Sound in A Clockwork Orange - Essay Example

Sound in A Clockwork Orange Sound is an element of film technique which is often overlooked within what is basically seen as a visual art form. Butsound is an integral part of film in general, and within A Clockwork Orange it is particularly important. Kubrick uses sound to act as an ironic commentary upon the nightmarish future that he envisions within this adaptation of Anthony Burgess's novel. The overall theme of A Clockwork Orange is one of alienation and violence, of human beings as "clockwork oranges" who appear alive on the outside but are actually as dead as a machine on the inside. While the whole film could be analyzed for its sound, this analysis will deal with several vital scenes, taking a chronological view from the beginning of the film for about the first twenty minutes. This method will illustrate how Kubrick's use of sound builds upon itself in a cumulative manner. The first scene of A Clockwork Orange starts with a move through blank screens painted with the primary colours (red and blue) with the sound of a synthesizer playing Bach. This initial juxtaposition between the most modern of instruments and Baroque music effectively alienates the audience by presenting two things that they are familiar with together. The two jar with one another and yet, as the first shot focuses in close-up on Alex's face, they seem paradoxically suited for one another. The music reflects the violent smirk that is on Alex's face as he stares straight at the camera, and thus the audience, as his opening voice-over is heard. There are thus two elements to the sound at this point: the synthesized Bach music and Alex's introduction to his world. The language that Alex uses includes words that do not ordinarily exist in English, but which will be effectively translated by the audience because of their context. Thus Alex states that he and his "droogs" are "making up our razoodocks" what to do that night. Droog obviously means "friend" and razoodock is probably "mind". The juxtaposition is increased by the fact that they are drinking milk in a decidedly odd milk-bar that sells some rather suspicious-sounding milk. The shot draws back from a close-up to a medium shot to a long shot of the whole bar, with the nude female mannequins that act as chairs. The film that started with music has now introduced the audience to a strange, surreal, threatening world: and it was the first blast of synthesized Bach that led the audience to the door. In the next scene a close-up of a hand holding a whisky bottle with another empty bottle besides it is essentially serenaded by a drunken voice singing an old Irish song. It is as if the bottle were singing, but as the shot steadily draws out the drunk is revealed. Alex and his droogs come into the scene as shadows and it is there footsteps that are heard, casual and yet ominous, just as Alex starts to tell the audience how he could not stand drunks and drunken singing. The echoing sound of the singing and the footsteps make once again for a surreal world, one that reflects the stark lighting that makes their shadows enormously long. Echoing, rather distorted voices continue on the soundtrack as Alex and the old man argue with one another and then the Droogs start to beat him up. Here Kubrick introduces the idea that violence can be seen and heard as a dance. Thus the rhymic beating of the various weapons against the man's body sound like perverted musical instruments to which their howls of joy at indulging in violence are an accompaniment. Just before the jump cut to the theatre scene the waltz music that accompanies this is introduced. This time it is a girl's screams that acts in unison with the music: violence and beautiful melodies again juxtaposed. It takes a full ten seconds for Kubrick to actually reveal in a visual manner what is happening in the scene: essentially this is secondary to the two sounds put against one another. The fact that the attempted rape of the girl is shot in a distancing long-shot adds to the importance of the sound. The sound dominates as the figures on the stage struggle with one another in a bizarre, clumsy dance. Alex's voiceover appears once again, introducing the audience to this new gang and quite passively stating what is already obvious - they are about to rape the young girl. As Alex and his droogs move forward the audience still hears the music and the girl's now quieter screams, but they are interrupted by the uncannily loud sound of the bottle being kicked across the floor. Again, Kubrick invests ordinary sounds with the most extraordinary qualities. The sound of the glass against the floor is a foreshadowing of the much louder broken glass (and bodies) that are about to occur. In Alex's bizarrely eloquent and long-winded challenge to Billy-Boy the music acts as an accompaniment and the full-scale dance of violence occurs. It should be noted that the sound of the flick knife being opened, the spitting of the gum from Bill's mouth and their ecstatic call to battle as they descend to the floor are again accentuated. Here Kubrick is using the large empty spaces that he set this film in to good effect - just as he uses ambient lighting throughout the movie so he used ambient sound effects. The sound of furniture being broken over heads, people crashing through windows, bodies scraping over floors and general mayhem is eventually met by the sound of a police siren. Alex, the intelligent leader, hears it first and calls off the violence and each of his droogs stops in turn until it is just the sound of Dim shouting and the drum of his chain on one of Billy's droog's heads that is heard. The dance continues with the insane car ride, as the sound of the car is distorted, the delighted screams continue and various cars are driven off the road. As Alex and his droogs approach "Home" for a "Surprise Visit" the music finally fades out, only to be replaced by another form of rhythmic sound - the clicking of the typewriter. The doorbell sounds, and it is the famous first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which is often likened to Fate, or Death, knocking at the door. Kubrick plays with the audience here, assuming a cursory knowledge of music, and placing what are normally majestic chords into the distinctly non-majestic voice of a doorbell. But the doorbell is sinister nonetheless, almost because it sounds so tinny and non-threatening. The woman's footsteps echo in the large empty spaces of their luxurious house, and the doorbell insistently carries on ringing. Alex's voice is once against distorted as it is heard through the door and then from the perspective of the writer who is still working at his desk. There is something mechanical and metallic about the voice, suitable for the emotionless personality to which it belongs. Once Alex and his droogs enter the house they have their normal accompaniment of cackling, joyful laughter and indistinguishable words followed by the exaggerated noise of Alex's kicking the man in the face. There is no music at this point, Kubrick accentuating the normality of the house and the echoing nature of any normal sounds. The 'sound as music' image is eventually quite literal as Alex acts as a conductor as he uses his cane and his whistle to silence his droogs and let them prepare for the coming violence. Kubrick's brilliant use of "Singin' in the Rain" (which he had supposedly heard McDowell singing in the bath) provides the score for the dance of violence which now occurs. Alex's boot in the stomach provides the rhythm section while the various joyful shrieks from the droogs are the orchestration. This time the violence is more complex, and its musicality is similarly shown within the sound. Thus the sound of Alex's cane on the woman, his slapping of her face and various other pieces of violence are essentially variations on the overall theme. The kicking of the papers off the desk and the pulling down of the whole bookcase. The song continues as Alex essentially does a solo with Dim as a very much out of tune counter-refrain. Again, the sound of the scissors cutting through the cloth is accentuated and Alex eventually tells the writer (seen in a POV shot and thus the audience) to "viddy well, little brother, viddy well". And the synthesized Bach from the beginning of the film returns, with the vague moans from the woman and Dim's now more subdued tones. Thus ends 13 minutes and 30 seconds of some of the most dense and evocative film ever made. As this essay has shown, it is sound that is the first element of film that introduces the audience to this world and it is sound which acts as a the catalyst and energy for the rest of the portrayal. Later in the film Kubrick comments upon various movie conventions ironically through using music with slow-motion for violence, and music with speeded up action for sex - reversing the normal state of affairs. But it is the beginning of the film in which the most pristine and interesting use of film occurs. To conclude, Kubrick's use of sound, by turns brilliant and innovative, makes much of A Clockwork Orange an evocative montage. Kubrick makes the film utterly surreal through the use of sound and yet strangely recognizable and believable. The echoes and strange distortions of nearly all the settings reflect the alienated and essentially inhumane conditions that exist within this nightmarish future. The use of sound is stark but never intrusive, always enabling the film to move forward while providing unforgettable artistic experiences. ____________________________________________ Works Cited A Clockwork Orange, dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971. Read More