How does a clockwork orange represent britains identity in 1971?

Essay Plan

• analysis and argument 20marks
• evidence 20marks
• use of media terms and theories 10marks

Introduction

A brief description of the film; release date, director, release date/author of the novel it was adapted from, meaning of the title, themes within the film, quotation from Kubrick, withdrawl of the film from cinemas, inspiring people to commit crimes featured in the film. affects a film has on society.

Paragraph 1

contributing factors to britains identity in 1971; youth, government/state/society, family, what was britan like, tribes, violence, governement and state manipulation and exploiting individuals, modern urban landscapes damaging to society, british collective identity; obsolete and meaningless. reference to the film as evidence, to how these aspects contribute to britans identity, and what type of country they show britain as being.

Paragraph 2

reference parts of the film that show the audience evidence of being in 1971 britan. Reference the following topics; modern world, post ww2, cold war paranoia, new britain, rise is youth culture. Use these topics, to show parts of a clockwork orange that represent britans identity in 1971 and what we think was in this time period in britain. how a clockwork orange is of its time, what images do we see in a clockwork orange that represent 1971 britan to us.

Paragraph 3

maffesoli`s theory; "time of tribes", urbans tribes, mass culture has disintergated more sub catergories rather than one large group. relate these aspects of maffesoli theory to a clockwork orange; urban landscapes, rise in youth culture and rise is youth groups/tribes, alexs tribes and their identity in a clockwork orange; fashion, language, influences. what identity is made up of and its concepts, expressing our identity.

Conclusion

a clockwork orange does not have one certain time period; alexs shakespearian language, costume, classical music. 1971, is one time period and sum up what britans identity was shown as bring in 1971 through the film.

How does a clockwork orange represent britains identity in 1971?

A clockwork orange, was firstly written as a British dystopian novel in 1962 by Anthony Burgess, it was not until 1971 that Stanley Kubrick adapted the novel into a film, he is known for making disturbing films. The main themes that the film was featured around are; morality, youth, psychology, violence, the government/state/society and the individual. The title, "a clockwork orange", is cockney slang for meaning, all of the naturalness of something has been removed, the title is also a metaphor meaning, "an organic entity, full of juice and sweetness and agreeable odour being turned into an automation" This film, came with much controversy because it inspired a mass number of crimes, they were known as copycat crimes, because the crimes that are shown in, a clockwork orange, were being copied in society, this resulted in the film being withdrawn from distribution and cinemas, approximatly a year after its release. The film, was not allowed to be seen legally again until the year 2000, after Kubricks death. Kubrick said, "the story (clockwork orange) functions on several levels, political, socilogical, philosophical and whats most important, on a dreamlike pyschological symbolic level".

Britains identity in 1971, was shaped through family, youth groups and tribes, government, state, society, tribal collectivity, violence, modern urban landscapes, manipulation and exploitation of individuals and british collective identity. Young people and tribes identity in 1971 britain, is represented in a clockwork orange, as the droogs; alexs tribe. Through the use of a tribe such as the droogs, youths are being represented as violent, unruly and disrespectful, the behaviour of the youths in britain, links to the way in which the government worked. The rising youth culture, shown is a clockwork orange is shown as being a threat, within british society. The government has been represented as reppresive, corrupt and a state that resorts to violence. The way that a clockwork orange has represented the government in 1971, shows a correlation within how the youths acted, which suggests that because of the corrupt government it caused youth groups to become unruly within society. In, A clockwork orange, the family unit is shown as alexs family, they shown as being very disregarged by alex and he is very unattached from his family. This represents the distance between family and youth culture, as alex is presented as being very distant from his family. The state, government and society are shown as being violent, brutal and barbaric. The landscpaes that are used within a clockwork orange are large tower blocks of flats, which have a brutalist feel to them, and looks inhabitant and imoral as landscapes. The brutalist feel that these tower blocks have, echo the brutalist behaviour of the governemtn and youth groups. Collective british identity, is not largely apparant within the film, it is not focused on within the film alot, therefore it shows connotations of british identity becoming obsolete and meaningless.

A clockwork orange, it could be said that it does not have any apparant time period that it is set within, because of the costume, emphasis on classical music and the shakespearian language used by alexs and his tribe, however it is shown on one hand as being set within the 1971 time frame, because of the buildings , which were typical of 1971 britain , as many built in this era in britain. The emphasis and focus on youth groups and rise in youth culture and the violence and barbarism shown by youths and government, shows that a clockwork orange was set within 1971. The themes within, a clockwork orange, that represent britains identity in 1971 are; modern world era, post ww2, cold war paranoia, new britain and the rise is popular youth culture. The modern world era, shows 1971 britain, as a brutal, ansd futuristic world, because of the modernist brutalist buildings, connoting violence and the bright colour prints, which connote a futuristic and modern world feel. There is aslo an element of the post ww2 attitude within the film, because of the way that the youth are valued, even though they are violent and barbaric, with the attitude of "we fought for our children". Liberty and freedom, are represented as part of this era, because of the post war attitude of how we have achieved freedom, through our efforts, therefore perhaps leading to the government being represive. There was a threat from the youth, because of the increase in youth culture, there was also paranioa because of the cold war, this esculated into a question of threat and fear, because of where the threat was from was unknown. New britain, was forming a different identity to britain, because of the weakened power in empire, decline in industry and the changing relationships between classes, this supports the evidence that the government at this time was corrupt, permissive and violent, because of the way that britains empire was changing, and was becoming courrpt, the governemtn seemed to folow suit. The rise in youth culture, is one of the main topics within, a clockwork orange, and the emphasis is put very heavily on this group in society in the film. The 1960s subcultures, made a vast divide between generations, this is apparant in alexs case because of his attitude towards his parents and the way through costume, behaviour and language that we can see the age and generation divide.

The theory of Micheal maffesoli, has been used within, a clockwork orange, it has been used to show his theory of tribal collectivity, when showing alex and his group, who have a collective name; the droogs, this comes from his theory, "the time of tribes". They are shown as a tribe, because of their similar interest, behaviour, language and costume. Maffesoli, also talks about in his theory the effect that location has on your identity, which is evident in a clockwork orange, because this relates to9 the brutalist architechure that we see in the film, connotating violence, therefore having an effect on the droogs.

Identity, in a clockwork orange is represented through a vast amount of aspects, they all revolve around the youth culture, showing how changes in society and an individuals surroundings influence tribes to form and their behaviour. A clockwork orange, represents britain in 1971 in some aspects of the film, however in other ways it is very opposite to the era it is set in, because of the emphasis on classical music, which creates a very traditional element to the film, the adjustments laex and the rest of the droogs put on the enlgish language, using shakespearian twists in their words and the droogs costumes, do not reflect 1971, however the costume of alexs parents are typical of the 1970s era.