FILM

Kubrick Country by PENELOPE HOUSTON

tanley Kubrick lives just north of certain number of books that one apy, and that was about all that was London, in film-making territory; has sitting on the shelf waiting to be required in terms of any serious tech­ Sthe Elstree Studios and the old read. Then one evening I passed the nical background for the story. MGM Studios at Borehamwood are bookshelf, glanced at the paperback both just around the corner, not much still patiently waiting on the shelf, and Houston: The shock in the book is farther away than a Jack Nicklaus picked it up. I started to read the book when Alex gets to prison, and he says drive. Kubrick has made all his films and finished it in one sitting. By the something like, "I'd done all this, and in Britain since Lolita (1961); but in end of Part One, it seemed pretty I was fifteen." I don't imagine it could a remarkable way he has kept himself obvious that it might make a great ever work on the screen, but did you apart from all worlds, appearing film. By the end of Part Two, I was even think of casting someone as neither as an expatriate American film­ very excited about it. As soon as I young as that in the part? maker nor as a resident British di­ finished it, I immediately reread it. rector. From Lolita on, his films have For the next two or three days, I reread Kubrick: No. I had Malcolm McDowell been set in Kubrick country. it in whole and in part, and did little in mind right from the third or fourth After 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), else but think about it. It seemed to chapter of my first reading of the Kubrick had intended to make a film me to be a unique and marvelous work book. One doesn't find actors of his about Napoleon and had advanced of imagination and perhaps even genius in all shapes, sizes, and ages. some considerable way toward the genius. The narrative invention was Nor does an actor find many charac­ project when it was postponed in the magical, the characters were bizarre ters like Alex, who is certainly one of wake of studio retrenchments and and exciting, the ideas were brilliantly the most surprising and enjoyable in­ nervousness about big-budget commit­ developed, and, equally important, ventions of fiction. I can think of only the story was of a size and density ments. He turned instead to A Clock­ one other literary or dramatic com­ that could be adapted to film with­ work Orange, Anthony Burgess's tour parison, and that is with Richard III. out oversimplifying it or stripping it de force of identification with Alex, the Alex, like Richard, is a character whom to the bones. In fact, it proved pos­ ultimate teen-ager. Part of the attrac­ you should dislike and fear, and yet sible to retain most of the narrative tion of the novel for Kubrick was obvi­ you find yourself drawn very quickly ously its language, the Russian-based in the film. Many people have praised the special language of the book, which into his world and find yourself seeing argot that Burgess called Nadsat. But, things through his eyes. It's not easy interestingly, it also strikes one as in is itself a stunning conception, but I to say how this is achieved, but it a sense his first English film. Lolita don't think sufficient praise has been certainly has something to do with almost consciously played down the given for what might be called, for his candor and wit and intelligence, American landscape aspects of Nabo­ want of a better phrase, the ordinary and the fact that all the other char­ kov's novel; Dr. Strangelove and 2001 language, which is, of course, quite were both international movies that extraordinary. For example, when the acters are lesser people, and in some could have been made in any country Minister says at the end of his speech way worse people. with the film-making resources. The to the press, "But enough of words. satire of A Clockwork Orange, how­ Actions speak louder than. Action now. Houston: The Richard III comparison ever, seems specifically English in its Observe all," Burgess is doing some­ is superb, but of course with Richard lines of attack. Stanley Kubrick him­ thing with language that is really you are safely in the past. There aren't self hardly reacts to questions along marvelous. all the in-nnediate associations your these lines, preferring to suggest that audience is going to have with contem­ he has simply filmed an English novel porary violence. Houston: Both your last two films in­ on London locations, and that equiva­ volved you in a great deal of research lents for most of the characters could Kubrick: I don't think there's anything and background reading. It looks here be found in America or anywhere else. to be concerned about here. There is a as though you had filmed the novel Perhaps—but the impression persists very wide gulf between reality and fic­ that Kubrick country has acquired an fairly straight, but did you in fact do tion, and when one is looking at a film English province. research around the edges of the film the experience is much closer to a —the brainwashing technique, for dream than anything else. In this day­ instance? dream, if you like, one can explore Houston: Did you read Anthony Bur­ ideas and situations which one is not gess's book when it first came out in Kubrick: Some of my films have able to do in reality. One could ob­ 1962? started with the accumulating of facts, viously not enjoy the activities of and from the facts narrative ideas Richard III if one were actually in­ Kubrick: I first read the book about seemed to develop, but of course A volved with them, but we do enjoy two-and-a-half years ago. It was given Clockwork Orange started with a Richard III—and so with Alex. to me by Terry Southern while I was finished story, and I was quite happy Alex's adventures are a kind of psy­ making 2001, and due to the time to skip the birth pangs of developing chological myth. Our subconscious pressure I was in, it joined that an original narrative. As far as tech­ finds release in Alex, just as it finds re­ nical research is concerned, there ob­ lease in dreams. It resents Alex being Penelope Houston, one of Britain's best- viously wasn't a great deal required. stifled and repressed by authority, known writers on films, is editor of Sight I had certainly read about behavioral however much our conscious mind and Sound. psychology and conditioned-reflex ther- recognizes the necessity of doing this. PRODUCED 2005 BY UNZ.ORG 42 ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED SR/DECEMBEP 25. 1971 space ship in 2001 moved to The Blue Danube. From the rape on the stage of the derelict casino, to the super- frenzied fight, through the Christ fig­ ures cut, to Beethoven's Ninth, the slow- motion fight on the water's edge, and the encounter with the cat lady where the giant white phallus is pitted against the bust of Beethoven, movement, cut­ ting, and music are the principal coa- siderations—dance ?

Houston: And the' use of speeded-up motion, in the scene with the two girls Alex picks up at the drugstore?

Kubrick: Yes, of course, I forgot to mention the high-speed orgy. This scene lasts about forty seconds on the screen and, at two frames per second, took twenty-eight minutes to shoot. I had the idea one night while listen­ ing to Eine kleitie Nachtmusik. The vision of an orgy suggested itself, shot at two frames per second. As it worked out in the film, though, the fast move­ ment William Tell was more suitable to the purpose of the scene.

Houston: In the hook, every inipres- sion comes to you through Alex's la}i- guage, through the language Burgess invented. In the film, of course, one's mind switches off the language except when Alex and his droogs are actually talking. What did you feel about the words?

Kubrick: Well, I think that the special language in the book is certainly one of Burgess's most novel inventions. The words have the advantage of being real The structure of the story is very much more unpleasant to watch than what words, mostly Russian-based, which hke a fairy tale inasmuch as it depends he does to anyone else. ^are spelled out in phonetic English, for much of its charm and many of its specially enhanced by Burgess's wit. Be­ strong effects on coincidence, and in Kubrick: Well, of course, the violence cause they are real words, they have an the symmetry of its plot wherein each in the film is stylized, just as it is in onomatopoetic connection with their of Alex's victims appears again in the the book. My problem, of course, was meanings. Tolchock sounds like a blow, final section to deliver retribution. Of to find a way of presenting it in the devotchka evokes a female image, etc. course, the story functions on another film without benefit of the writing level, as a social satire dealing with the style. The first section of the film that Houston: How much of the fum was question of whether behavioral psy­ incorporates most of the violent action shot on location, and how did you find chology and psychological condition­ is principally organized around the the places? ing are dangerous new weapons for a Overture to Rossini's Thieving Mag­ totalitarian government to use to im­ pie, and, in a very broad sense, you Kubrick: The only sets in the film were pose vast controls on its citizens and could say that the violence is turned the Korova Milkbar, the prison recep­ turn them into little more than robots. into dance, although, of course, it is in tion area, a mirrored bathroom, and a no way any kind of formal dance. But mirrored hall at the writer's house. Houston: How about the stylization in cinematic terms, I should say that These were built because we couldn't of the violence? A lot of it is very funny, movement and music must inevitably find any suitable locations. All the re­ and what actually happens to Alex, in be related to dance, just as the rotating maining scenes were done on location. the brainwashing sec;uence. is much space station and the docking Orion I tried to be systematic about the loca- PRODUCED 2005 BY UNZ.ORG SR/DECEMBER 25, 1971 ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 4.5 tion search. We wanted to find inter­ quite a lot of traffic noise on the final the most human character is of course esting modem architecture, and it sound mix. HAL, the computer, and in Dr. Strange- seemed that the best way to do this The special mikes also made it pos­ love you are dealing with degrees of was to buy ten years of back issues of sible to shoot sound takes under cer­ caricature. I suppose one could go two or three architectural magazines. tain conditions without even blimping back in your work to Paths of Glory, I spent two weeks going through them the camera. I did quite a few hand­ or even The Killing, to find a film with John Barry, the production de­ held shots with the Arriflex merely where you were working in what might signer, and we carefully filed and wrapped in an Anorak, sometimes as be called a realistic convention. cross-referenced all of the interesting close as six feet away from the actors, photographs that vje found. This but you don't hear the camera noise Kubrick: I have always enjoyed deal­ proved to be a much more effective and the dialogue is fine. On interiors, ing with a slightly surrealistic situa­ approach than just having a couple of I had a lightweight blimp for the Arri­ tion and presenting it in a realistic location scouts driving around Lon­ flex which weighed only thirty-seven manner. I've always liked fairy tales don. As it worked out, most of the in­ pounds with the camera in it. One has and myths, magical stories, supernatu­ teresting locations we finally chose to compare this to a Mitchell camera, ral stories, ghost stories, surrealistic originated from this sifting through of which weighs about one hundred and allegorical stories. I think they the architectural magazines. twenty-five pounds. As far as lighting are somehow closer to the sense of The exteriors of Alex's flat block is concerned, the secret of location reality one feels today than the equally were filmed at Thamesmead, the larg­ lighting is to make sure that the prac­ stylized "realistic" story in which a est and most interesting architectural tical lamps that you see in the scene great deal of selectivity and omission project in London. The striking audi­ are actually lighting the scene. The has to occur in order to preserve its torium, at which the press conference convention of film lighting in the past "realistic" style. In Lolita, for example, is held, is in a library in South Nor­ was such that the practical lamps were the character of Quilty is straight out wood. The author's house is actually just props, and although the bulb was of a nightmare, as are many of the two houses: The exterior was filmed on it did nothing actually to light the characters in Or. Strangelove. In this in Oxfordshire and the interior at Rad- shot. In this case, I went to a great sense A Clockwork Orange bears lett. A certain amount of filming was deal of trouble in selecting useful and strong resemblance to several of my done at Brunei University. The record interesting-looking lamps into which previous films. boutique was filmed at the Chelsea we could put photofloods or small Drugstore. It's very simple now film­ quartz lights. Houston: What about your Napoleon ing in even the most confined interiors. The lights that you see in the scene film? Is that still going to be made, One has a very wide choice of fast, are almost always the only source of and on what sort of a scale are you wide-angle lenses to choose from. For lighting that's being used. This also planning to deal with his life? example, in the record boutique we makes it possible to shoot 360-degree shot with a 9.8 mm lens, which has a pans without worrying about photo­ Kubrick: I plan to do Napoleon next. ninety-degree viewing angle. Another graphing any of the normal studio It will be a big film but certainly not lens, the very fast fO.95, made it possi­ lights. I might add, it's also very fast on the scale that big films had grown ble to shoot with natural light in room to work this way. to just before the lights went out in interiors, late into the afternoon. It al­ Hollywood. Most of the palatial in­ lows you to shoot in 200 per cent less Houston: How much do you preplan teriors can be shot in real locations light than the normal f.2 movie lenses. scenes? You don't do the Hitchcockian in France where the furniture and set kind of detailed advance planning? dressing are already there, and one Houston: Still on the shooting, is it has only to move in with a small true that there is practically no post- Kubrick: I do a tremendous amount of documentary-size crew, actors, ward­ synchronized dialogue in the film? planning and try to anticipate every­ robe, and some hand props. The large thing that is humanly possible to crowd and battle scenes would be done Kubrick: There was no post-synchro­ imagine prior to shooting the scene, in Yugoslavia, Hungary, or Rumania, nizing of dialogue at all. Unusable but when the moment actually comes, where undertakings of this sort can sync-dialogue used to be one of the it is always different. Either you dis­ be accomplished by using regular army problems of shooting on location, but cover new ideas in the scene, or one of formations. it is no longer a problem with the the actors by some aspect of his per­ equipment now available. There is a sonality has changed something—or Houston: Whai motivates your choice tremendous range of special micro­ any one of a thousand things that fail of subjects? phones to choose from, including one to coincide with one's preconceived the size of a paper clip which can be notions of the scene. This is, of course, Kubrick: Well, of course, this is obvi­ hidden in the shot or on the actor, and the most ci-ucial time of a film. The ac­ ously the most important decision which results in a very favorable voice- tual shooting of a scene, once you ever made with respect to a film. to-noise ratio. With FM transmitters, know what you are going to do, is rela­ Actually, the only sensible thing I can also hidden on the actor, it's no longer tively simple. But it is here that the say is that I'm very, very careful necessary to use cumbersome micro­ picture always hangs in the balance. about this. .And so far, at least, I've phone booms. Each actor can have his The problem, expressed perhaps a bit never found myself wondering half­ own concealed microphone transmit­ too simply, is to make sure that some­ way through why I had decided to do ting its signal via a pocket-sized FM thing happens worth putting on film. the film. A great narrative is a kind of transmitter to a receiver, which feeds It is always tempting to think of how miracle. It's not something that can be it into a portable sound mixer. We you're going to lilm something before forced. At the same time, I trust that filmed the scene where Alex is recog­ you know what it is you're going I shall never be tempted to become an nized by the tramp under the Albert to film, but it's almost always a waste alchemist and believe that I can turn Bridge. The traffic noise was so loud of time. lead into gold. I might try to make that you had to shout in order to be something of an imperfect story with heard. But we recorded a dialogue Houston: Alex is the only great char­ my efiOrts as a writer, but I would track where the voices were so above acter—almost the only developed char­ never attempt a film story that I was the traffic that it was necessary to add acter—in A Clockwork Orange. In 2001 not finally in love with. PRODUCED 2005 BY UNZ.ORG SR/DECEMBER 25, 1971 44 ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED