PERCEPTION
CLOCKWORK ORANGE
CREDITS
ARCH 443 - tyler bowa
Clockwork Orange is a great example of how the eyes can portray emotion in movies and film. In order to
communicate effectively with the audience the level of madness that stems throughout the film, the constant
close-up of eyes is used.
When first watching the film, our attention is immediately drawn to Alex’s eye-piece. It is an extended eye-lash
that acts as a focal point for the rest of the film. As a viewer, I found myself constantly looking into his eyes to
gain an understanding of what exactly was going through his mind. From pure madness to fear, his eyes tell
the true story of how he feels.
Dilation is an involuntary response to light that is indicative of certain moods. The director, Kubrik, must have
been aware of this when filming the close-up shots in the film. When Alex is being ‘treated’ and has his eyes
forced open to watch the screen in front of him, we gain an understanding of his emotion. His enlarged pupils
indicated powerful emotions like anger, suspicion and deep thought. When his pupils are smaller this implies
arousal, excitement and interest. It is no wonder then, that the focus of Alex’s eye-piece has been used as a
device to capture the attention of the viewer so that we can fully understand the true emotion at large.
communicate effectively with the audience the level of madness that stems throughout the film, the constant
close-up of eyes is used.
When first watching the film, our attention is immediately drawn to Alex’s eye-piece. It is an extended eye-lash
that acts as a focal point for the rest of the film. As a viewer, I found myself constantly looking into his eyes to
gain an understanding of what exactly was going through his mind. From pure madness to fear, his eyes tell
the true story of how he feels.
Dilation is an involuntary response to light that is indicative of certain moods. The director, Kubrik, must have
been aware of this when filming the close-up shots in the film. When Alex is being ‘treated’ and has his eyes
forced open to watch the screen in front of him, we gain an understanding of his emotion. His enlarged pupils
indicated powerful emotions like anger, suspicion and deep thought. When his pupils are smaller this implies
arousal, excitement and interest. It is no wonder then, that the focus of Alex’s eye-piece has been used as a
device to capture the attention of the viewer so that we can fully understand the true emotion at large.