An Analysis of Three Stanley Kubrick Films

This essay was for a final assignment in my Film Criticism and Theory course. It is one piece of work that I am extremely proud of and something that I put a lot of time researching into to. This is also my opinion and my interpretation of these three films. While I know there are plenty of other Kubrick films that I could have written about, the requirement of the essay was to pinpoint three films that we wished to talk about.

            The American society has suffered a great deal due to its strong history of violence. This violence can be closely correlated to male dominance and the repression of women. Many filmmakers have tried to express this bankruptcy of society in the films they create. None have managed to achieve this so explicitly as Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick intertwines thematic, stylistic, and ideological features to create visionary masterpieces that directly reflect the state of American society. This is best shown through three of his films, A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Thematically, he often creates visions of dehumanization to express the violent history of America. Kubrick also produces a satiric image of violence within the family, as well as within society. Stylistically, he often repeats similar shots and uses different lenses and angles to portray male dominance. The techniques that Kubrick uses also contribute to the dehumanization of the characters. Ideologically, he plays off of the American dream, as well as trust in society, and the image of the perfect family. He exaggerates a lot of these ideals to further emphasize the part that male dominance and violence have in the downfall of American society.

            In many of Kubrick’s films he uses a combination of satirical and violent themes to reflect American society. He also dehumanizes his characters to illustrate how society has been affected by America’s history of violence. In the film A Clockwork Orange the viewer sees Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), as the victim of society.  He is portrayed in a way that makes his violence seem almost humorous; this expresses Kubrick’s desire for this to be seen as satire. In a review by Roger Ebert he says that, “He [Kubrick] actually seems to be implying something simpler and more frightening: that in a world where society is criminal, the citizen might as well be a criminal, too.” (Ebert). This aptly describes Alex’s role in society within the film, but it also shows that Kubrick wanted the violence done by the character to be compared with that of societies violence. In another review written by Vincent Canby, he describes the film as a satire based on a society. Kubrick was subtly showing how American society became bankrupt because of itself, and it’s history.  In the same review Canby states: “It seems to me that by describing horror with such elegance and beauty, Kubrick has created a very disorienting but human comedy, not warm and lovable, but a terrible sum-up of where the world is at.” (Canby, ‘A Clockwork Orange’). The humor that Kubrick creates with this film makes it a satire, especially because it can be easily viewed as a microcosm to American society. It also criticizes in a violent, yet humorous way.

            This combination of violence and satire can also be seen in the film The Shining. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is portrayed as a violent man but he also introduces sarcasm and humor into the film. “Mr. Nicholson is also devilishly funny, from his sarcastic edge at the film’s beginning to his cry of ‘Heeere’s Johnny!’ as he chops down a bathroom door to get to Miss Duvall [Wendy Torrance].” (Maslin). The violence that Jack possesses is aimed at his family, but is simply a manifestation of America’s history of violence. The Overlook hotel is built on an ancient Indian burial ground, which is the cause of its violent past. While Jack’s violence is solely directed at his family, it is also a reflection of the violence within American society itself.

            Full Metal Jacket is also a good example of Kubrick’s use of satire to express the violence of American history and its effect on society. The training that the Marines go through can be directly associated to the effect that violence has had on society. Web Gazette LLP states, in a review: “Kubrick brilliantly shows the dehumanizing effect of both Marine Corps training and war on a soldier as the rough treatment turns most of them into killing machines.” (Web Gazette LLP). The degrading training that the Marines go through turns them into ‘killing machines’, and the war desensitizes them to violence. It can also be said that Pyle’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) death symbolizes the bankruptcy of American society. Kubrick also introduces humor during the second half of the film with Private Joker (Matthew Modine). Not only is the character named Joker, but he also wars a peace symbol on his Marine Corps uniform and has “Born to Kill” written across his helmet. This is not only satirical, but it is also ironic. They want peace and their solution is to kill. These portrayals of dehumanization and violence, as well as the use of satire, are a direct reflection of the collapse of American society due to violence.

            Stylistically, Kubrick uses many different techniques to portray the bankruptcy of American society. These techniques generally focus on male dominance and repression of women, and incorporate the violence and dehumanization of the characters and of society. Kubrick often uses a wide-angle lens in A Clockwork Orange with Alex as the center focus. This distorts what is behind him and makes it appear as if he is the normal one; “this encourages us to see the world as Alex does, as a crazy house of weird people out to get him.” (Ebert). While it is true that Alex is the one responsible for the multiple attacks on random people, Kubrick wants you to believe that really isn’t his fault. The use of the wide-angle lens forces you to view Alex as the victim of society. The editing of the film also considerably contributes to this image. In a review by James Berardinelli, he states: “There are no abrupt or jagged transitions, and the director’s penchant for long, unbroken takes is in evidence.” (Berardinelli, A Clockwork Orange). The narrative of the film is told from Alex’s perspective. The smooth flow of shots and sequencing demonstrates that his mind is not twisted or ill and that he is fact normal, while society is the one that has become warped.

            Kubrick’s solid stylistic techniques can also be seen in The Shining. The combination of title cards and mise-en-scène create an atmosphere that portrays Jack, and the Overlook, as the effect that the bankruptcy of society has had. It also promotes male dominance and stresses the dehumanization that violence is capable of. Reviewer James Berardinelli writes that; “The combination of unimpeachable set design, perfect shot selection, long tracking shots, and impeccable score (comprised primarily of a selection of classical pieces) creates an atmosphere in which suspense and dread ferment.” (Berardinelli, The Shining). The atmosphere in which the film is presented imitates American society. It also imitates societies history of violence and the repression of women. These three things combined create a very dark image of what Kubrick believes society to have become. The use of title cards also refer to the collapse of society as well as the repetitiousness that is seen in daily life and even more so in the American military. “The early cards refer to mere moments…and then turn into a reference to time…Then Kubrick whittles it down to individual days…which show how repetitious and demanding this life has become to Jack.” (Perry). The repetition that Jack is faced with is also present in the lives of your average employee and in some cases this can lead to violence. This also connects to the repetition and precision that is seen in the military, which attaches the repetition in the film to violence. It also dehumanizes Jack because he is no longer seen as an individual but part of the repetition that is his job. The title cards and mise-en-scène in this film promote the image of a bankrupt American society, as well as indirectly forging a connection to its history of violence.

            America’s history of violence is front and center in the film Full Metal Jacket. The Marines themselves symbolize America; “Sometimes the characters come alive, other times they seem like so many props for Kubrick’s smoldering landscapes and tracking camera movements.” (Howe). Kubrick uses the Marines to show how violence has affected American society. The further they delve into their violent natures to complete the tasks they must to survive, the further they lose their humanity and become a part of the landscape. Everything was meticulously put together to create this representation: “Kubrick has layered sound and image leaving no shot, click or segue to chance.” (Howe). Everything from angles to sound is used to effectively to contribute to Kubrick’s interpretation of American society.

            Kubrick also incorporates ideologies into his films. He often exaggerates male dominance and repression of women to satirize it. The idea of the ‘American Dream’ is also integrated into the films to show how selfishness and the need to suppress others can go horribly wrong. A Clockwork Orange encompasses these ideas into a satirical story of violence and oppression. According to Ebert this film is an “ideological mess, a paranoid right-wing fantasy masquerading as an Orwellian warning. It pretends to oppose the police state and forced mind control, but all it really does is celebrate the nastiness of its hero, Alex.” (Ebert). This film does both of these things; it does oppose the police state, and ultimately government control over society. And it also manages to celebrate the ‘nastiness’ of Alex in a way that portrays him as the fighting force against the ideologies of society. When Alex succumbs to societal pressure and allows himself to be suppressed by the government via the Ludovico Technique the consequences are much worse then he could have predicted. Alex’s image rejects the idea of the American Dream, which depicts him as the only normalcy in a world full of people fighting for the ‘perfect’ life. “A Clockwork Orange is about the rise and fall and rise of Alex in a world that is only slightly less dreadful than he is – parents, policemen, doctors and politicians are all either evil, opportunistic or simpleminded.” (Berardinelli, A Clockwork Orange). The aspiration for the American Dream and the ‘perfect’ life has all driven these people to become worse then the crimes that Alex commits. This blatant rejection of these ideologies is encompassed in the way they are portrayed in the film.

            The Shining delves into the repression of women and male dominance. The portrayal of a family where the male is the sole contributor is expressed and then satirized. Berardinelli describes Wendy (Shelley Duvall) as the “kind of meek wife who follows her husband’s lead and never makes waves.” (Berardinelli, The Shining). She is the image of the perfect American wife who does her husband bidding and presents no struggle against Jack’s demands. This submission also reflects societies resistance to dissolve the ideal of male dominance. Throughout the first half of this film this is how Wendy is seen, until the turning point in which the female becomes the stronger part of the relationship. This turning point is symbolized when Jack enters room 237; “And his father [Jack], as the camera tracks slowly into the room in a frenzy of anticipation, is confronted by one of Mr. Kubrick’s most heart-stopping inventions, an image halfway between eroticism and terror.” (Maslin). This image transforms the viewer’s image of women from one of beauty and submission, to one of terror and authority. Kubrick satirizes this image to further reject the idea of male dominance. The viewer is not only disgusted by the change from beauty to eroticism, but the viewer also finds it somewhat amusing.

            The same thing is seen in Full Metal Jacket. The image of women is first presented as an object that men are meant to control. “They sleep with their rifles, to which they’ve been ordered to give girls’ names.” (Canby, ‘Full Metal Jacket’). The Marines also objectify women when they are in Vietnam and purchase one of the native women for sexual purposes. Throughout this film the idea of male dominance is prominent until the very end when a female sniper kills many of the Marines. The death of these Marines also symbolizes the American Dream gone wrong. They joined the Marine Corps, which in many minds is the most patriotic thing you can do for your country. This patriotic action lead them to their dehumanization as well as further strengthened their ideals of male dominance. Furthermore, their trust in the government leads them to believe that this violence and repression is what society needs to accomplish peace. When the sniper murders the Marines, this ideal is abolished; they are punished for the repression of woman.

           

            The combination of thematic, stylistic, and ideological features in Kubrick’s films very evidently reflect American society. More specifically, they present a bankrupt society that has been torn apart by a history of violence and repression of women. The satirical way that these features are presented portrays a world in which dehumanization is caused by violence and vice versa. Kubrick also plays off of the idea of the American Dream, and his portrayal of how the desperation of people to achieve this leads to violence. In the films A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket Kubrick effectively reflects the current state of American society and the reason behind its bankruptcy.

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