A Clock Work Orange Poster Review

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most prominent and celebrated directors of all time. His work time and time again attracted passionate audiences which would not just watch, but study his work for decades to come. Kubrick is best known for his film adaption of Stephen King's The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Eyes Wide Shut, and A Clockwork Orange - the focus of this review.

A Clockwork Orange follows the strange and disturbing story of Alex, a young man who turns into a serial killer in future dystopian England. This film has many iconic scenes involving Alex and the infamous Droogs. One of the most famous images in cinema history, however, is of Alex's enhanced eyelashes on his right eye. This feature can clearly be seen in this movie poster. Being that the enhanced eyelashes are such a strong indication of Alex's personality, the artist needed to make sure they were included on the poster. It's by this feature alone one can identify not only the character of Alex, but the entire film. Another more subtle feature is the top hat. Alex's gang, the Droogs, are dressed in all white (an ironic symbol of innocence), with jock straps visible on the outside, canes, and of course, the black top hat. This particular piece of costume design, accompanied by the cane, is another ironic possibly "stick it to the man" choice made by Kubrick. The black top hat is synonymous with upper class and "proper" behaviors. However, Alex and the Droogs are quite the opposite. This intense irony redefines any preconceived idea in regards to the top hat (similar to Kubrick's choice of Beethoven during graphic scenes), thus creating a new synonymity with violence and the Droogs, making it a crucial part of the poster design.

Throughout the film, there is a strong connection with the eyes. This can be seen by Alex's eyelashes, a high number of close-ups framing the eyes, and numerous mirror shots. The most famous of these scenes is at the very end when Alex has been captured and is being tortured in an attempt to change his behavior. He is tied and strapped down with a contraption on his head designed to keep his eyes wide open. Alex is being forced to watch similar violent crimes which he himself has committed. The hopes: to get him to change. The camera focuses almost the entire time on his eyes, so much that it makes the audience incredibly uncomfortable. Take the poster alone for example, not only are there three eyes, but there are three different eyes. First, the loose eyeball which is located in the foreground. Second, Alex's eye with the enhanced eyelashes. And, third, Alex's other eye which is significantly less dark and appears to have something "slightly off" about it.

The last design technique that may slip past most people, is the orientation of Alex in the triangle. Is he standing up and pushing through it, is he laying down and pushing through it that way, or is he standing up, looking up, and pushing through the triangle that way. There is absolutely no way to tell. This is part of Kubrick's styles. If you look look close enough, things don't make sense. The Shining is cluttered with these moments to the point where it's comedic. Alex's orientation in this poster resembles that same idea. It's almost like he's hinting at the "nonsense" that's about to come in the film. The question is, are you good enough to catch it?

There are several additional elements that can be deeply analyzed in this poster. After all, it is for a Stanley Kubrick film. Nonetheless, focusing in on what I discussed above, this is a masterful artistic expression which previews A Clockwork Orange perfectly.