The Real Futuristic Art and Locations Kubrick Found for A Clockwork Orange

* With the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union *

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How do you make a futuristic sci-fi movie without building a bunch of crazy sets? In this episode, we take a look at the real futuristic locations and artwork that Stanley Kubrick used for the production design of 1971's A Clockwork Orange as well as some of the new technology Kubrick used in shooting and recording sound on-location.



This video essay was written, edited, and narrated by Tyler Knudsen.

Sources:

A Clockwork Orange (Commentary)
[Making] Great Bolshy Yarblockos! - The Making of A Clockwork Orange
[Ciment] Kubrick on ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ an interview with Michel Ciment
An Examination of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange with James MacAndrew
[Strick, Houston] Interview with Stanley Kubrick regarding A Clockwork Orange by Philip Strick & Penelope Houston

Music:

Epidemic Sound

[robabiera]

"The record was part of the shop's stock". Yeah, I read that somewhere, too - many years ago. Was it "Stanley Kubrick Directs" or somewhere else? Can't remember.

[bimmovieproductions]

Film youtube always feels like a circlejerk of saying the same thing over and over again and pretending it's a new video. You're one of the only fresh voices on the platform, none of what you say is boring or contrived and you always come with a plethora of sources we can chaeck ourselves. Great work man.

[funkadelicacy]

I feel like Kubrick would find this content impressive

[nurahassan]

I just wanted to tell you that we are all sincerely grateful for what you are doing.
Your content is very informative and entertaining.

[punchfisttop]

Whenever I learn something new about Kubrick filming locations/lenses/sets it has always been thru you man. TY so much for this vid!!!

[spaceodds]

The theatre where Alex is presented towards the peers after his Ludovico treatment used to be the presentation room in my local library in West Norwood. It has been recently refurbished and is now a four screen cinema and library, with the presentation room being the main screen. In fact two weeks after the cinema opened in 2018, A Clockwork Orange was shown for one day at that screening room.

[Rockhopper]

The female sculptor went onto star wars and sculpted the iconic storm trooper helmet.

[googlespies]

It was almost all spiritless post modern architecture. Structures that can exist anywhere at almost any point. It was a showing of the meaninglessness of the world in which Clockwork exists. It was a chaotic world where the only reality was pleasure and vice. A world where beauty is material and tradition is only good enough to draw penises on. A world not far from today.

[KHRMKRN]

Kubrick also has a cameo in the record store. He's the patron with his back to the camera as Alex walks around at the start of the scene, he's reading a magazine and wearing a brown leather jacket. At 7:17, right of frame.

[midnightmosesuk]

I lived in Thamesmead as a kid. We moved in 1972 not long after stage 1 had been completed. The reason it was all walkways and bridges was that it had been built on a marsh and was prone to flooding from the Thames. The obvious answer was to build a housing estate on stilts. You could cross from one end of Thamesmead to the other without ever going down to ground level.

I enjoy watching Clockwork Orange because it has an extra element of nostalgia for me, seeing the places I knew as a kid.

[dergluckliche]

"Total Recall" - the original 1990 version - did a good job of this, too. Many of the exterior earth scenes were shot in and around various Mexico City subway stations.

[christinecollins]

Kubrick is a genius, and a clockwork orange is his greatest masterpiece. My favorite director. and film. Malcolm is also exceedingly talented

[northprime_unlimited]

I LOVE Brutalism. It’s so retro futuristic and still holds up today.

[Tantacrul]

OK. Two musical details I have to give Kudos for: 1: having the balls to use a Rolling Stones clip... even one lasting a few seconds. That's like saying 'Copyright Claim Me!' Love how you prioritise content over the danger of scumbags trying to grab your ad revenue. No.2: syncing the renditions of Daisy and making it work! Bravo!

[Larry]

Love your pronounciation of Borehamwood!

[trapjohnson]

Kubrick was pretty spot on about the movement of Pop Art towards erotica, though not often straight up pornographic

[alwonfa]

Great analysis, thanks!
Hey, maybe do one on Nadsat, the Clockwork Orange universe slang? As I recall, Burgess said it used a lot of Russian-English hybreds because of a world war with the now defunct Soviet Union.

[DMalltheway]

Some of the buildings and the set designs remind me of Robocop.

[christianbjorck]

These soulless buildings are a perfect backdrop. Too bad people actually had/have to live there and see these ugly grey slabs of concrete.

[mrminecraft]

i live near one of the filming locations in the film. where one of them falls into the lake. i visited the location and sad to say it's getting torn down by the council. shame because my father used to live there back when it was first built and remembers when they shot the film there.