Stanley Kubrick's controversial Oscar-nominated 1971 dystopian future sci-fi classic was largely banned and made unavailable in Britain for around twenty-seven years due to its depiction of extreme sexual violence. Having grown up in the U.K. during this time, I found it even more interesting to see this collection of movie memorabilia for A Clockwork Orange so openly displayed at LACMA's Stanley Kubrick exhibit.
A Clockwork Orange movie display at the
Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA
The exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was comprised mainly of reproduction costumes and props, but it did feature the original sword cane used by Malcolm McDowell as the sociopathic delinquent 'Alex DeLarge' in the movie set in a futuristic Britain.
A Clockwork Orange movie poster
At other ends of the spectrum, you can also see her Oscar-winning period costume designs in Barry Lyndon and outfits used in The Shining horror movie.
Reproduction of Alex DeLarge costume worn by Malcolm McDowell
and actual sword cane used in A Clockwork Orange
Reproduction mannequins of the Korova Milk Bar maids
featured in A Clockwork Orange
It's amazing how the world has moved on and imagery like this is no longer as shocking as it was forty years ago, although the societal, political and economic themes of the movie, like gang violence, are still relevant today.
A Clockwork Orange movie poster
All elements of this iconic film have thier relevance to the times of then as they have such relevance now. Each set piece, detail in design, and dialogue reflects the shocking realities of a troubled mind as a intentional slap in the face to the audience, which in turn, is an act of awareness of great urgency for addressing the broad scope of mental health issues for proper treatment of said issues, especially among the youth. In conclusion, Kubrick's film serves as a testament to the continuous deterioration of society in its most alarming form.
ReplyDeleteCan't imagine who'd ever want to visit a supposed museum displaying "reproductions" of A Clockwork Orange movie prop, if those are not the actual props used in the film. The only prop worth seeing there would be the original cane sword, which holds true nostalgia compared to a reproduction.
ReplyDeleteThe exhibit was part of a larger Stanley Kubrick Exhibition hosted at LACMA https://hollywoodmoviecostumesandprops.blogspot.com/search/label/LACMA
ReplyDelete