dollies and cranes onto the ground, therefore longer sequences could be filmed consistently. As the camera was fastened to the operator and did not need to be held up to the eye, it enabled them to move more freely. Using the Steadicam meant production costs could be cut, or the money used on other aspects of the film, making the mise en scene more stylistic. The Steadicam creates a more realistic movement, allowing the viewer to watch the film easier than when the film constantly has numerous jumps and cuts within a sequence.
The advancement of the lens was another innovation of the 1970s. The zoom lens was refined in the late 1960’s and during the 1970’s the lens continued to be developed. Macrophotography was a feature of the new lens created by Canon in 1971, which allowed for extreme close focus. This, among other lenses, was important to the time period as, like the Steadicam, it allowed filmmakers to branch out. More and more directors were straying from the Classical Hollywood style of filmmaking and these improvements of camera equipment were key to helping the new style become known.
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